News Desk: Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda has died at the age of 70, his family have confirmed.
The surgery was performed almost exactly 42 years after Lauda crashed into a fence at the German Nuerburgring track at a speed of 200km/h kilometres an hour during a race.
The burning Ferrari of Austrian Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda after an accident on the 1st of August in 1976 at Nurburgring. Lauda escaped death in the last second, he was pulled out of the burning wreck by his Formula 1 rivals
�The impact was so hard that the helmet was ripped off my head,� he said of the crash.
The McLaren Formula 1 team tweeted a tribute to Lauda on Tuesday, saying they were 'deeply saddened' at his death.
Niki Lauda is pictured with his then-wife Marlene in the Ferrari pits in 1976
'Niki will forever be in our hearts and enshrined in our history,' the team said.
Former F1 world champion Jenson Button also paid tribute to Lauda on Twitter.