Niki Lauda Quotes

Happiness is an enemy. It weakens you. Suddenly, you have something to lose.

A lot of people criticize Formula 1 as an unnecessary risk. But what would life be like if we only did what is necessary?

I've been through a lot and I realise the future can't be controlled. I'm not worried. You can always learn to overcome difficulties.

Really, you should always discuss the defeats because you can learn much more from failure than from success.

Don't talk too much, be focused on the goal and achieve it.

You appreciate that it is very easy to die and you have to arrange your life to cope with that reality.

From success, you learn absolutely nothing. From failure and setbacks conclusions can be drawn. That goes for your private life as well as your career.

A race isn't won until it's over.

Vienna is the gate to Eastern Europe.

To make a decision you need to be in a perfect environment: you have to be motivated and surrounded by the right people.

Giving up is something a Lauda doesn't do.

Jean Todt's system will never succeed, not even with Michael Schumacher.

The less you talk, the more time you have for the essential things.

I employ 20 people in Vienna. The other 130 coworkers are pilots and flight companions. The Overhead is limited with me. Reduces naturally the costs of my fliers.

Airlines go in the long run at the competition to reason. For the passenger the competition is good, because each competitor tries to undercut the other one.

I maintain that the maxim is still to be faster than the others.

Taking your first title is much more complicated and more difficult; it takes years of work - from go-kart to Formula One. The second comes more easily, because you've already got the experience.

Whenever there is discussion, I make it clear that I do not want any grey zones, just black and white.

Whenever I see something that challenges me, I take it on.

Business is much less transparent than a win in a Grand Prix; in a race you drive over the finishing line first and you have won. In business it is different.

I see myself as the mind of the business which takes care of every last detail; if you do not do this you cannot be fast enough.

To be honest, it is boring to talk about winning.

I always go extreme ways.

You must always be faster and better than the others.

This aircraft tops everything. All the others look old as compared to this one.

Running an airline is a normal job. Racing is more.

If you are a straightforward racing driver you should always see your limits. You have to be objective and not come up with any bullshit.

When you have something in black and white, you can deal with it quicker.

In Germany air became generally accepted Berlin in this area. It operated with 45 airplanes within the Low Cost range from Germany, and is one the most successful carriers in Europe.

You must always aim for further growth.

The crucial point is always the own cost structure. Therefore I created a Low Cost alliance with air Berlin.

The air travel industry moves into a new phase every five to six years.

I am someone who places great value on the detail. That was always the case, even in my days as a racing driver.

When you have the chance to fight for victory or a podium finish, you have the motivation to push that extra bit out of yourself.

The alliance with air Berlin is attractive for me. I can use the whole sales network of the air Berlin and 24 percent of my own airline at air Berlin sold.

I see myself as a classic middle market entrepreneur, and this is the role I fulfil.

I always want to know whether the customers are satisfied; customer satisfaction is, after all, my ultimate goal!

I want to bring passengers on my airplanes to present to them my product.

When things change a lot, some guys handle the change better than others, but that doesn't mean the guys that take longer to get the hang of things are suddenly slow drivers!

Grey zones do not interest me at all.

My experience enables me to select the very best pilots in the market.

Ultimately, an aircraft owner does not want to have to deal with all the intricate details which are necessary for the business.