Unlike many drivers, who start out in karting, Lauda debuted in 2002 in Formula Nissan 2000, having been forbidden to begin racing by his father until the age of 21.

The following year, the Austrian remained with Coloni alongside former Formula One driver Gianmaria Bruni to drive in the newly-christened GP2 Series, though he would only take a sole points finish — a sixth place in Monaco.

Lauda decided to turn his attention to touring cars from 2006 onwards, competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Persson Motorsport.

This ended up being a pathway for his career going forward, as the win attracted the attention of fellow racing driver and friend Pedro Lamy, who got Lauda into contact with Aston Martin Racing, whom he would join in the LMGTE Am class of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship as a silver-ranked driver.

[2][5] Along with Lamy and Paul Dalla Lana, Lauda won three races, including his debut appearance at Silverstone, though a non-score at Le Mans prevented the trio from claiming the title — they ended the season third in points.

[8] This time, the season proved to be patchy, as a total of five wins was cancelled out by three retirements, including another one at Le Mans where Lauda suffered a gearbox failure.

[10] Going into their third season as teammates in 2017, Lauda, Lamy, and Dalla Lana laid the groundwork for another championship challenge with a second place in Silverstone, a dominant victory at Spa and a points finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.