Three-times World Champion Niki Lauda’s first F1 car made a pit stop in London to deliver Christmas presents to the youngsters at Richard House, London’s first children’s hospice, at their residential unit at St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney. The car, which is to be auctioned next week as part of the COYS True Greats Christmas Auction, is likely to sell for half a million pounds. The residential unit at Richard House Children’s Hospice is currently based at St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney, an adult’s hospice, who have kindly provided them with a ward while the children’s hospice undergoes a rebuild.
“It was exciting to have the car at the hospice for the children to see and enjoy. It’s exhilarating that it was driven by an F1 legend,” said Elaine Reid, senior nurse at Richard House.
After visiting Hackney, the car will travelled to the permanent Richard House site in Beckton, as the star attraction at the start of a young adults’ Games Evening (on Thursday 27th). “We are aware of the fantastic work that Richard House, the first hospice for children in London, are doing for young people with life-limiting conditions,” said Chris Routledge, Managing Director of the international auction house. We also know how much interest there is in F1 from young people and we thought that it would be a Christmas treat for some of the children to see the car before it was sold and have their picture taken with it.”
This iconic former Grand Prix March from the “Golden Era” was built in 1971 for Ronnie Peterson, who used it as his initial Works Team Car at Kylami, Monaco and the memorable Zandfort race. This then became his spare car after he took over the new 711 -6 chassis at the German Grand Prix of that year. It was at this time that the car became the career opener for Niki Lauda in 1971 when he started at Peterson’s team as the second works driver.
