Niki Lauda's championship-winning Ferrari 312T returns in Austria as son takes wheel

Mathias Lauda completed a demonstration run in the Ferrari 312T that his late father, Niki Lauda, drove to the 1975 Formula 1 championship. The run took place at the Red Bull Ring ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.

Taking part in the annual Legends Parade at the Spielberg circuit, Lauda returned the iconic number 12 chassis to an Austrian race track.

The 45-year-old, an experienced GT and endurance racer who previously competed as a factory Aston Martin driver in the World Endurance Championship and in the DTM, drove the historic car around the 4.319km track to commemorate his father's maiden F1 title campaign. 

The Ferrari 312T was designed by Ferrari's legendary technical director Mauro Forghieri. It was introduced at the third round of the 1975 season in South Africa. Powered by a 3-litre naturally aspirated flat-12 engine producing roughly 500 horsepower, the 312T ended a decade-long championship drought for the Maranello outfit.

Joining the Ferrari 312T in the Legends Parade were the 1976 Lotus 77, the 1976 Tyrrell P34, the 1977 Tyrrell P34B, the 1978 Brabham BT46B, the 1981 Lotus 88, the 1983 Brabham BT52, the 1983 Brabham BT52B, the 2002 Ferrari F2002, and the 2010 Red Bull RB6.

Other drivers included in the Legends Parade were Jan Lammers, Pier Luigi Martini, Paolo Barilla, Jean Alesi, Karl Wendlinger, Christian Danner, Mark Webber, Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard. 

Following the Legends Parade, Mercedes driver George Russell went on to successfully convert pole position into his second race win of the season. The Briton was joined on the podium by four-time champion Max Verstappen and Russell's team-mate and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who finished third.

Lauda had already been seen during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend as a guest of the Mercedes F1 team.