James Hunt
Encyclopedia
James Simon Wallis Hunt (29 August 1947 – 15 June 1993) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 racing driver from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 who won the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman. Never one to take himself too seriously, Hunt endeared himself to the British public with his charisma and charm and in the process brought a whole new fanbase to the sport of Formula One.

Beginning his racing career in touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...

, Hunt progressed into Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...

 where he attracted the attention of the Hesketh Racing team and was soon taken under their wing. Hunt entered Formula One in , driving a March 731 entered by the Hesketh Racing team. He went on to win for Hesketh, driving their own Hesketh 308
Hesketh 308
The Hesketh 308 and its derived sister model the 308B are Formula One racing cars designed by Harvey Postlethwaite for Hesketh Racing to compete in the and World Championships...

 car, in both World Championship and non-Championship races, before joining the McLaren team at the end of . In his first year with McLaren, Hunt won the World Drivers' Championship, and he remained with the team for a further two years, although with less success, before moving to the Wolf
Walter Wolf Racing
Walter Wolf Racing was a Formula One constructor from 1977 to 1980, notable for winning the very first race the team entered.-1975-77:In 1975, the Slovenian-Austrian-Canadian businessman Walter Wolf had started to appear at many of the F1 races during the season. A year later, he bought 60% of...

 team in early . However, following a string of races in which he failed to finish, Hunt retired from driving half way through the 1979 season.

He is latterly remembered for his commentary career for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

, which he took up following his retirement and maintained until his death in 1993.

Early career

The son of a successful stockbroker, James Hunt was born in Belmont, Sutton
Belmont, Sutton
Belmont is a village in the London Borough of Sutton in southwest Greater London, England. It is located off the A217 road and near to Banstead Downs in Surrey. It is a suburban development situated 10.8 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross....

, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

 and educated firstly at Westerleigh School in Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....

, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...

 and later Wellington College in Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...

, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...

, and originally professed the intention of becoming a doctor. But just before his 18th birthday he was taken by a friend to see a motor race and Hunt was instantly hooked.

Hunt's own racing career started off in a racing Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...

, before graduating to Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....

 and Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...

. Hunt was noticed as a fast driver with an aggressive, tail-happy driving style, but one prone to spectacular accidents, hence his well-earned nickname of Hunt The Shunt. Hunt was involved in a controversial incident with Dave Morgan during a battle for second position in the Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...

 Daily Express Trophy race at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace (circuit)
Crystal Palace circuit was a motor racing circuit in Crystal Palace, London, England. The circuit was located within Crystal Palace park. The route of the track can still be seen on maps providing access to the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre that is also located in the park.- History :The...

 on 3 October 1970. Having banged wheels earlier in a very closely fought race, Morgan attempted to pass Hunt on the outside of South Tower Corner on the final lap, but instead the cars collided and crashed out of the race. Hunt's car came to rest in the middle of the track, minus two wheels. Hunt got out, ran over to Morgan and furiously pushed him to the ground, which earned him severe official disapproval.

Hunt's career continued in the works March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...

 team, but in May 1972 it was announced by the team that he had been dropped from the STP-March Formula 3 team and replaced by Jochen Mass
Jochen Mass
Jochen Richard Mass is a former race car driver from Germany.He participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 14, 1973 at the British Grand Prix...

. This followed a period characterized by a series of mechanical failures, and which culminated in a decision by Hunt, against the express instructions of March director Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...

, to race at Monaco in a March from a different team, unexpectedly vacated by driver Jean-Claude Alzerat, after Hunt's own March had first broken down and then been hit by another competitor in a practice lap.

After the termination of his racing relationship with STP-March, Hunt joined the Hesketh team, where he was seen as a kindred spirit. The team initially entered Hunt in Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...

 with little success but Lord Hesketh
Alexander Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh
Thomas Alexander Fermor-Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh, KBE, PC , is a British UK Independence Party politician. For most of his life, he has preferred to be addressed by his middle name...

 announced that they might as well fail in F1 as in F2, as it wasn't significantly more expensive.

Beginnings with Hesketh

Hesketh purchased a March 731 chassis, and it was developed by Harvey Postlethwaite
Harvey Postlethwaite
Harvey Postlethwaite was a British engineer and Technical Director of several Formula One teams during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He died of a heart attack in Spain while supervising the testing of the abortive Honda F1 project...

. The team was initially not taken seriously by rivals, who saw the Hesketh team as a party goers enjoying the glamour of Formula One. The Hesketh March proved much more competitive than the works March cars, and their best result was second place at the 1973 United States Grand Prix
1973 United States Grand Prix
The 1973 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 7, 1973 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:...

. For the season Hesketh Racing built a car, inspired by the March, called the Hesketh 308
Hesketh 308
The Hesketh 308 and its derived sister model the 308B are Formula One racing cars designed by Harvey Postlethwaite for Hesketh Racing to compete in the and World Championships...

, but an accompanying V12 engine never materialised. The Hesketh team captured the public imagination as a car without sponsors' markings, a teddy-bear badge and a devil-may-care team ethos, which belied the fact that their engineers were highly competent. Hunt's season highlight was a victory at the BRDC International Trophy
BRDC International Trophy
The International Trophy is a prize awarded annually by the British Racing Drivers' Club to the winner of a motor race held at the Silverstone Circuit, England...

 non-Championship race at Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...

, against the majority of the regular F1 field.

Hunt's first World Championship win came in the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix
1975 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1975 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on June 22, 1975. It was the 24th Dutch Grand Prix. It was held over 75 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 318 kilometres....

 at Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP in the dunes north of the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :...

. He finished fourth in the Championship that year, but Lord Hesketh had run out of funds and could not find a sponsor for his team. With little time left before the season, Hunt was desperately looking for a drive until Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...

 left McLaren and joined his brother's Copersucar-Fittipaldi
Fittipaldi Automotive
Fittipaldi Automotive, sometimes called Copersucar after its first major sponsor, was the only Formula One motor racing team and constructor ever to be based in Brazil. It was formed during 1974 by racing driver Wilson Fittipaldi and his younger brother, double world champion Emerson, with money...

 outfit. With no other top drivers available, the team management signed Hunt to McLaren for the next season – he was one of the cheapest World Champions ever (Keke Rosberg
Keke Rosberg
Keijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...

 in 1982 similarly found a drive at the last minute). Hunt immediately caused a stir by refusing to sign a clause in his contract which stipulated he wore suits to sponsor functions. Hunt wore t-shirt and jeans and was often barefoot for sponsor-led functions with world leaders, chairmen of businesses and media moguls.

World Championship year

1976 was Hunt's best year; the season proved to be both dramatic and controversial. He drove the McLaren M23
McLaren M23
The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...

 to six Grands Prix wins. After a slow start in which rival Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...

 pulled out a vast points lead, Hunt was disqualified and later reinstated as the winner of the 1976 Spanish Grand Prix
1976 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1976 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on May 2, 1976, and was the fourth round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race, which was contested over 75 laps, was won by James Hunt who drove a McLaren-Ford to take his first victory of the year...

 for driving a car adjudged to be 1.8 cm too wide. Victory at the British Grand Prix
1976 British Grand Prix
The 1976 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 18, 1976 at the Brands Hatch circuit, Kent, UK. It was the ninth round of the 1976 Formula One season....

 was disallowed after an accident at the first corner that Hunt was involved in. At the Italian Grand Prix
1976 Italian Grand Prix
The 1976 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 12, 1976.-Background:Monza had been modified from the year before, and the circuit featured 2 consecutive left-right chicanes creating the Variante Retefilo added before the Curva Grande, and a left-right chicane...

, the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....

 fuel that McLaren used was tested and although apparently legal, the Penske cars, running the same fuel, had a much higher octane level than allowed and subsequently both teams were forced to start from the rear of the grid.

Lauda's near-fatal accident in Germany
1976 German Grand Prix
The 1976 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Nürburgring on 1 August 1976, and is notable as the location of Niki Lauda's near fatal accident...

, which caused him to miss the following two races, allowed Hunt to close the gap to the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

n. As they went to the final round in Japan
1976 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1976 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Fuji on October 24, 1976.The 1976 World Championship was to be decided at the Mount Fuji circuit, with Niki Lauda just three points ahead of James Hunt after a season full of incidents including Lauda's near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring...

 Hunt was just three points behind. The Japanese Grand Prix was torrentially wet, and Lauda retired early on in the race, unable to blink because of facial burns from his accident in Germany. After leading most of the race Hunt suffered a puncture, then had a delayed pitstop and finally received mixed pit signals from his team. But he managed to finish in third place, scoring four points, enough for him to win the World Championship by one point.

Decline and retirement

The 1977 Formula One season
1977 Formula One season
The 1977 Formula One season included the 28th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 9, 1977, and ended on October 23 after seventeen races.-Season summary:...

 did not start well for Hunt. The McLaren M26
McLaren M26
The McLaren M26 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck for the McLaren team, to replace the aging McLaren M23 model. The car was designed to be a lighter and lower car than its predecessor, with a smaller frontal area and narrower monocoque...

 was problematic in the early part of the season, during which Niki Lauda and Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...

 took a considerable lead in the Drivers' Championship. Towards the end of the year Hunt and the McLaren M26 were quicker than any rival combination other than Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...

 and the Lotus 78
Lotus 78
The Lotus 78 'wing car' was a Formula One racing car used in the and seasons. It was designed by Peter Wright, Colin Chapman, Martin Ogilvie and Tony Rudd, and was the car that started the ground effect revolution in Formula One.-Concept:...

, and Hunt won in Watkins Glen and Fuji. He finished fifth in the World Drivers' Championship.

In the season Hunt scored only eight world championship points. Lotus had developed effective ground effect
Ground effect in cars
Ground effect is term applied to a series of aerodynamic effects used in car design, which has been exploited to create downforce, particularly in racing cars. This has been the successor to the earlier dominant aerodynamic theory of streamlining...

 aerodynamics with their Lotus 79
Lotus 79
The Lotus 79 was a Formula One car designed in late 1977 by Colin Chapman, Geoff Aldridge, Martin Ogilvie, Tony Rudd and Peter Wright of Lotus. It is considered by many to be one of the most significant and respected racing car designs of all time....

 car, and McLaren were slow to respond. The M26 was revised as a ground effect car midway through the season but it did not work, and without a test driver to solve the car's problems, Hunt's motivation was low. His inexperienced new team-mate Patrick Tambay
Patrick Tambay
Patrick Daniel Tambay is a French former racing driver. He competed in 123 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, winning twice, securing 5 pole positions and scoring a total of 103 Championship points...

 even outqualified Hunt at one race.

James Hunt was greatly affected by Ronnie Peterson's fatal crash in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix
1978 Italian Grand Prix
The 1978 Italian Grand Prix was the 14th race of the 1978 Formula One season. It was held on 10 September 1978 at Monza. It was marred by the death of Ronnie Peterson following an accident at the start of the race....

. At the start of the race there was a huge accident going into the first corner. Ronnie Peterson's Lotus was pushed into the barriers and burst into flames. Hunt, together with Patrick Depailler
Patrick Depailler
Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler was a racing driver from France. He participated in 95 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 2 July 1972. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.Depailler was born in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme. As a child, he...

 and Clay Regazzoni
Clay Regazzoni
Gianclaudio Giuseppe "Clay" Regazzoni was a Swiss racing car driver. He competed in Formula One races from 1970 to 1980, winning five Grands Prix. His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his debut season, driving for Ferrari. He remained with the Italian team until...

, rescued Peterson from the car, but Peterson died one day later. Hunt took his friend's death particularly hard and for years afterwards blamed Riccardo Patrese
Riccardo Patrese
Riccardo Gabriele Patrese is an Italian former racing driver, who raced in Formula One from to .He became the first Formula One driver to achieve 200 Grand Prix starts when he appeared at the 1990 British Grand Prix, and the first to achieve 250 starts at the 1993 German Grand Prix...

 for the accident. Video evidence of the crash has since shown that Patrese did not touch Hunt or Peterson's cars, nor did he cause any other car to do so. Hunt believed, however, that it was Patrese's muscling past that caused the McLaren and Lotus to touch, but Patrese argues that he was already well ahead of the pair before the accident took place.

For Hunt moved to the initially very successful Walter Wolf Racing
Walter Wolf Racing
Walter Wolf Racing was a Formula One constructor from 1977 to 1980, notable for winning the very first race the team entered.-1975-77:In 1975, the Slovenian-Austrian-Canadian businessman Walter Wolf had started to appear at many of the F1 races during the season. A year later, he bought 60% of...

 team for what would be his last, brief, Formula One season. The team's ground effect car was uncompetitive and Hunt soon lost any enthusiasm for racing. His private life was also becoming increasingly turbulent. After failing to finish the 1979 Monaco Grand Prix
1979 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1979 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 27 May 1979 at Monaco.- Classification :- Notes :* Lap Leaders: Jody Scheckter 76 laps .* Last race - James Hunt-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...

, the race where six years previously he had made his debut, Hunt made a statement to the press announcing his immediate retirement and walked away from F1 competition.

Personal life and later career

Hunt was notorious for his unconventional behaviour on and off the track. Having been part of Formula One when the series was consolidating, and when it was conquering the attention of the motor sport press, Hunt became the epitome of unruly, playboy drivers and was celebrated for his English eccentricity (which included dining with his Alsatian
German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...

, Oscar, at expensive Mayfair restaurants).

Early in their careers Hunt and Lauda shared a one-bedroom flat in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, and were close friends off the track. Lauda, in his autobiography To Hell and Back, described Hunt as an "open, honest to God pal." Whilst living in Spain as a tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...

, Hunt was neighbours with Jody Scheckter
Jody Scheckter
Jody David Scheckter is a South African former auto racing driver, the Formula One World Drivers Champion.-Career:Scheckter was born in East London, South Africa and educated at Selborne College.-Formula One:...

, and they also came to be very good friends, with Hunt giving Scheckter the nickname Fletcher after the crash prone bird in the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, written by Richard Bach, is a fable in novella form about a seagull learning about life and flight, and a homily about self-perfection...

. Another close friend was Ronnie Peterson
Ronnie Peterson
Bengt Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish racing driver. He was a two-time runner-up in the FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship.Peterson began his motor racing career in kart racing, traditionally the discipline where the majority of race drivers begin their careers in open-wheel racing...

. Peterson was a quiet and shy man, whilst Hunt was exactly the opposite, but their contrasting personalities made them very close off the track. It was Hunt who discovered Gilles Villeneuve
Gilles Villeneuve
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve, better known as Gilles Villeneuve , was a Canadian racing driver. An enthusiast of cars and fast driving from an early age, he started his professional career in snowmobile racing in his native province of Quebec...

, whom he met after being soundly beaten by him in a Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic is a specification of open wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club of America Formula Atlantic.-History:The history of...

 race in 1976. Hunt then arranged for the young Canadian to make his Grand Prix debut with McLaren in 1977.

Hunt's lifestyle was as controversial as some of the events on track: he was associated with a succession of beautiful women; he preferred to turn up to formal functions in bare feet and jeans; he was an extensive user of alcohol, and also cocaine and marijuana; and he lived an informal life near the beach in Marbella. He was regularly seen attending nightclubs and discos, and was generally the life and soul of the party. Hunt was an expert ball game player, and regularly played squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...

 and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

. He also played on the F1 drivers' cricket and football teams and appeared on the BBC's Superstars
Superstars
Superstars is an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon....

more than once.

He was married twice: first, to model Suzy Miller, who left him for the actor Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...

. His second marriage, to Sarah Lomax, resulted in two children.

Soon after retirement, in 1979 Hunt became a television commentator for the BBC, alongside Murray Walker
Murray Walker
Graeme Murray Walker, OBE is a former Formula One motorsport commentator...

 on the BBC 2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...

 Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 racing programme Grand Prix, a position which he continued for the thirteen years until his death. Viewers were regularly exposed to his knowledge, insights and dry sense of humour during broadcasts, bringing him a whole new fanbase. He was famous for 'rubbishing' drivers he didn't think were trying hard enough – he once described René Arnoux
René Arnoux
René Alexandre Arnoux is a retired French racing driver who is a veteran of 12 Formula One seasons...

's comments that non-turbo cars didn't suit the Frenchman's driving skills as "bullshit", while live on the BBC. He also had a reputation for speaking out against back-markers who held up race leaders and not holding back on any of his commentaries - in sharp contrast to the gentlemanly Walker.

He briefly considered making a comeback to F1 in the mid-1980s, and even tested privately for Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...

 setting competitive lap times, but eventually changed his mind.

Hunt fought depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...

 and alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...

 and despite severe financial setbacks in his business life, approaching his mid-40s it seemed that he had overcome many of his demons (particularly alcohol and tobacco) and had finally achieved happiness. Happiness to Hunt included his new partner Helen, his clean health, his bicycle, his casual approach to dress, his two sons and his Austin A35
Austin A35
The A35 was a small car sold by the British Motor Corporation under the Austin marque in the 1950s.-Design:Introduced in 1956, it replaced the highly successful Austin A30...

 van.

Hunt made a brief appearance in the 1979 British silent slapstick comedy "The Plank
The Plank (1979 film)
The Plank is a popular 30-minute, 1979 British slapstick comedy, which was a remake of an earlier 1967 version of the film which was written and directed by Eric Sykes. The 1967 version of "The Plank" was, in turn, based on an episode called "Sykes and A Plank", which Eric Sykes wrote for his...

", as well as co-starring with Fred Emney
Fred Emney
Frederick Arthur Round "Fred" Emney was an English character actor and comedian.Emney was born in Lancashire, the son of Blanche and Fred Emney , a music hall entertainer. His uncle was the actor Arthur Williams. Emney junior grew up in London.He made his film debut in 1935, having previously...

 in a Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....

 Havoline TV advertisement. He also made an appearance on ITV's Police Camera Action!
Police Camera Action!
Police, Camera, Action! is a police video programme made by Optomen Television for ITV and broadcast on the ITV Network and ITV4. The program was originally commissioned through Carlton Television....

 special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...

 Crash Test Racers in 2000; this was one of many interviews to be aired posthumously.

Hunt died in 1993 at the age of 45, of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

 at his home in Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...

, only hours after proposing marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 to Helen. He was cremated at Putney Vale Crematorium
Putney Vale Cemetery
Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium in London is surrounded by Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park, and is located within forty-seven acres of parkland. The cemetery was opened in 1891 and the crematorium in 1938...

.

Hunt's son Freddie Hunt competed in his first car race on 29 October 2006, and finished fourth overall. It is said he used the race to evaluate if he wished to become a racing driver professionally. After competing in the ADAC Formel Masters
ADAC Formel Masters
ADAC Formel Masters is an open wheel racing series based in Germany. The first season was in 2008 and is the main feeder series to the ATS Formula 3 Cup .-Scoring system:...

 series in Germany in 2009, Freddie decided to retire from motor racing. Hunt's younger brother, David
David Hunt (racer)
David Hunt , is former British racing driver and younger brother of 1976 Formula One world champion James Hunt....

, also pursued a racing career, competing in British Formula Three
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...

 and International Formula 3000 in the 1980s.

In early 2007, Formula One driver Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...

 entered and won a snowmobile race in his native Finland under the name James Hunt. Räikkönen has openly admired the lifestyles of 1970s race car drivers such as Hunt.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Pts.
1973
1973 Formula One season
The 1973 Formula One season included the 24th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 28, 1973, and ended on October 7 after fifteen races.-Season summary:...

Hesketh Racing March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...

 731
Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
ARG
1973 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1973 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez on January 28, 1973.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Clay Regazzoni - 1:10.54* Fastest lap: Emerson Fittipaldi - 1:11.22-Standings after the race:...

BRA
1973 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1973 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Interlagos on February 11, 1973.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...

RSA
1973 South African Grand Prix
The 1973 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Kyalami on March 3, 1973. The race was won by Jackie Stewart driving a Tyrrell...

ESP
1973 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1973 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Montjuïc circuit on April 29, 1973.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...

BEL
1973 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1973 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on May 20, 1973. It was won by British driver Jackie Stewart driving a Tyrrell 006....

MON
1973 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1973 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on June 3, 1973.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole Position: Jackie Stewart - 1:27.5* Fastest lap: Emerson Fittipaldi - 1:28.1* 150th Grand Prix start: Graham Hill...


9
SWE
1973 Swedish Grand Prix
The 1973 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on June 17, 1973.Ronnie Peterson's success with Team Lotus was the catalyst for a Swedish Grand Prix and the race was held for the first time in 1973 at the grandly-named Scandinavian Raceway.Peterson did not...

FRA
1973 French Grand Prix
The 1973 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Paul Ricard Circuit on July 1, 1973.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Jackie Stewart - 1:48.37* Fastest lap: Denny Hulme - 1:50.99...


6
GBR
1973 British Grand Prix
The 1973 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone Circuit on July 14, 1973.The race is known for the first lap pile-up which ultimately caused eleven cars to retire. The accident happened when Jody Scheckter spun out of fourth place and into the center of the track coming...


4
NED
1973 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1973 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Zandvoort on July 29, 1973. Zandvoort returned to the Formula 1 calendar following a year's absence for extensive safety upgrades to the race track including new asphalt, new barriers and a new race control tower...


3
GER
1973 German Grand Prix
The 1973 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Nürburgring on August 5, 1973.- Classification :- Notes :* Lap leaders: Jackie Stewart * Jackie Stewart took his 27th and last grand prix victory in this race...

AUT
1973 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1973 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Österreichring on August 19, 1973.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Emerson Fittipaldi - 1:34.98* Fastest lap: Carlos Pace - 1:37.29-Standings after the race:...


Ret
ITA
1973 Italian Grand Prix
The 1973 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monza on September 9, 1973.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Ronnie Peterson - 1:34.8* Fastest lap: Jackie Stewart - 1:35.3...


DNS
CAN
1973 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1973 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Mosport Park on September 23, 1973.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Ronnie Peterson - 1:13.697* Fastest lap: Emerson Fittipaldi - 1:15.496...


7
USA
1973 United States Grand Prix
The 1973 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 7, 1973 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:...


2
8th 14
1974
1974 Formula One season
The 1974 Formula One season was the 25th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1974 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1974 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, contested concurrently over a fifteen race series which commenced on 13 January and ended on 6 October...

Hesketh Racing March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...

 731
Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
ARG
1974 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1974 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held in Buenos Aires on January 13, 1974.-Start-of-season preliminaries:It had been one of the most frantic close seasons ever with only Ronnie Peterson, Denny Hulme, Carlos Reutemann and James Hunt remaining with their teams. Emerson Fittipaldi...


Ret
BRA
1974 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1974 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on January 27, 1974.- Race summary :Emerson Fittipaldi took pole position for his home race from Carlos Reutemann. The start of the race was delayed as the track had to be swept clear of broken glass from over-exuberant...


9
8th 15
Hesketh 308
Hesketh 308
The Hesketh 308 and its derived sister model the 308B are Formula One racing cars designed by Harvey Postlethwaite for Hesketh Racing to compete in the and World Championships...

Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
RSA
1974 South African Grand Prix
The 1974 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 30 March 1974.- Race summary :It was initially uncertain that the South African Grand Prix would go ahead due to the power crisis, but it did so, albeit belatedly in March...


Ret
ESP
1974 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1974 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on April 28, 1974.- Race summary :With James Hunt's Hesketh having won the International Trophy, the season was one of the most open ever, with four different drivers from different teams having won the first four races and a...


10
BEL
1974 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1974 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nivelles on May 12, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Clay Regazzoni - 1:09.82*Fastest lap: Denny Hulme - 1:11.31 on lap 37-Standings after the race:...


Ret
MON
1974 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1974 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 26, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:26.3*Fastest lap: Ronnie Peterson - 1:27.9 on lap 57-Standings after the race:...


Ret
SWE
1974 Swedish Grand Prix
The 1974 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on June 9, 1974.The race was totally dominated by the two Tyrrell-Cosworth 007s of Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler. Depailler took pole position, however Scheckter beat him by 0.380 sec in the race, to score...


3
NED
1974 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1974 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on June 23, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:18.31*Fastest lap: Ronnie Peterson - 1:21.44 on lap 63...


Ret
FRA
1974 French Grand Prix
The 1974 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon on July 7, 1974.- Race summary :To honor the 80th birthday of the ACF, a parade of vintage cars was organized with a selection of great drivers from the 20s and 30s up to the present day. The race itself was largely uneventful...


Ret
GBR
1974 British Grand Prix
The 1974 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 20 July 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:19.7*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:21.1 on lap 25...


Ret
GER
1974 German Grand Prix
The 1974 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Nürburgring on August 4, 1974. It was the 36th German Grand Prix and the 33rd to be held at the Nürburgring complex of circuits. The race was won by Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni driving a Ferrari 312B3...


Ret
AUT
1974 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1974 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 18, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:35.40*Fastest lap: Clay Regazzoni - 1:37.22 on lap 46-Standings after the race:...


3
ITA
1974 Italian Grand Prix
The 1974 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 8, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:33.16*Fastest lap: Carlos Pace - 1:34.2 on lap 46...


Ret
CAN
1974 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1974 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park on September 22, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Emerson Fittipaldi - 1:13.188*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:13.659 on lap 60*First race: Penske...


4
USA
1974 United States Grand Prix
The 1974 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 6, 1974, at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:...


3
1975
1975 Formula One season
The 1975 Formula One season was the 26th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from January 12 to October 5 over fourteen races...

Hesketh Racing Hesketh 308B
Hesketh 308
The Hesketh 308 and its derived sister model the 308B are Formula One racing cars designed by Harvey Postlethwaite for Hesketh Racing to compete in the and World Championships...

Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
ARG
1975 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1975 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Buenos Aires on January 12, 1975. It was the twelfth Argentine Grand Prix and only the second to be held on the lengthened six kilometre version of the race track that runs out toards Curvon Salotto around the lake which lies to the...


2
BRA
1975 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on January 26, 1975. It was the fourth Brazilian Grand Prix since its introduction in 1972. The race was memorably won by São Paulo native Carlos Pace driving a Brabham BT44B. It would be the only win of Pace's...


6
RSA
1975 South African Grand Prix
The 1975 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 1, 1975. It was the 21st South African Grand Prix since the first Grand Prix was held in 1934 and the ninth to be held at Kyalami just outside of Johannesburg...


Ret
ESP
1975 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1975 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Montjuïc circuit on April 27, 1975, remembered as one of the most controversial and tragic race weekends in the sport's history after the death of five spectators who were hit by the crashing Hill GH1 of Rolf Stommelen...


Ret
MON
1975 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1975 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held in Monaco on May 11, 1975. It was the fifth race of the 1975 Formula One season. It was the 33rd Monaco Grand Prix since the race was first held in 1929...


Ret
BEL
1975 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1975 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on May 25, 1975. It was the sixth round of the 1975 World Drivers' Championship. It was the 33rd Belgian Grand Prix and the second to be held at the Circuit Zolder...


Ret
SWE
1975 Swedish Grand Prix
The 1975 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Scandinavian Raceway at Anderstorp on June 8, 1975. It was the sixth Swedish Grand Prix after it was first held as the Swedish Summer Grand Prix in 1933, and the third to be held at Scandinavian Raceway...


Ret
NED
1975 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1975 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on June 22, 1975. It was the 24th Dutch Grand Prix. It was held over 75 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 318 kilometres....


1
FRA
1975 French Grand Prix
The 1975 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 6, 1975. It was the 53rd French Grand Prix and the third time the race was held at Paul Ricard. The race was held over 54 laps of the five kilometre circuit for a race distance of 313 kilometres.The race was won by...


2
GBR
1975 British Grand Prix
The 1975 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 19, 1975. It was the 30th British Grand Prix to be held since the race was first held in 1926 and the 17th time the race had been held at Silverstone...


4
GER
1975 German Grand Prix
The 1975 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on August 3, 1975. It was the 37th German Grand Prix and the 34th to be held at the Nürburgring. The race was held over 14 laps of the 22 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 319 kilometres.The race was won by...


Ret
AUT
1975 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1975 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 17, 1975. It was the eighth Austrian Grand Prix and the sixth to be held at the Österreichring. It was held over 29 of the scheduled 54 laps of the six kilometre circuit for a race distance of 171 kilometres...


2
4th 33
Hesketh 308C Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
ITA
1975 Italian Grand Prix
The 1975 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1975. It was the 45th Italian Grand Prix and the 41st to be held at Monza. The race held over 52 laps of the five kilometre circuit for a race distance of 300 kilometres....


5
USA
1975 United States Grand Prix
The 1975 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 5, 1975 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York...


4
1976
1976 Formula One season
The 1976 Formula One season included the 27th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 25, 1976, and ended on October 24 after sixteen races...

Marlboro Team McLaren McLaren M23
McLaren M23
The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...

Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
BRA
1976 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil on January 25, 1976. The race was contested over 40 laps and was the opening round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race was won by defending World Champion, Niki Lauda, who drove a Ferrari car...


Ret
RSA
1976 South African Grand Prix
The 1976 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 6, 1976. The race, which was the second round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Niki Lauda in a Ferrari car who increased his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to 12 points by taking his third...


2
USW
1976 United States Grand Prix West
The 1976 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on March 28, 1976 in Long Beach, California. The race, which was the third round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Clay Regazzoni in a Ferrari car whilst his teammate Niki Lauda finished second, and therefore...


Ret
ESP
1976 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1976 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on May 2, 1976, and was the fourth round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race, which was contested over 75 laps, was won by James Hunt who drove a McLaren-Ford to take his first victory of the year...


1
BEL
1976 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1976 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on May 16, 1976.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...


Ret
MON
1976 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1976 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 30, 1976.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:29.65*Fastest lap: Clay Regazzoni - 1:30.28 on lap 60-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...


Ret
SWE
1976 Swedish Grand Prix
The 1976 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on June 13, 1976.It saw the first win of a 6-wheel car - the Tyrrell P34...


5
FRA
1976 French Grand Prix
The 1976 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 4, 1976.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: James Hunt - 1:47.89*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:51.0 on lap 4...


1
GBR
1976 British Grand Prix
The 1976 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 18, 1976 at the Brands Hatch circuit, Kent, UK. It was the ninth round of the 1976 Formula One season....


DSQ
GER
1976 German Grand Prix
The 1976 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Nürburgring on 1 August 1976, and is notable as the location of Niki Lauda's near fatal accident...


1
AUT
1976 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1976 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Österreichring on 15 August 1976. This race was the only major Formula One and European victory for Penske Racing. It was a poignant win for the team, coming a year after the death of their former driver Mark Donohue at the same...


4
NED
1976 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1976 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on August 29, 1976. It was won by British driver James Hunt driving a McLaren M23.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...


1
ITA
1976 Italian Grand Prix
The 1976 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 12, 1976.-Background:Monza had been modified from the year before, and the circuit featured 2 consecutive left-right chicanes creating the Variante Retefilo added before the Curva Grande, and a left-right chicane...


Ret
CAN
1976 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1976 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park on 3 October 1976.-Qualifying:- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...


1
USA
1976 United States Grand Prix
The 1976 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 10, 1976 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York...


1
JPN
1976 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1976 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Fuji on October 24, 1976.The 1976 World Championship was to be decided at the Mount Fuji circuit, with Niki Lauda just three points ahead of James Hunt after a season full of incidents including Lauda's near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring...


3
1st 69
1977
1977 Formula One season
The 1977 Formula One season included the 28th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 9, 1977, and ended on October 23 after seventeen races.-Season summary:...

Marlboro Team McLaren McLaren M23
McLaren M23
The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...

Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
ARG
1977 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1977 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Argentina on January 9, 1977.-Report:The 1977 season started in Argentina, and it was reigning world champion James Hunt who started off his title defence with pole position in his McLaren...


Ret
BRA
1977 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on January 23, 1977.-Report:James Hunt took pole again with Carlos Reutemann second and Mario Andretti third on the grid. Home hero Carlos Pace took the lead at the start, with Hunt dropping behind Reutemann as well but...


2
RSA
1977 South African Grand Prix
The 1977 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 5 March 1977. The race is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Frederick Jansen van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce...


4
USA
1977 United States Grand Prix West
The 1977 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One race held on April 3, 1977 in Long Beach, California.__FORCETOC__- Summary :An already tragic Formula One season received exactly what it needed to chase away the despair when the brilliant Mario Andretti became the first American to win a...


7
MON
1977 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1977 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 22, 1977.-Report:John Watson took his first career pole for Brabham with Jody Scheckter also on the front row and Carlos Reutemann third. It was Scheckter who got the best start to beat Watson to the first corner, with...


Ret
5th 40
McLaren M26
McLaren M26
The McLaren M26 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck for the McLaren team, to replace the aging McLaren M23 model. The car was designed to be a lighter and lower car than its predecessor, with a smaller frontal area and narrower monocoque...

Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
ESP
1977 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1977 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on May 8, 1977.-Report:Mario Andretti continued his recent form with pole position and Jacques Laffite's Ligier springing a surprise, beating Niki Lauda to second, however Lauda was unable to take part in the race due to a...


Ret
BEL
1977 Belgian Grand Prix
-Report:In qualifying Mario Andretti took a comfortable pole position with John Watson just beating the second Lotus of Gunnar Nilsson to second. The race was wet due to rain earlier in the day, and Watson took the lead at the first corner, but later in the first lap, Andretti ran into the back to...


7
SWE
1977 Swedish Grand Prix
The 1977 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on 19 June 1977.-Report:The Swedish race was full of anticipation after Gunnar Nilsson's win last time out, but once again in qualifying, it was his teammate Mario Andretti leading the way from John Watson, with...


12
FRA
1977 French Grand Prix
The 1977 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Dijon on 3 July 1977.-Report:Once again it was Mario Andretti on pole with James Hunt second and Gunnar Nilsson third on the grid. Hunt got the best start and led into the first corner from John Watson and Jacques Laffite, with Andretti...


3
GBR
1977 British Grand Prix
The 1977 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 16 July 1977. It was won by James Hunt driving a McLaren M26, and marked the debut of Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve...


1
GER
1977 German Grand Prix
The 1977 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Hockenheimring on July 31, 1977. After Niki Lauda's near-fatal accident at the dangerous Nürburgring in 1976, the German Grand Prix was moved to and held every year except for 1 at Hockenheim until 2007, and this was the second year the race...


Ret
AUT
1977 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1977 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Österreichring on August 14, 1977. It was the tenth Austrian Grand Prix since the race was first held in 1963. It was held over 54 laps of the six kilometre venue for a race distance of 320 kilometres...


Ret
NED
1977 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1977 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Circuit Zandvoort on 28 August 1977.-Report:In qualifying, Mario Andretti took his fifth pole of the season with Jacques Laffite alongside on the front row, and James Hunt third...


Ret
ITA
1977 Italian Grand Prix
The 1977 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monza on September 11, 1977.-Report:The fact that it was Ferrari's home race did not deter James Hunt who took pole, whereas Carlos Reutemann cheered the home fans by starting second in front of Jody Scheckter...


Ret
USA
1977 United States Grand Prix
The 1977 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 2, 1977 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York...


1
CAN
1977 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1977 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 9 October 1977 at Mosport Park.-Report:The field arrived in Canada without Niki Lauda who, having clinched the championship at the previous race, and already announced his intention to drive for Brabham the following year, abruptly quit...


Ret
JPN
1977 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1977 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 23 October 1977 at Fuji.-Report:Mario Andretti and James Hunt continued their late-season battle, with the American pipping Hunt to the pole, with John Watson heading the second row...


1
1978
1978 Formula One season
The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October 8 after sixteen races. Mario Andretti was the season Champion and the last American to date to win a Formula One race...

Marlboro Team McLaren McLaren M26
McLaren M26
The McLaren M26 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck for the McLaren team, to replace the aging McLaren M23 model. The car was designed to be a lighter and lower car than its predecessor, with a smaller frontal area and narrower monocoque...

Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
ARG
1978 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1978 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 15 January 1978 at Buenos Aires.-Report:Mario Andretti took pole in his Lotus, with Carlos Reutemann's Ferrari joining him on the front row and Ronnie Peterson in the other Lotus third on the grid...


4
BRA
1978 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 29 January 1978 at Jacarepagua. The race was won by Argentine driver Carlos Reutemann driving a Ferrari 312T2 in a flag-to-flag performance. The win also represented the first win for tyre manufacturer Michelin...


Ret
RSA
1978 South African Grand Prix
The 1978 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 4 March 1978 at Kyalami.Both the Ferrari and Brabham teams had new cars in Kyalami for the race...


Ret
USW
1978 United States Grand Prix West
The 1978 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One race held on April 2, 1978 at Long Beach, California.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Carlos Reutemann took over at the halfway mark from Ferrari teammate Gilles Villeneuve, when the Canadian crashed out of the lead, and won by eleven seconds...


Ret
MON
1978 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1978 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 7 May 1978 at Monaco. It was won by Patrick Depailler of France, his first Formula One victory.-Report:...


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BEL
1978 Belgian Grand Prix
-Report:The main news before the Belgian Grand Prix was that the new Lotus 79 was now ready to race, and immediately Mario Andretti showed its pace by taking pole comfortably from Carlos Reutemann and Niki Lauda...


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ESP
1978 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1978 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 4 June 1978 at Jarama.-Report:Once again the new Lotus 79 demonstrated its speed, with Mario Andretti on pole again with Ronnie Peterson alongside, and Carlos Reutemann having to settle for the second row...


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SWE
1978 Swedish Grand Prix
The 1978 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 17, 1978 at the Scandinavian Raceway; it was the eighth race of the 1978 Formula One season...


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FRA
1978 French Grand Prix
The 1978 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 2 July 1978 at Paul Ricard.-Report:Following the banning of the "fan car", Brabham were forced to revert back to their previous car again, but it did not deter them, with John Watson on pole and Niki Lauda starting third behind Mario...


3
GBR
1978 British Grand Prix
The 1978 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 16 July 1978 at Brands Hatch.-Report:Lotus took the front row, with Ronnie Peterson beating Mario Andretti to pole, with Jody Scheckter next up on the second row. Andretti took the lead at the start from Peterson, and the two Lotus cars...


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GER
1978 German Grand Prix
The 1978 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 30 July 1978 at Hockenheimring.-Report:There were no surprises in qualifying, with Mario Andretti on pole and Ronnie Peterson alongside him, with Niki Lauda third. At the start, Peterson got off better and took the lead from Andretti, but he...


DSQ
AUT
1978 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1978 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 13 August 1978 at Österreichring.-Report:The crowds for the Austrian GP were full of Niki Lauda fans; but however for them Lauda qualified only 12th as the Lotus cars again took the front row, with Ronnie Peterson on pole. The surprise in...


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NED
1978 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1978 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 27 August 1978 at Zandvoort.-Report:Qualifying was as expected, Mario Andretti taking pole with Ronnie Peterson alongside in the all-Lotus front row, and Niki Lauda heading the second row. At the start, Andretti led with Peterson following,...


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ITA
1978 Italian Grand Prix
The 1978 Italian Grand Prix was the 14th race of the 1978 Formula One season. It was held on 10 September 1978 at Monza. It was marred by the death of Ronnie Peterson following an accident at the start of the race....


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USA
1978 United States Grand Prix
The 1978 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 1, 1978 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York...


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CAN
1978 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1978 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 8 October 1978 at Montreal.- Pre-Race :Both championships were already sown up , so this, the final round, was a dead rubber in the 1978 title chase...


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1979
1979 Formula One season
The 1979 Formula One season was the 30th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1979 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1979 International Cup for F1 Constructors which were contested concurrently over a fifteen round series which commenced on January 21, 1979, and ended on...

Olympus Cameras
Olympus Corporation
is a Japan-based manufacturer of optics and reprography products. Olympus was established on 12 October 1919, initially specializing in microscope and thermometer businesses. Its global headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, while its USA operations are based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania,...

 Wolf Racing
Walter Wolf Racing
Walter Wolf Racing was a Formula One constructor from 1977 to 1980, notable for winning the very first race the team entered.-1975-77:In 1975, the Slovenian-Austrian-Canadian businessman Walter Wolf had started to appear at many of the F1 races during the season. A year later, he bought 60% of...

Wolf
Walter Wolf Racing
Walter Wolf Racing was a Formula One constructor from 1977 to 1980, notable for winning the very first race the team entered.-1975-77:In 1975, the Slovenian-Austrian-Canadian businessman Walter Wolf had started to appear at many of the F1 races during the season. A year later, he bought 60% of...

 WR7
Wolf WR7
The Wolf WR7, along with versions WR8 and WR9 was a Formula One car for the 1979 season. Their drivers were Keke Rosberg and James Hunt. The engine was a Ford Cosworth DFV....

Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
ARG
1979 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1979 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 21 January 1979 at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez in Buenos Aires.- Classification :- Notes :* Lap Leaders: Patrick Depailler 10 laps ; Jacques Laffite 43 laps ....


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BRA
1979 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1979 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 4 February 1979 at Interlagos.-Race report:The Ligier team dominated the race weekend with their superior ground-effect JS11...


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RSA
1979 South African Grand Prix
The 1979 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 3 March 1979 at Kyalami.- Classification :- Notes :* Lap Leaders: Jean-Pierre Jabouille 1 lap ; Gilles Villeneuve 39 laps ; Jody Scheckter 38 laps ....


8
ESP
1979 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1979 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 29 April 1979 at Jarama.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...


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NC 0
Wolf
Walter Wolf Racing
Walter Wolf Racing was a Formula One constructor from 1977 to 1980, notable for winning the very first race the team entered.-1975-77:In 1975, the Slovenian-Austrian-Canadian businessman Walter Wolf had started to appear at many of the F1 races during the season. A year later, he bought 60% of...

 WR8
Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V8
USW
1979 United States Grand Prix West
The 1979 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One race held on April 8, 1979 at Long Beach, California.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Canadian Gilles Villeneuve captured pole, fastest lap and the win for Ferrari, followed by teammate Jody Scheckter, as the Prancing Horses took a big step toward...


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BEL
1979 Belgian Grand Prix
- Classification :- Notes :* Lap Leaders: Patrick Depailler 25 laps ; Jacques Laffite 12 laps ; Alan Jones 16 laps ; Jody Scheckter 17 laps .-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...


Ret
MON
1979 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1979 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 27 May 1979 at Monaco.- Classification :- Notes :* Lap Leaders: Jody Scheckter 76 laps .* Last race - James Hunt-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...


Ret
FRA
1979 French Grand Prix
The 1979 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 1 July 1979 at Dijon.It marked the first victory of a turbocharged car in Formula One, with Renault overcoming the reliability problems that had initially plagued their car...

GBR
1979 British Grand Prix
The 1979 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 14 July 1979 at Silverstone. It marked the Williams team's first GP pole position and win .- Classification :- Notes :...

GER
1979 German Grand Prix
The 1979 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 29 July 1979 at Hockenheimring.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...

AUT
1979 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1979 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 12 August 1979 at Österreichring.- Classification :- Notes :* Lap Leaders: Gilles Villeneuve 3 laps ; Alan Jones 51 laps .* First pole position: René Arnoux-Standings after the race:...

NED
1979 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1979 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 26 August 1979 at Zandvoort.-Summary:René Arnoux put his Renault on pole position but the slow start of the turbocharged car allowed Alan Jones to break free. Arnoux and Clay Regazzoni collided, eliminating the Williams on the spot while the...

ITA
1979 Italian Grand Prix
The 1979 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 9 September 1979 at Monza.Monza was revamped for 1979, including a re-surfaced track; and run-off areas were added to the Curva Grande and the Lesmo Curves....

CAN
1979 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1979 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 30 September 1979 at Montreal.During practice Niki Lauda announced his retirement from Formula One. Ricardo Zunino replaced him for the race. The organizers would not let the Alfa Romeo team compete unless they pre-qualified...

USA
1979 United States Grand Prix
The 1979 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 7, 1979 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York...


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