Due to the recent release of the film "Rush", a feature film that captures the arduous battle that formula one drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda had to win the 1976 title, en Actualidad Motor We have decided to make several articles that talk about the struggles that various drivers in Formula 1 have fought to achieve glory: James Hunt vs Niki Lauda, Senna–Prost, Hamilton-Alonso… They are pilots who have had titanic struggles to obtain the title of pilots in their respective times. On this occasion we are going to narrate the season of 1976, one of the most spectacular seasons of formula one in which the applicant James Hunt he snatched the title in the last race and by just one point from the already champion in 1975 Nikki Lauda.
Sex. Breakfast of Champions. A real guy...
James Hunt (1943-1993). Hunt "The Shunt" (the mishap), so they nicknamed the Englishman due to the multiple accidents he suffered in previous categories (Formula Ford, Formula Three) before reaching formula one. James was fast and spectacular, but he was also prone to spectacular accidents. Rebellious, a playboy (he loved to party) and a womanizer; he perfectly embodied the motto of “Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll«. It was one of the last bad boys in formula one, it is not surprising that one of his admirers is the pilot Kimi Raikkonen, who uses the name of James Hunt when competing in other modalities. This does not mean that he was one of the most charismatic and likeable pilots of the time, according to what he himself said. Laudawho curiously was hunt's friend. In 1976 the great fittipaldi (world champion in 72 and 74) leaves the McLaren team and the English driver has the opportunity to drive for the British team.
Nikki Lauda (1949 – ). Laura was the Hunt's antithesis: Reserved, calculating and methodical. Niki had the qualities that have been necessary in Formula One today and was the start of an era of hard-working, methodical drivers with a healthy and exemplary lifestyle... but on the track, both drivers had the same goal: to win. Niki Lauda in 1976 was the rival to beat, with a powerful Ferrari that had given her the title in 1975.
Welcome to one of the most exciting, unpredictable and dangerous championships of all time. The 1976 championship.
The first three grand prizes show us a dominating ferrari (the team gets three first places) with two wins for defending champion Niki Lauda, while Hunt gets a second place and two retirements by accident. Everything presaged a triumphant ride for Lauda with his competitive Ferrari... But the GP of Spain arrives. There Hunt gets the victory and Lauda finishes second. This GP was very controversial because the technical commissioners they disqualified Hunt discovering that the No. 11 McLaren rear wing was 1,8cm wider than allowed. Finally This irregularity resulted in an economic sanction for the team and they returned the victory to Hunt.
The following GPs continued the line of the beginning of the season, with two victories and a third place for Lauda and a fifth place for Hunt and two retirements due to mechanical problems. But the tables were turned and in the French GP Hunt was the clear winner while Lauda retired due to problems with his engine. comes the UK GP and again the "office business" On this occasion, after starting first and second the two Ferraris, they touch and cause an accident in which Hunt is involved. James collides slightly with Regazzoni's Ferrari and when trying to avoid it, he hits a pothole on the track that causes problems with his suspension, so he goes straight to the pits. While the mechanics fix his car, the stewards issue a red flag and meet to decide whether to let Hunt out in the race, since he has not completed a lap before stopping the race. that's when the enthusiastic public supports the local pilot and begins to shout: We want Hunt!, We want Hunt! The stewards, due to pressure from the assistants, decide to make a new start for all the drivers, including Hunt. James does not miss the opportunity and wins the UK GP with Lauda in second position.
Now it was the turn of the German GP who ran into Nürburgring, the most dangerous circuit of the time. In 1976, the track no longer complied with the new safety regulations and the drivers complained, since the speed of the formula one cars was already much higher than the conditions of the circuit, however, the authorities ignored the drivers and the test was performed. As many of you will already know, with fatal consequences, since the pilot Niki Lauda, suffered a near-fatal accident. One of the biggest problems at the Nürburgring was the meteorology, Ya que it could be raining in the middle of the circuit, and the other half be dry. On that occasion such a circumstance occurred, and Niki, fighting for victory, entered the pits to change the wet tires for slicks. However, the track was still wet and in a curve Lauda lost control of his Ferrari crashing violently against the barriers, the car caught fire causing a huge ball of fire and was also hit by another car. Lauda was rescued from the flames by several spectators, pilots and a policeman until the medical assistance arrived. this incident rushed out of the Nürburgring of Formula One until its reconstruction in 1985. While Lauda was on his way to the hospital the GP resumed, with Hunt once again taking victory.
Meanwhile, bad news arrived from the hospital. Lauda had severe burns first grade in the hands and head, plus several broken bones and lungs poisoned by toxic gases. His situation was so serious that in the hospital a priest came to give him extreme unction. However, the show must go on. In the world championship Lauda was first with 58 points and Hunt second with 44; Lauda had a cushion of 14 points but his future was really uncertain. In the following two big prizes Hunt gets a fourth and a first place that position him only two points behind his rival; Hunt 56 – Lauda 58. The championship had turned around with Lauda's accident at Nurbürgring and Hunt did not miss the opportunity to become a firm rival of Lauda for the conquest of the World Title.
Tomorrow we will publish outcome of this true Duel of the Titans.
More information - Last battle of James Hunt and Niki Lauda for the 1976 World Title , Duel of the Titans: Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost, the show begins...
More Information - Rush, Lauda and Hunt on the big screen
Source – BBC 2. “Clash of the Titans: James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda”