For the countdown till Christmas, Parc Femme are bringing you a series of videos and articles to help fill your days over the festive period.

For Day 8 we give you a deep dive article into the rivalry and friendship between Niki Lauda and James Hunt, with a focus on the 1976 World Championship.

James Hunt

James Hunt was a British racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from 1973 to 1979. Hunt won the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship in 1976 with McLaren and earned himself the nickname “The Shunt”.

Hunt’s racing career began in Mini racing, entering his first race at the Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk, however, race scrutineers prevented him from competing after deeming the Mini to have many irregularities and modifications. Hunt soon graduated to Formula Ford in 1968, finishing fifth in his first race at Snetterton, despite using an incorrect engine ignition setting. He went on to take his first victory at Lydden Hill and set the lap record on the Brands Hatch short circuit.

In 1969, Hunt joined the Formula Three Championship, going on to win several races and regularly high-placed finishes, earning himself the Grovewood Award from the British Guild of Motoring Writers as one of three drivers judged to have promising careers. He also attracted the attention of Lord Hesketh, founder of Hesketh Racing.

Hunt’s career continued in the works March team for the 1972 season, where he finished third in his first race at Mallory Park, however, he was excluded from the result by race officials as his engine was deemed to be outside the regulations. It was later announced by the team that he had been dropped from the STP-March Formula 3 team and replaced by Jochen Mass.

He made his Formula One debut at the Monaco Grand Prix after signing for Hesketh in 1973, driving a March 731 chassis designed by Harvey Postlethwaite. Despite initially not being taken seriously by rivals, the Hesketch March proved to be more competitive than the works March cars, with their best result being a second place finish at the 1973 United States Grand Prix.

For the 1974 season, Hesketh entered their own car, inspired by the March, known as the Hesketh 308, which saw Hunt achieve several further podiums in Formula One, as well as the non-championship BRDC International Trophy – a race at Silverstone that was filled by the majority of the regular Formula One field.

Hunt retained his seat for the following season – the 1975 Championship – where he claimed his maiden victory with Hesketh at the Dutch Grand Prix, which is now considered as one of the greatest underdog victories in Formula One history. Despite finishing fourth in the Drivers’ Championship that year, Hesketh’s team owner, Lord Hesketh, had depleted his funds and failed to find a sponsor for his team. 

After being left without a seat for the 1976 season, McLaren decided to sign Hunt after Emerson Fittipaldi left to join his brother’s team – in a deal brokered by Marlboro’s John Hogan. Hunt’s only Drivers’ Championship title came at the end of his 1976 campaign, winning the Championship by a single point in his debut season with McLaren. 

He continued to race for McLaren in the 1977 and 1978 seasons – winning several races but finishing fifth in the standings due to reliability problems in the former year, and experiencing a winless season in the latter. Hunt moved to Walter Wolf Racing for the 1979 Championship, retiring at the conclusion of the Monaco Grand Prix after a broken driveshaft caused him to retire from the race.

Over his career in Formula One, Hunt achieved a total of 10 race wins, 14 pole positions, eight fastest laps and 23 podiums.

Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda was an Austrian racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1971 to 1979 and again from 1982 to 1985. Lauda won a total of three Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles. He remains the only driver to have won a World Drivers’ Championship with both Ferrari and McLaren.

Lauda began his racing career in karting, before progressing to Formula Vee (Formula Volkswagen) and privateer racing in the late 1960s. He took out a bank loan of £30,000, as a result of his career stalling, to help secure a place in European Formula Two with March in 1971, eventually making his Formula One debut with the team at the 1971 Austrian Grand Prix.

At the beginning of the 1972 season, Lauda was promoted to a full-time seat, ending the season with a non-classified Championship finish, whilst concurrently also winning the British Formula Two Championship. Lauda transferred to British Racing Motors (BRM) for the 1973 season, claiming his maiden points after a fifth place finish at the Belgium Grand Prix, before signing with Ferrari for the following year to partner Clay Regazzoni.

Lauda and Ferrari’s partnership saw immediate success, with his maiden podium coming on his debut race start at the 1974 Argentine Grand Prix, and his maiden win coming three races later the Spanish Grand Prix. Lauda won his first World Drivers’ Championship in 1975, after claiming five Grand Prix victories, becoming the first Ferrari-powered World Drivers’ Champion in 11 years.

Lauda remained at Ferrari in 1977, taking several race victories on his way to claim his second Championship, however, this season was difficult as the relationship between the Austrian and the Italian Manufacturer had begun to sour. Lauda was vocal about his discomfort with his new teammate, Reutemann, who had been his replacement driver during the 1976 season, and felt he had been let down by Ferrari. He announced his decision to leave Ferrari at the end of the season before leaving earlier than anticipated at the United States Grand Prix, being replaced by Gilles Villeneuve.

Lauda signed with Brabham for the 1978 season, achieving a podium finish in every race he completed that season, with notable victories at the Swedish and Italian Grand Prix – although a variety of troubles with the car meant Lauda retired from 9 out of the 14 races. 1979 saw Lauda experience a winless season for Brabham, partnering with Nelson Piquet, in which during practice for the Canadian Grand Prix, Lauda cut the session short and promptly informed Team Principal Bernie Ecclestone that he wished to retire immediately.

After a two-year break, Lauda returned to the Formula One World Championship with McLaren in 1982, going on to win multiple races in his debut season with the team. For the 1984 campaign, Lauda was partnered with Alain Prost, where he went on to beat his teammate to his third and final title by a record half-point – due to the Monaco Grand Prix being shortened due to excessive rain.

Lauda retired at the conclusion of the 1985 Championship, taking his final victory at the Dutch Grand Prix. Across his career he achieved a total of 25 race wins, 24 pole positions, 24 fastest laps and 54 podiums in Formula One.

The beginnings of the rivalry

What really set these two drivers apart was the difference in race craft and personality. Hunt’s natural talent and flamboyant personality quickly made him a fan favourite, whilst his aggressive driving style and fearless approach to racing set him apart from others on the track. Whereas, Lauda had an ability to provide detailed feedback to his engineers, a no-nonsense attitude and his focus on performance earned him respect in the paddock. He was well-known for his analytical mind and relentless pursuit of improvement, both in his driving and the car’s setup.

The 1976 Formula One Championship

Brazilian Grand Prix

For the opening round of the season at the Interlagos Circuit in Sao Paulo, James Hunt took pole position for McLaren with the reigning World Champion Niki Lauda joining him on the front-row. Clay Regazzoni in the second Ferrari took the lead of the race at the start, battling alongside the aforementioned pair and Shadow’s Jean-Pierre Jarier. Regazzoni and Jarier collided, with the former having to return to the pits for repairs. Lauda took control of the lead from Hunt and Jarier before Hunt crashed out of the race due to his throttle sticking and Jarier did the same a lap later after driving on some oil on the track. Lauda took the victory ahead of Patrick Depailler and Tom Pryce.

South African Grand Prix

Hunt took pole position for the second time in two races at the Kyalami Circuit near Johannesburg, with Lauda joining him on the front row once again. Lauda led the race going into the first corner, with Hunt dropping down to fourth behind his McLaren teammate Jochen Mass and Vittorio Brambilla in the March. Mass allowed Hunt through, before the Briton passed Brambilla to take second on the road after five laps. Lauda went on to win from start to finish, with Hunt finishing second and Mass taking third to make it a double podium for McLaren.

United States Grand Prix West

The third round of the 1976 Championship took place at Long Beach in the United States. Regazzoni claimed pole position ahead of Depailler, with Hunt and Lauda forced to start on the second row in third and fourth respectively. The top four remained in their order at the start, with Regazzoni displaying great pace as he began to place between himself and the other three. Hunt made an attempt to pass Depailler for second place, however, they collided and Hunt was forced to retire from the race. Depailler went wide off the track and Lauda moved into second. The Frenchman remained in third until he suffered a spin which dropped him down the order. He moved back up to fifth, before capitalising on two retirements from Pryce and Scheckter – for driveshaft and suspension failures respectively – to reclaim third place. Regazzoni went on to claim the victory, with Lauda making it a Ferrari 1-2, with Depailler rounding out the podium.

Spanish Grand Prix

The Spanish Grand Prix took place at the Jarama Circuit near Madrid, with James Hunt claiming pole position ahead of Lauda and Depailler. Lauda once again got the better start off the line to take the lead of the race and led for the first third of the race. After a slow start, Depailler spun off the track and crashed out of the race with brake problems, despite running in fourth behind Mass. just before the mid-way mark of the race, the McLaren’s of Hunt and Mass both passed Lauda, before the latter McLaren had to retire due to an engine failure. Hunt went on to take his first win of the season ahead of Lauda in second and the Lotus of Gunnar Nilsson in third.

After the race, it was announced that Hunt had been disqualified as a result of his McLaren being found to be too wide. McLaren appealed this decision, stating that due to the race the tyres had expanded, and two months after the chequered flag was flown, Hunt’s victory was reinstated.

Belgian Grand Prix

The fifth round of the Championship took place at the Zolder Circuit, with Ferrari locking out the front row thanks to Lauda’s pole position and Regazzoni closely in second. Lauda stormed away at the start, with Hunt moving into second place, although this was short-lived as Regazzoni soon took the place back. Hunt dropped down to sixth place, behind Jacques Laffite’s Ligier and both Tyrrells, before eventually retiring from the race due to transmission failure. Lauda went on to claim his third victory of the season, ahead of Ferrari teammate Regazzoni and Laffite taking his maiden podium.

Monaco Grand Prix

Lauda took pole position with Regazzoni in second as Ferrari locked out the front row for the race around the Principality. Lauda led into the first corner before remaining unchallenged for the rest of the race. Ronnie Peterson moved into second place, allowing Lauda to stretch a gap out in front, holding up Regazzoni and the two chasing Tyrrells. Regazzoni had to use the escape road due to oil on the track, before Peterson’s March spun off and crashed on the following lap due to the same reason. Scheckter and Depailler inherited second and third place on the track, before Regazzoni recovered and moved back into third place. This was short-lived however, as the Swiss driver crashed out of the race with five laps remaining, allowing Scheckter to take the chequered flag in second and Depailler in third.

At this stage in the Championship, Lauda was now leading the Drivers’ Standings by 33-points over Regazzoni and Hunt.

Swedish Grand Prix

Round 7 of the 1976 Formula One World Championship took place at Anderstorp in Sweden, with Sheckter taking pole position ahead of Mario Andretti and Chris Amon. Andretti look the lead of the race at the start, however, he retired with engine failure around two-thirds of the distance. Scheckter claimed victory ahead of his teammate Depailler, with Lauda taking third place on the line after Amon retired from the podium position with a failure in the suspension of his Ensign. Hunt finished in fifth place meaning Jody Scheckter moved up into second place in the Drivers’ Standings.

French Grand Prix

The French Grand Prix took place at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France, with Hunt on pole and Lauda in the second grid spot on the front row. Lauda had the better start off the line out of the two, leading the early stages of the race until his engine failed and he was forced to retire from the race. Hunt inherited the race lead, ahead of Ferrari’s other driver Regazzoni, however, his engine also failed and he was forced to retire. Hunt went on to win the race ahead of Depailler and John Watson – Watson’s third place also gave Penske their first podium.

British Grand Prix

Lauda took pole position at Brands Hatch for the British Grand Prix, ahead of home hero Hunt in second and Andretti in third. Regazzoni had a great launch off the line to move immediately into second place. Whilst attempting an overtake, Regazzoni and Lauda made contact – the former spinning and making further contact with Hunt and Laffite. The rest of the field managed to make their way past the incident safely, but the huge quantity of debris on the track meant the race needed to be restarted.

Controversially, McLaren, Ferrari and Ligier had their three affected drivers all take part in the restarted race in spare cars. At the restart, Lauda once again led from Hunt and Regazzoni into the first corner. Regazzoni retired with a gearbox problem shortly before Lauda also suffered from the same issue, allowing Hunt to move through into the lead with 15 minutes remaining. Hunt took the chequered flag in first place, ahead of Lauda and Scheckter.

After the race, Ferrari, Tyrrell and the Fittipaldi team jointly appealed against Hunt being allowed to take part in the spare car – critics finding it hypocritical since Regazzoni had also used a spare car, although he retired – and two months later, Hunt was disqualified and Lauda was given the win. Scheckter was promoted to second place, Watson gained another podium-finish and Emerson Fittipaldi claimed sixth place and a singular point.

German Grand Prix

The German Grand Prix was held at the legendary Nurburgring Circuit, with many drivers voicing their concerns about the safety of the track. The Nordschleife section of the Nurburgring was 14 miles (23 km) long – almost three times longer than Interlagos – and its size meant that it was nearly impossible to manage it safely to the 1976 regulatory standards. The organiser refused to provide up to 5 times the marshals, medical services and firefighters needed at this circuit than at any other F1 circuit.

Despite the concerns, all drivers decided to race with Hunt and Lauda locking out the front row, the Briton on pole, with Depailler heading the second row. Regazzoni got the best start once again off the line, whereas Lauda had a slow start and lost a lot of places. The Swiss Ferrari driver soon spun and dropped down to fourth.

On the second lap, Lauda lost control of his car at high speed due to a suspected rear suspension failure and collided with the barriers before rejoining the track and catching fire. The incapacitated Ferrari was then hit further by Harald Ertl’s Hesketh and Brett Lunger’s Surtees, with the two drivers immediately getting out of their cars alongside Arturo Merzario and Guy Edwards to help pull Lauda out of the burning car and the race was stopped. 

Despite their best efforts, Lauda had suffered severe burns to his head and hands and had inhaled hot toxic gases that damaged his lungs and blood. As he was wearing a modified helmet, it failed to fit him properly and slid off his head after the accident, leaving his face exposed to the fire. Although Lauda was conscious and able to stand immediately after the accident, he later collapsed into a coma.

The race restarted, with the starting slots of Lauda, Ertl and Lunger left empty. Hunt led after the restart, followed by Regazzoni in second – this didn’t last long as Regazzoni spun off the track and dropped back, with Depailler hitting the barriers in an attempt to avoid him. Hunt was left with a big gap ahead of Carlos Pace in the Brabham, before Scheckter moved into second with Regazzoni recovering to third place ahead of Pace. Hunt took the chequered flag and the race vicotry ahead of Scheckter, with the pair being joined by Mass – the McLaren driver passing Pace to get himself onto the podium after Regazzoni spun off once again.

Austrian Grand Prix

With the Austrian Grand Prix at the Osterreichring being Lauda’s home race, despite his condition no longer being life-threatening, there was a low attendance from fans and Ferrari decided to not take part in the race at all.

Hunt took pole position, ahead of Watson and Ronnie Peterson. Watson took the lead at the start of the race ahead of Peterson and Hunt, but soon Peterson took the place. Sheckter moved up from the mid-field to the race lead on the 10th lap, before losing the place to Watson. Scheckter continue to battle until he crashed due to suspension failure. Watson took the chequered flag in first place – the result being his and Penske’s first win – with Laffite and Nilsson rounding out the podium.

Dutch Grand Prix

By Round 12 of the 1976 Championship, Lauda had begun his recovery, with plans being implemented for him to return to racing later in the season, which resulted in Ferrari rejoining the Championship in the Netherlands, albeit with a singular car for Regazzoni. Peterson took pole position in Zandvoort ahead of Hunt and Pryce. Whilst Peterson led through the early stages of the race, Watson made a slight mistake that allowed Hunt to make a pass. Peterson then struggled and dropped down the order to fourth. Watson went on to retire from the race with a gearbox failure, as did Peterson when he lost oil pressure. Regezzoni had closed the gap to Hunt with Andretti right on his trail but the top-three failed to change by the chequered flag, with Hunt taking victory over two seconds ahead.

Italian Grand Prix

After the Dutch Grand Prix, Hunt had managed to close the gap to Lauda in the Championship battle to within two points. Then came the news that Lauda was going to return for the last four races of the season – with Ferrari having to run three cars for Lauda, Regazzoni, and Lauda’s supposed replacement Carlos Reutemann – just six weeks after his accident.

At the Italian Grand Prix, Laffite took pole position in qualifying ahead of Scheckter and Pace. Lauda started in fifth, whilst Hunt, Watson and Mass were all penalised and sent to the back of the grid for supposed fuel irregularities. Sheckter took control of the lead at the start of the race from Laffite and Depailler, with Lauda dropping down to the midfield. Hunt spun off the track while trying to move up through the field, resulting in Peterson taking his first win in two years, with Regazzoni claiming second ahead of Laffite in third. Lauda, miraculously, took the chequered flag in fourth place in his first race back.

Canadian Grand Prix

The Canadian Grand Prix took place at the Mosport Park track near Toronto. The decision to disqualify Hunt from the British GP came after the Italian race, resulting in Hunt dropping back in the Championship standings to 47 points with Lauda leading on 64. Hunt took pole position and was joined on the front row by Peterson. As usual the British racer failed to start well and Peterson took the lead. Hunt retook the lead on Lap 10 with Depailler in second and Andretti third. The top-three remained unchanged for the duration of the race, with Lauda initially running in fifth place until handling issues dropped him out of the points, meaning that Hunt had re-closed the gap to 8 points.

United States Grand Prix

The penultimate round of the 1976 Championship took place at Watkins Glen in New York, with Hunt taking his eighth pole position of the season. Scheckter took the lead at the start of the race, closely followed by Hunt and Brambilla. The front two established a gap and fiercely battled throughout the race, with Hunt passing Scheckter mid-race and the South-African returning the favour a few laps later. Hunt once again retook the lead with 14 laps remaining before going on to win, as Scheckter had to settle for second. Lauda astonishingly took the final podium position, narrowly beating the second McLaren of Mass.

Japanese Grand Prix

The Championship decider took place in Japan at the Fuji Speedway near Tokyo, with Lauda leading the standings by three points over Hunt. In Qualifying, Hunt took second place ahead of Lauda in third as Andretti took pole position for Lotus.

On the race day, heavy rain fell around the track and track conditions were questionable. Hunt got a good start off the line to take the lead of the race from Andretti. Some drivers protested against the conditions, saying it was too dangerous to continue racing. At the end of the second lap, Lauda made his way into the pitlane and withdrew from the race citing the conditions, being joined by Emerson Fittipaldi and Carlos Pace.

Hunt remained in the lead, battling against Brambilla – until the Italian spun on track and out of contention. By mid-race, Mass had moved into second to act as a protective barrier, before he too crashed out. Hunt began to suffer from tyre wear and was passed by Depailler and Andretti with 11 laps remaining. Depailler soon suffered a puncture and his tyres gave out, with Hunt suffering from the same problem and having to pit.

After these stops, Andretti now lead, with Alan Jones in second, Regazzoni in third, Depailler fourth and Hunt fifth. At the conclusion of the last race of the season, Andretti took the chequered flag – achieving his first win in five years – with Depailler in second, and James Hunt took third place resulting in him being crowned the Formula One World Champion of 1976.

The Aftermath

James Hunt

After winning the Championship in 1976, Hunt inspired many teenages to take up motor racing, and he was retained by Marlboro to give guidance and support to up and coming drivers in the lower formulae – most notably Mika Hakkinen.

Upon retiring from motor racing, he established a career as a commentator and pundit for the BBC, as well as a columnist for The Independent. He passed away on the 15th of June 1993 from a heart attack at his home at the age of 45.

Niki Lauda

After retiring for the second time from Formula One, Lauda founded and managed three airline: Lauda Air from 1985 to 1999, Niki from 2003 to 2011, and Lauda from 2016 onwards. He returned to Formula One in an advisory role at Ferrari in 1993, and was the Team Principal at Jaguar from 2001 to 2002.

From 2012 until his death, Lauda was the non-executive chairman and co-owner of Mercedes, winning six consecutive World Constructors’ Championships with the team from 2014 to 2019. He remains to this day one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time.

Whilst the pair were fierce competitors on the track, Hunt admitted that the two were good friends from their earlier days when they both competed in Formula 3, where they became “mates, not just casual acquaintances”.

Their friendship continued until Hunt’s death in 1993, with Lauda’s voiceover in the 2013 biographical sports film ‘Rush’, stating that Hunt was “among the very few I liked, and even fewer I respected.”