Whilst preparing to cover the European Grand Prix this weekend I read an article on the last ever race on the long circuit. The event was a chaotic round, in a controversial season, and signalled the death of the original circuit. It was incredible to read how different the sport of Formula One was back in 1976, just a year after I was born. Serious crashes were common place and death was never far away for the drivers. People involved in the sport were beginning to realise that the risks were becoming just too much, and the terrible accidents that year helped start a new era of improved circuit and car safety.
The 1976 season was dominated by two drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Hunt had gained a reputation for wild driving and even wilder accidents. After a long career in the lower formulae, with limited success and most pundits writing him off as an also-ran, he eventually got his Formula One break with the patriotic British team led by Lord Hesketh. Hunt was a natural ladies man and enjoyed his drink, sometimes a bit too much! Niki Lauda, on the other hand, had already won the World Championship the previous year with Ferrari and was about to start his second year with the team. The pair had become good friends after they had shared a flat in London, but Lauda had been the quicker of the two to reach Formula One despite a similarly erratic career.
The season almost ended for James Hunt before it began. With only two months to go to the first race, Hesketh was about to pull the plug on his F1 team through lack of finance. James was left with no drive and spent the next few weeks on the phone trying to arrange a seat with Lotus and Brabham. Luck eventually fell the Englishman's way, and he was approached by McLaren after Emerson Fittipaldi had decided not to renew his contract with team. Being friends with John Hogan, head of racing activities for McLaren sponsor Marlboro, he was able to put together a deal in two days. McLaren team boss Teddy Mayer was looking forward to working with James, but was soon to be the recipient of Hunt's legendary fearsome temper.
The opening race of 1976 was the Brazilian Grand Prix at the original Interlagos circuit, vastly faster than today's modified track. James Hunt was having trouble adapting to the McLaren car and team. Hesketh Racing had been pretty much exclusively based around him, and having to share the team with fellow driver Jochen Mass was un-natural to him. He overcame numerous problems during qualifying to post fastest time in the final twenty minutes, gaining his first career pole in the process. This improved his standing in the team but he was to have engine problems during the race, and eventually retire. Lauda convincingly won the race.
At the next race, in South Africa, James Hunt was beginning to have serious problems with his marriage that were to last all season. With such an extravagant life-style he was consequently under the constant gaze of the world press. He was able to put it out of his mind though, and beat Niki Lauda to pole position again. In the race Niki came up trumps, beating Hunt to the line by 1.3 seconds. Before the non-championship Brands Hatch race Niki Lauda married his girlfriend Marlene Knaus to the surprise of everyone in the paddock. James won the Brands Hatch race, Niki Lauda retiring with engine problems, and immediately jetted off to New York for reconciliation talks with his wife.
The circus then moved to Long Beach, America, and the first street race of the season. James Hunt had a poor record in street races and was hoping that Niki Lauda would have a repetition of his engine problems at Brands Hatch. Lauda had no such difficulties, eventually finishing second. James was involved in an incident with Tyrrell driver Patrick Depailler that left him out of the race and shaking his fist at the Frenchman each time he passed Hunt and his stricken McLaren. At the post-race press conference James Hunt hurled a volley of abuse at Depailler who claimed that he was distracted by brake problems. It was felt in many quarters that Hunt's car was not too badly damaged and that he could have continued in the race.
Hunt attracted yet more media attention as he went on to win the non-championship Graham Hill International Trophy race at Silverstone. James was expected to win the race easily, the Ferrari team weren't present, and he did so with ease. Graham Hill had died in a plane crash the previous autumn and the British press were keen to find a driver to fill his gap. In the days after the race James completed the amicable split with wife. With his marital problems behind him James went on to take pole ahead of Niki Lauda and Jochen Mass at Spain. Niki Lauda took the lead at the start but was having difficulty with painful ribs after an accident at home. Hunt and Mass soon passed him, Hunt going on to win the race. Lauda finished second after Mass's engine blew.
The win was short-lived, however, as the scrutineers deemed the McLaren to be outside the strict dimensions allowed by the regulations. The McLaren team instantly appealed, but made changes to the car to restore it to the regulations. These changes, though slight, made the car difficult to drive and Lauda won the Belgian Grand Prix easily. James Hunt was lurching all over the track, holding other drivers up, and eventually retired with gearbox failure. At the next race, Monte Carlo, Lauda won again, Hunt retiring after spinning the car. Lauda had his worst result of the year at Sweden, third, but was still comfortably leading the championship. James finished fifth complaining of massive oversteer.
At the French Grand Prix, James Hunt won the race after Niki Lauda retired with a blown engine. McLaren had restored their car to its original specification and, after France, had their Spanish win given back. The fact that this demoted Lauda to second for Spain meant that Hunt closed the gap to the Austrian by 12 points. At the half way point of the season Lauda had 52 points ahead of Hunt, now second, with 26.
At the British Grand Prix the home crowd were eager for James Hunt to beat the rest of the field. James was second, behind Lauda, on the grid, but was looking forward to what promised to be a fantastic battle with the Austrian. His race was short lived though, as he was involved in a shunt at the first corner after the two Ferrari cars collided and spun. As soon as the race was aborted James drove his car, via a short cut, into the pits. The circuit officials, feeling that he hadn't completed the red flag lap, excluded him from the restarting the race in the spare. The McLaren team, and the British crowd, were furious and started to protest Hunt's innocence. A huge row flared up in the race control room between representatives of McLaren and the circuit officials. Aided by an angry crowd, Teddy Mayer managed to convince the officials to allow all the drivers using spare cars back into the race. As all this was going on, the team had repaired Hunt's original car and wheeled it onto the grid in place of his spare car. When the race was eventually restarted Lauda held the lead, Hunt struggling to find a way past. Eventually, to cheers from the crowd, he did so and went on to win the race ahead of the Ferrari.
The season took its most alarming turn at the next race, the dreaded Nurburgring. The original track was a 14 mile snake of corners through the forests of the Eiffel mountains, and considered to be the most dangerous circuit of the season. Lauda was second, behind Hunt, on the grid but dreading the race. Despite atrociously wet conditions however, the race went ahead. On the second lap Niki Lauda's race took a nasty turn. His Ferrari left the circuit at an estimated 120mph and the collision with the barriers ruptured his fuel tank. His car was soon engulfed in flames and, despite valiant efforts by several of the other drivers, he was trapped in the cockpit for a long time. The resulting burns and damaged lungs left him in a critical condition in hospital. At one point his condition worsened so dramatically that last rites were given. Hunt won the restarted race but felt hollow after hearing of his close friend's accident.
The next race was at Niki Lauda's home circuit in Austria, and he was now well enough to be able to watch it on television. Ferrari, ever mindful that their leading driver would be out of action for a considerable time, attempted to get the race cancelled in respect for injured driver. James Hunt finished fourth after a rock damaged his front wing, but was looking forward to the next race at Zandvoort. Hunt had taken his first victory there, just a year ago in the Hesketh, and this year the race coincided with his birthday. After a long, hard battle with John Watson and Ferrari driver Clay Regazzoni he won by a mere 0.8 seconds. This win placed him just two points behind Lauda in the championship standings. After finishing second to Gilles Villeneuve in a Formula Atlantic race, Hunt travelled to Italy to compete in the Italian Grand Prix. To everyone's amazement Niki Lauda would be competing in the race.
The badly disfigured Niki Lauda went on to finish fourth after a brave drive. Hunt, near the back of the grid after his qualifying times had been disallowed due to illegal fuel, spun off during the race. Before the Canadian Grand Prix the FIA withdrew James Hunt's win at Britain after intense pressure from the Ferrari management. Hunt was becoming disenchanted with the season and freely admitted he was now only in it for the winning and the money. Despite a hangover after the previous nights drinking he went on to comprehensively win the race. Lauda scored no points after driving a hard race with rear suspension problems. At Watkins Glen, James won after a terrific battle with Jody Sheckter's Tyrrell. Lauda finished third. Going into the final round, the pair had won 11 of the 15 races so far and were now separated by just three points.
The final round was to take place at the Mount Fuji Circuit, Japan. Despite treacherously wet conditions, the race went ahead and James took the lead from pole-man Mario Andretti. Niki Lauda sensibly decided that no championship was worth his life and retired on lap three. Hunt now only needed to finish third or better to win the championship by one point. James continued to hold his lead despite intense pressure from Vittorio Brambilla. The track was drying out though, and his wet tyres were becoming rapidly useless. Eventually the right front punctured and he made a hasty pit stop. Rejoining, he set about driving the final five laps as fast as he could. His car flew round the circuit, wildly overtaking several cars, but James was not sure of his position. Hunt felt that the team had not given him enough notice as to the condition of his tyres and drove back to the pits outraged after the chequered flag had fallen. On his arrival at the pits, he leapt out of his car and began shouting at Teddy Mayer. Mayer, meanwhile, was trying to tell him he was World Champion. Eventually it sunk in, and James began to celebrate a difficult season in his usual style. He got incredibly drunk.