FORMULA ONE DRIVER WORLD CHAMPIONS - THE GREATS
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was born on 29th of August in Surrey, England. He began his racing career in Touring Car racing, where he went on to progress to Formula Three, where then he attracted the attention of Lord Hesketh, and the Hesketh Racing Team, who took the young, fledgling driver under their wing.
Hunt had a bit of a reputation on and off the track, he was a real character, and often his reckless and action-packed exploits earned him the nickname 'Hunt the shunt'.
Hunt got his big-break in Formula One in 1973, when the Hesketh team ventured into the big-time, Lord Hesketh's putting his faith in Hunt, by splashing-the-cash and developing the Formula One Hesketh 308 Racing Car. He had moderate success with the team; who were rated as underdogs, and newcomers. He raced to victory for the team, in both World Championships and non-Championship races, before joining McLaren for the 1976 season, where in his first season went on to win the Drivers Championship, after a bitter tussle with his race-rival; Niki Lauda. He remained with McLaren for another 2 seasons, although with less success that his debut season for the team.
For the 1979 season he moved to the Wolf team, but after a string of races where he failed to finish, Hunt retired from the sport halfway through the season!.
After retiring from F1, he established a career commenting on the sport for the BBC. He had a reputation for tactical knowledge, technical insight, a dry sense of humour and criticism of drivers who, he believed, were not trying hard enough.
Hunt died from a heart attack aged just 45, on the 15th of June 1993.
Hunt had a bit of a reputation on and off the track, he was a real character, and often his reckless and action-packed exploits earned him the nickname 'Hunt the shunt'.
Hunt got his big-break in Formula One in 1973, when the Hesketh team ventured into the big-time, Lord Hesketh's putting his faith in Hunt, by splashing-the-cash and developing the Formula One Hesketh 308 Racing Car. He had moderate success with the team; who were rated as underdogs, and newcomers. He raced to victory for the team, in both World Championships and non-Championship races, before joining McLaren for the 1976 season, where in his first season went on to win the Drivers Championship, after a bitter tussle with his race-rival; Niki Lauda. He remained with McLaren for another 2 seasons, although with less success that his debut season for the team.
For the 1979 season he moved to the Wolf team, but after a string of races where he failed to finish, Hunt retired from the sport halfway through the season!.
After retiring from F1, he established a career commenting on the sport for the BBC. He had a reputation for tactical knowledge, technical insight, a dry sense of humour and criticism of drivers who, he believed, were not trying hard enough.
Hunt died from a heart attack aged just 45, on the 15th of June 1993.
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