James Hunt

James Hunt was the charismatic British driver whose 1976 World Championship and flamboyant lifestyle made him one of Formula 1's most famous personalities. Born in Belmont in 1947, he combined raw speed and fearless commitment with an unmistakable playboy image that captured the public imagination during one of the sport's most dramatic seasons.

Hunt rose through the ranks with the privateer Hesketh team, scoring its only Grand Prix victory at the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix. He moved to McLaren for 1976 and won his sole title in a season-long duel with Niki Lauda, prevailing by a single point after a tense, rain-soaked finale in Japan. He recorded 10 Grand Prix wins, 23 podiums and 14 pole positions across 93 starts before retiring in 1979.

After racing he became a celebrated and outspoken television commentator for the BBC, his partnership with Murray Walker becoming iconic. He died in 1993, but his story reached new audiences through the 2013 film Rush.

Hunt drove with a daring, all-or-nothing aggression, qualifying brilliantly and attacking races with little regard for caution. His title-winning campaign against the methodical Lauda became one of motorsport's defining rivalries, a contrast of temperaments that has been retold for decades. Charismatic and unfiltered, Hunt remains a symbol of 1970s Formula 1 glamour and the courage of its drivers.