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James Hunt F1 stats & info
| Name | James Hunt |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Height | 1.86 meter / 6 feet 1 inch |
| Place of Birth | Belmont |
| Date of Birth | Aug 29th 1947 |
| Date of Death | Jun 15th 1993 - 45 years old |
| Season Entries | 7 |
| Car Number | 20 |
| First Race | 1973 Monaco F1 GP |
| Last Race | 1979 Monaco F1 GP |
| First Pole | 1976 Brazilian F1 GP |
| Last Pole | 1977 USA F1 GP |
| First Win | 1975 Dutch F1 GP |
| Last Win | 1977 Japanese F1 GP |
| First Win from Pole | 1976 Spanish F1 GP |
| Last Win from Pole | 1977 USA F1 GP |
| First Hat-trick | 1976 USA F1 GP |
| Last Hat-trick | 1977 British F1 GP |
| F1 Teams History | March (1973-1974) Hesketh (1974-1975) McLaren (1976-1978) Wolf (1979) |
James Hunt F1 Stats | |
| Drivers' Titles | 1 |
| Grand Prix Entries | 93 |
| Grand Prix Starts | 92 |
| Total Points | 179.00 |
| Avg. Points per GP | 1.92 |
| Grand Prix Wins | 10 (10,8%) |
| Wins from pole | 7 (7,5%) |
| Pole Positions | 14 (15,1%) |
| Front Row Starts | 24 (25,8%) |
| Avg. GP Grid | 6.8 |
| GP Podiums | 23 (24,7%) |
| GP Fastest Laps | 8 (8,6%) |
| GP Points Finish | 35 (37,6%) |
| Avg. GP Position | 4.2 |
| Hat-tricks | 2 (2,2%) |
| GP Retirements | 49 (52,7%) |
| GP DNF's | 44 (47,3%) |
| Total GP Laps | 3.924 |
Biography
James Hunt Biography
James Hunt was Britain's sixth F1 champion in history.
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt, four words and a life full of joy and rebelliousness. Ultimately, the life of a World Champion. Hunt was born on the 29th of August of 1947 in Belmont, England. There are not many secrets when it comes to his childhood and teenage years compared to what he represented as an adult.
He was a difficult kid whose energy was off the charts. Rebellious he was, and an athlete too. He played tennis and simply had everything going his way regarding his love life. However, at 18 years of age, James Hunt would find what would drive his competitiveness on the right way and help him canalize it: car racing.
His father Wallis, a stockbroker, and his mother Sue did not support his immersion in racing, but a young Hunt was not going to be denied. After working hard to pay for his machinery, he was known as “Hunt the Shunt” due to the recurrent crashes, including a near-fatal accident in a Formula Ford race in which he got close to drowning.
As he progressed into Formula Three, he found some success, but still had exaggerated drives in which his mindset was not fully calmed to make great decisions at the wheel. Still, his speed was noticeable. After spending four years in Formula Three, from 1969 to 1972, Lord Alexander Hesketh came calling and Hunt made his way into the Formula 1 grid.
Hunt's Formula 1 Debut
James-Hunt racing the Hesketh around the Nurburgring during the 1975 German GP
In a March 731 entered by Hesketh Racing, James Hunt made his Formula 1 debut in the 1973 Monaco Grand Prix. He started the race from 18th place and could not finish due to an engine failure. He started seven of the 15 races in the 1973 calendar and was able to finish inside the top ten in the World Drivers’ Championship.
Though many did not respect Hesketh, the team showed speed and Hunt was able to score the first podium of his career in the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix. Then, he added another podium finish with a solid drive at Watkins Glen. He finished four of his seven races in 1973 in the points.
1974 F1 season
Hesketh built their own car for the 1974 F1 season, the Hesketh 308, and Hunt was able to gain podium spots again. Reliability and his tendencies to collisions only allowed him to finish eighth in the WDC again, although he participated in the complete season. Podiums at Sweden, Austria and the USA again, proved that Hunt’s driving was solid, although it needed polishing.
Hunt started 1975 with a great second place in the 1975 Argentine Grand Prix and then scored a point in Brazil. Then, a streak of five straight retirements —three due to mechanical issues and a couple of crashes— took him out of a possible title fight. After the unfortunate streak, Hunt came firing on all cylinders and defeated the two Ferraris of Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni in the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix to win his first Grand Prix. He gave Hesketh the first and only win of the team in the pinnacle of motorsport.
McLaren M23 driven by James Hunt in Monaco 1976
Eventually, Lauda won the WDC in 1975 and Ferrari was the top manufacturer, but Hunt’s strong second half of 1975 pushed him into fourth in the WDC and established him as a threat to the Austrian champion and the Italian giants.
1976 F1 Drivers' Title
As James Hunt was no longer supported by Hesketh and Emerson Fittipaldi shockingly left McLaren at the end of 1975, the English driver saw himself with the chance to arrive in a big team. McLaren had won the World Drivers’ Championship for the first time in 1974 with the Brazilian driver and could help Hunt’s charge to become a World Champion.
Hunt grabbed the first couple of Pole Positions of his career in his first two races behind the wheel of the M23 but he retired at Brazil and finished second at South Africa. In the next four races, Hunt retired three times and took the second victory of his career at Spain, though he was initially disqualified.
Fifth in Sweden and a dominant win at France seemed to put Hunt’s season on track, but he was disqualified from his home race, the British Grand Prix, for not completing a full lap after the first start. The decision to disqualify Hunt occurred two months after the race.
James Hunt racing the McLaren M23 at the US GP (1976)
After the race at Brands Hatch, Lauda was the championship leader with 23 points over Hunt with eight races remaining. A win was worth nine points and, although Lauda’s lead was big, Hunt still had a shot. However, Hunt’s opportunity became very realistic when the unfortunate 1976 German Grand Prix arrived. His off-track friend, Lauda, had a near-fatal accident in a race Hunt himself won comfortably.
Hunt finished fourth and took a victory in the next two races, which Lauda missed due to his injuries. As the Austrian champion returned for the 1976 Italian Grand Prix, his lead was cut to just two points.
Lauda finished fourth in Italy and Hunt retired. With three races left, Lauda’s lead was just five points over Hunt. The English driver took consecutive wins from Pole Position at Canada and the USA to inch within three points of the Austrian with one race to go.
At the finale, the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, Hunt qualified second with Lauda behind him. The Englishman needed to win, to finish second with Lauda fourth, third with Lauda sixth or fourth with Lauda seventh or worst in order to win the title.
Pouring rain flooded the Fuji Speedway on Sunday. James Hunt took the lead right out of the box, while Lauda only lasted two laps in the race before he withdrew due to the unsafe conditions —another champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, withdrew too—.
Hunt was comfortably ahead, but he was overtaken late in the race as his worn tyres produced a puncture. He pitted and came out fifth, but managed to overtake Alan Jones and Regazzoni to finish third behind Mario Andretti and Patrick Depailler and win the WDC with a one-point gap over Lauda.
1977 F1 season
Niki Lauda & James Hunt
Lauda recovered in 1977 and retook the title, while Hunt could only finish fifth in the WDC. Of course, Hunt was not as motivated as he once was since he had already accomplished his goal. Still, he was not very competitive after his title-winning season and his third win of 1977, at Japan, was the last of his career.
Also in 1977, he helped an unknown Gilles Villeneuve start his F1 race with a McLaren car after Hunt got beat by the Canadian in a Formula Atlantic a year earlier.
1978 F1 season
In 1978, he finished third in France, which was his last podium finish. For 1979, he left McLaren and joined Wolf, but he retired after seven starts with the team and only one race finished.
After his retirement, there were moments in which he tried to return to racing, but he really found his place while commentating Formula 1 races alongside legendary narrator Murray Walker. In his second career, Hunt was just as loved by racing fans who enjoyed his unique style and the occasional harsh critique of certain drivers.
He married twice: first to Suzy Miller and then to Sarah Lomax, the mother of his two sons, Tom and Freddie.
James Hunt cause of death
At the age of 45, Hunt died of a heart attack on the 15th of June of 1993 in Wimbledon. To this date, more than 25 years after his death, Hunt continues to be remembered by Formula 1 fans as probably the biggest star of the sport due to his unique style, especially outside the track, and his personality.
James Hunt rivalry with Lauda returned to the main stage in 2013 thanks to the movie Rush, with Chris Hemsworth playing Hunt’s role.
"We had a respectful, nice relationship. We trusted each other. He would not push you off the road, which in those days was important”, Lauda once said about Hunt.
Seasons
James Hunt Final Championship Results
| 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th | 8th | 4th | 1st | 5th | 13th | 25th |
James Hunt F1 Seasons Summary
| Year | Team | Engine | GP | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Pod | Pole | Laps | FL | Avg Pts | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 |
 Wolf | Ford | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 195 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |
| 1978 |
McLaren | Ford | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 577 | 0 | 0.50 | 8 |
| 1977 |
McLaren | Ford | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 850 | 3 | 2.35 | 40 |
| 1976 |
McLaren | Ford | 16 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 814 | 2 | 4.31 | 69 |
| 1975 |
Hesketh | Ford | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 585 | 1 | 2.36 | 33 |
| 1974 |
Hesketh March |
Ford Ford | 15 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 497 | 0 | 1.00 | 15 |
| 1973 |
March | Ford | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 406 | 2 | 2.00 | 14 |
Races
James Hunt F1 GP Race Classifications
| 1st | 10 Times |
| 2nd | 6 Times |
| 3rd | 7 Times |
| 4th | 7 Times |
| 5th | 2 Times |
| 6th | 3 Times |
| 7th | 4 Times |
| 8th | 2 Times |
| 9th | 2 Times |
| 10th | 2 Times |
| 12th | 1 Time |
| DNF | 44 Times |
| DSQ | 2 Times |
| DNS | 1 Time |
James Hunt F1 GP Race Results
Wins
James Hunt F1 Wins
| Year | Race | No | Team | Engine | Grid | Pos | Retired | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1977 | 1977 Japanese F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 2 | 1 | 9 | |
| 9 | 1977 | 1977 USA F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 8 | 1977 | 1977 British F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 7 | 1976 | 1976 USA F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 6 | 1976 | 1976 Canadian F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 5 | 1976 | 1976 Dutch F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 2 | 1 | 9 | |
| 4 | 1976 | 1976 German F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 3 | 1976 | 1976 French F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 2 | 1976 | 1976 Spanish F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 1 | 1975 | 1975 Dutch F1 GP | 24 | Hesketh | Ford | 3 | 1 | 9 |
Podiums
James Hunt F1 Podium Finishes
Poles
James Hunt F1 Pole Positions
| Year | Race | No | Team | Engine | Grid | Pos | Retired | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1977 | 1977 USA F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 13 | 1977 | 1977 Italian F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | DNF | Spun Off | 0 |
| 12 | 1977 | 1977 British F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 11 | 1977 | 1977 South African F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 4 | 3 | |
| 10 | 1977 | 1977 Brazilian F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| 9 | 1977 | 1977 Argentine F1 GP | 1 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | DNF | Suspension | 0 |
| 8 | 1976 | 1976 USA F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 7 | 1976 | 1976 Canadian F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 6 | 1976 | 1976 Austrian F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 4 | 3 | |
| 5 | 1976 | 1976 German F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 4 | 1976 | 1976 French F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 3 | 1976 | 1976 Spanish F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| 2 | 1976 | 1976 South African F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| 1 | 1976 | 1976 Brazilian F1 GP | 11 | McLaren | Ford | 1 | DNF | Accident | 0 |
Comparison
James Hunt Teammate Comparison
| Year | Team | Team Mate | Best Pos | Points | Wins | Poles | Pos | Quali | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | March | David Purley | 3 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Jean-Pierre Jarier | 2 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Mike Beuttler | 2 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Reine Wisell | 6 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Roger Williamson | 3 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1974 | Hesketh | Ian Scheckter | 3 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| March | Hans Joachim Stuck | 9 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Howden Ganley | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1975 | Hesketh | Alan Jones | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Brett Lunger | 2 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Harald Ertl | 2 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Torsten Palm | 11 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1976 | McLaren | Jochen Mass | 1 | 3 | 69 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 15 | 1 |
| 1977 | McLaren | Brett Lunger | 1 | 9 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| Bruno Giacomelli | 15 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Emilio de Villota | 1 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Gilles Villeneuve | 1 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Jochen Mass | 1 | 2 | 40 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 16 | 1 | ||
| 1978 | McLaren | Brett Lunger | 3 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 0 |
| Bruno Giacomelli | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Emilio de Villota | 6 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Nelson Piquet | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Patrick Tambay | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Tony Trimmer | 25 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
News
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