Nationality: British
Date of Birth-Death: 29 August 1947 - 15 June 1993
Drivers championships:
1976
Grand Prix victories: 10
Races started: 92
Pole positions: 14
Teams:
Wolf 1979,
McLaren 1976 - 1978,
Hesketh 1973 - 1975
James Hunt career
James Hunt raced with Hesketh in F2 and F3 where he gained a reputation as "Hunt the Shunt" after several crashes. The Harvey Postelwaite designed Hesketh F1 car was competitive in James Hunt's hands and was the last of the privately funded teams. Financial problems with Hesketh at the end of 1975 left James Hunt without a drive. He was then signed by McLaren and won the 1976 Drivers Championship in what was a controversial season. He struggled in the following two seasons with McLaren and then retired in 1979. He is remembered as being an unconventional driver and the last of the drivers with a real playboy life style. He was very popular with the British public and this was helped by his style as a TV commentator. He died at the age of 45 having struggled with depression and alcoholism.
Previous seasons
1979
Team: Wolf
Position: NC
Points: 0
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 For 1979 Harvey Postlethwaite persuaded him to join the Wolf team, but the car was difficult to handle and unreliable. He quit F1 in the middle of the season.
1978
Team: McLaren
Position: 13
Points: 8
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 This was his least successful season in F1 as the Lotus ground effect car was much quicker. He was also affected by the death of his friend Ronnie Peterson.
1977
Team: McLaren
Position: 5
Points: 40
Race wins: 3
Pole positions: 6 This was a very mixed season for James Hunt with 3 race wins but 8 retirements.
1976
Team: McLaren
Position: 1
Points: 69
Race wins: 6
Pole positions: 7 James Hunt won his only drivers championship in his first season with McLaren with 6 race wins. He secured the championship in the final race of the season.
1975
Team: Hesketh
Position: 4
Points: 33
Race wins: 1
Pole positions: 0 The Hesketh 308B gave him his first F1 race win and Hesketh's only race win. The Hesketh team folded at the end of the year due to lack of funding and sponsorship.
1974
Team: Hesketh
Position: 8
Points: 15
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 This season he raced the Harvey Postlethwaite designed Hesketh 308. He had three 3rd places but also 9 retirements.
1973
Team: Hesketh
Position: 8
Points: 14
Race wins: 0
Pole positions: 0 His first season in F1 had a best result of 2nd in the final race of the season.
