James Hunt was his antithesis. The McLaren driver was a lion-maned rock star in a fireproof suit. He chain-smoked before races, admitted to drinking heavily, and famously quipped that sex was "a good relaxer before a race." Where Lauda calculated, Hunt improvised. Where Lauda conserved, Hunt attacked. To Hunt, racing was a glorious, bloody circus, and he was the ringmaster. He was adored by the British press, who saw in him a throwback to the daredevil heroes of a bygone era.
On the second lap, approaching the fast left-hand kink at Bergwerk, Lauda’s Ferrari suddenly snapped sideways. There was no warning. The car slammed into an earth embankment, burst open like a tin can, and erupted into a fireball of burning gasoline. Clay Regazzoni, following behind, could not avoid it. He skidded through the inferno. 1976 f1 season
The burns were catastrophic. He suffered third-degree burns on his face and head, losing most of his right ear. The toxic fumes had destroyed his lungs. He was given the last rites. The world prepared obituaries. James Hunt was his antithesis
While Lauda fought for his life, Hunt won the British Grand Prix. However, the result was heavily disputed. Ferrari protested that Hunt had used a spare car after crashing in qualifying, which was legal under British racing rules but not FIA International regulations. Hunt was initially disqualified, then reinstated on appeal months later. This legal tug-of-war kept Hunt in the championship fight mathematically, setting the stage for a late-season surge. Where Lauda conserved, Hunt attacked