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Old 14 Aug 2002, 11:04 (Ref:357590)   #1
TimD
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The forgotten James Hunt

The F1 forum has lately been full to the brim with debate as to who is the greatest driver ever. But I wonder if this is the place to ask why James Hunt seems to have been left on the sidelines of motor racing history.It appears to me that his best performances were in the face of the greatest difficulty - tricky courses, under-performing or outdated cars and the like.

Can anyone suggest a reason as to why Hunt is not regarded as up there with the best?

And has anyone got any good Hunt stories? That's always a happy diversion in an otherwise po-faced world....
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Old 14 Aug 2002, 11:35 (Ref:357609)   #2
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Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!Peter Mallett is the undisputed Champion of the World!
There was a story related in Motorsport about a test day. He turned up "fresh" from a "night out" and got in the car. After doing a number of laps the engine went silent on the other side of the circuit (don't recall which) and fearing the worst the team drove round to find the car deep in the trees at the side of the circuit with the driver slumped forwards over the wheel................... snoring loudly.

People tend to come down on the "if luada hadn't crashed Hunt wouldn't have won" theory which I consider Bulldoos. Hunt was driving a four year old car. He didn't cheat but got some harsh decisions against his team. He was disqualified from three races (although one was reinstated). He beat the Ferraris more than once in straight fights and there is nothing to suggest he wouldn't have done so if Lauda had not had his accident.

There is a suspicion that Ferrari manauevred (can't spell it) the FiSA into being over zealous in its scrutineering.

I mentioned some of this in that thread and said that as far as I was concerned he won his championship fair and square. Others disagree and I still to this day can't understand why. (I respect their opinions though).

Hunt was everything a "real" WDC should be. He had character, balls (ask most of the pit babes) and a determination to succeed. He did it mostly by himself and was probably the last of the "self made" champions. RIP James.
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Old 14 Aug 2002, 12:18 (Ref:357641)   #3
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TimD, I've got a great 'James' story and first hand as I was there!
First of all though, I feel James despite being world champion was very underrated. The powers that be deemed him a playboy and the Hesketh team was very much a joke when they first appeared in F3. Well why should they have been taken seriously with the endless bottles of bubbly and society hangers on for the public schoolboy run team!
Lord Alexander Hesketh, team manager Bubbles Horsley and unknown car designer Harvey Postlethwaite added to the British eccentricity of it just with their names! James' skill paid dividends to turn this team and its endeavours to legend - real schoolboy stuff. James loved to party and I think this was carried with him until way after he retired.
Eddie Irvine is very much the playboy of F1 now and don't forget that when he was in F3 and F3000, James was his mentor and coach, working for Marlboro. They often partied and drank together.
Anyway on to my story..
In 1991 I had a call at home from a friend who had a travel/ hospitality company. He called me late on Friday afternoon of the first French GP at Magny -Cours. He asked me if I wanted to go to the race on Sunday. Of course I said yes, all I had to do was buy a spare Grandstand ticket from him.
He had chartered a 12 seat Cessna, flying from Coventry at 8am on the Sunday morning to arrive back at 8.30pm that evening. One of his customers had backed out and it was too late to fill the spare seat on the plane.I duly arrived at Coventry and as I pulled up in the car park this black Merc pulled up alongside with James at the wheel! He was on this flight too, to do his BBC commentary with Murray.
After a quick coffee - James told us that he had come straight from a party in London - we boarded the small plane and James was sitting directly behind me. The aircraft was very small, no toilet on board and an open view of the two pilots. Idle chatter about racing was followed by coffee from a huge flask that my friend, the organiser had brought along. Halfway across the channel, James called out ' How long before we get to Nevers airport?' The pilot replied 'about 40 mins'. 'Oh, I can't wait that long' said James, 'has everyone finished with the coffee?'
On board were a couple of sponsors wives and other corporate guests - nobody knew anyone else - and James proceeded to use the flask, standing in the centre aisle to...well you can guess!
Embarrassed sponsors wives pretended to look out of the window and James finished, apologised and offered to take it with him and wash it out once we got off. The organiser said there was no need, he would do it.
Once James had sat down again, he said 'Well, I suppose I had better prepare for the race!' He produced a Tesco carrier bag from somewhere full of the latest 2-3 'Autosport's' to refresh himself for his BBC job that afternoon. When you think that poor Murray had been there probably since Wednesday, up and down the pitlane with his dodgy hip at the time, taking notes for his commentary!
Once we got to Nevers and disembarked, James then had another p** against the wheel of the plane. All this too in front of many French folk who had turned out at the little airport for this inaugural event as President Mitterand was in attendance. We were under instuction to meet up at 5.30 at the back of the paddock for the return journey and I had visions of James failing to make it, but he was there, before anyone else ready for a quieter journey home.
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Old 14 Aug 2002, 12:36 (Ref:357661)   #4
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Excellent!

That sounds like the James we knew and loved!

I think James' notorious disinclination to prepare for the race commentary was only matched by Murray's extraordinary diligence in doing his duty.
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Old 14 Aug 2002, 15:19 (Ref:357765)   #5
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the falling asleep was in last months motorsport, a good article, apparently James stumbled into the hotel at the same time as Lauda was leaving for practice . . .hunt grabbed his stuff and jumped on the coach with him.

good story Andrew, and 100% believable, halfway down I thought he was going to open a window!

are there any good Biographys on Hunt? can anyone who could keep up with him remember anything of the party years!
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Old 14 Aug 2002, 17:25 (Ref:357809)   #6
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There's a great biography written by Gerald Donaldson on James Hunt - it's a great read and I highly recommend it.
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Old 14 Aug 2002, 21:03 (Ref:357939)   #7
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That is the quintestencial Hunt...
Thanks Andrew
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Old 15 Aug 2002, 01:58 (Ref:358060)   #8
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I can't ever respect Hunt. His vanity cost Bobby Rahal, one of my all-time favorite drivers and a local hero, his shot at Formula 1. He demanded a one-car team at Wolf in '79, then simply walked away before the season was even over. No matter what else, he was as selfish as they come in racing.
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Old 15 Aug 2002, 09:41 (Ref:358190)   #9
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maybe Bobby Rahal wasnt upto it. James Hunt was a great driver
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Old 15 Aug 2002, 09:58 (Ref:358205)   #10
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On the other hand, I'm not sure that Bobby Rahal's reputation would have been enhanced by being given a Wolf in 1979.

The one-car team was so efficient that it managed a half-a-dozen laps of winter testing at Donington before the season started. James Hunt managed a season of 5 mechanical non-finishes, one accident and one non-points finish before he walked away from it. Keke Rosberg took on the car for the remainder of the season and managed one 6th place, two non-points finishes, one retirement due to accident damage, 5 mechanical retirements and a did not qualify.

Rahal, on the other hand, spent 1979 developing his craft. He was a midfield runner at best in European Formula 2, but was showing himself to be a star in the making in Can-Am and IMSA. And he went on to become the Stateside superstar we all remember. Busting a gut to have a chance, any chance at Formula 1 is not always the way forward for a young driver.

Ask Kevin Cogan.

Bobby Rahal's a personal favourite of mine, too. I can't help thinking that in the eternal scheme of things, James Hunt and Walter Wolf did him a favour.
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Old 15 Aug 2002, 12:44 (Ref:358310)   #11
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Also does Rahal not suffer himself from Vanity? he got rid of Mike Groff and Bryan Herta - Groff arguably because he was potentially quicker than him. Backing Danica over Buddy Rice shows hes more interested in money than finding a genuine American talent.

Anyway back to the core matter - James life should be celebrated.. he grew up in the public eye, and was finally acheiving some internal karma when he was taken from us. But boy did he live.... like Murray said he lived many lifetimes in his 40 odd years.
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Old 15 Aug 2002, 12:57 (Ref:358319)   #12
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Quote:
Originally posted by racing_guru
There's a great biography written by Gerald Donaldson on James Hunt - it's a great read and I highly recommend it.
A funny and sometimes moving book indeed. I read it a few years ago. Hunt retired before i was born but its obvious the man was a "Superstar"!

"make it fast down the straights and I'll block 'em in the corners!" Something like that anyway... Rocking the establishment in the unfancied Hesketh.

James was a mentor to Mika Hakkinen too, in fact he was one of the first people Mika met in england at Donington for the Malboro tests. Hunt saw him do a few laps and said "sign that man!"

Hunt was also one of the first to recognise the talent of Gilles Villeneuve and talked him up in the F1 paddock to bring him over from Canada.

Not only was he a demon behind the wheel but its obvious he had a real eye for spotting talent too.(not just the female kind!!)

We salute you JAMES HUNT!!

I was named after him too! (my real name)
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Old 15 Aug 2002, 14:15 (Ref:358365)   #13
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Yeah spotting talent like that shows a certain lack of vanity I'd say...
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Old 15 Aug 2002, 15:11 (Ref:358385)   #14
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An old and valued friend, from the early F3 days - not forgotten.
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Old 16 Aug 2002, 13:31 (Ref:359132)   #15
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Added to all the above, I seem to recall that he was once on the TV 'Superstars' programme where all sorts of sportsman and women were pitted against each other. OK not in the same class as Brian Jacks (100+ bar body lifts and press ups) but by no means humbled. It would be interesting to see if the BBC have records as to how he faired. I seem to recall he done quite well despite all the party antics possibly the night before. Was it J Mass who was the best F1 driver ?

He might well have been the last 'Gentleman' racer in F1 and Hesketh the last 'private' F1 team.

I still have an unused Hesketh Bear sticker and badge......Offers anyone ??

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Old 16 Aug 2002, 13:55 (Ref:359154)   #16
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Remember when Jody did it and was hiding under his towel for ages before the squat thrusts?
Turned out he was looking for a racing driver's typical 'unfair advantage' and had smeared some form of lubricant over the soles of his trainers to assist with quicker thrusts! If TGF or the like were to do it today, the trainers and lubricant would probably have been developed in the race factory for this one event!

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Old 17 Aug 2002, 10:40 (Ref:359661)   #17
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James as I remember him. Hard charging in his F2 March - Oulton 1971.
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Old 25 Aug 2002, 21:27 (Ref:365720)   #18
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Another great thread!

I love listening to Murray and James doing the F1 commentary, a unique pairing who thouroughly entertained those lucky enough to be able to experience it. His image and his antics can always bring a smile to my face and I still remember the shock when my Mum told me he'd died of a heart attack. F1 commentary would never be the same again.
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Old 29 Aug 2002, 14:06 (Ref:368272)   #19
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Despite his clobbering of my beloved David Morgan, Hunt was and remains one of my heroes. I remember a mate of mine seeking autographs in the paddock at the Croft international in 1971. Hunt willingly signed the autograph, but my mates reaction was "Oh - I thought you were Andy Sutcliffe". James said "Who's he?".
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Old 29 Aug 2002, 14:30 (Ref:368285)   #20
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Who is Dave Morgan?! (and Andy Sutcliffe!)

Hunts commentary was priceless, Murray would do his usual thing and James would throw in the odd comment when he felt like it, made me crack up.
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Old 29 Aug 2002, 14:51 (Ref:368294)   #21
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A shame really that in today's world James would not be "corporate enough" to be considered "marketable."

Wasn't he also world champion in handball or something as well after his retirement from F1?
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Old 29 Aug 2002, 14:58 (Ref:368299)   #22
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Education time. Dave Morgan was of the same era as Mr Hunt. In the 1 litre F3 days, he had a reputation as a hard charger and being the only driver to get any
decent results in the March 703. People like a certain Mr Walkinshaw failed miserably in that particular car. In one particularly lurid race at Crystal Palace, Morgan tried just a bit too hard and caused an almighty accident involving James H, who promptly ran accross the track and thumped Morgan. He later went on to win the first F2 race he entered, in a converted F3 Brabham. This was against stiff opposition including the likes of Lauda and Peterson. Andy Sutcliffe was of more or less the same time: he bacame works F3 driver for GRD and won one of the championships in, I think, 1972. Not quite sure what happened to him after that.
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Old 29 Aug 2002, 15:40 (Ref:368344)   #23
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Dave Morgan was a very good driver and became a very well respected race engineer. Andy Sutcliffe too was very quick and went on to F5000 with the 'Thursday's' March team.
I recall that Dave was working for the Lamborghini f1 team in 91. He could always be spotted smoking his pipe - hanging from his mouth even in the high octane atmosphere of the F1 pit lane. One of the drivers, Van der Poele I think it was, complained about the size of the cockpit saying the other teams cars were different. 'One way to sort this out' said Dave who promptly marched into the Ferrari garage, tape measure in hand and started to take measurements. The Ferrari mechanics quickly man-handled him out! That caused a bit of a storm.
I saw many of his races including his famous win at Mallory in the F2 Brabham against most of the top guys of the day.
His brother Richard was also very quick in FF and F.Atlantic. Here is a pic I have found of Dave in his 1972 F2 March at Crystal Palace.
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Old 29 Aug 2002, 15:45 (Ref:368350)   #24
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I notice from 'Autosport' - James Hunt would have been 55 years old today, 29th August. Makes you realise just how young he was when he sadly passed away.
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Old 29 Aug 2002, 17:51 (Ref:368477)   #25
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But the young devil did lead life to the full, one of his must equal 3 of ours. Every night was party night. Birds, booze at night and race cars during the day.

Tell me again, how do I sell my soul.

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