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I have been reading a book about James Hunt, and there are a lot of interesting potential moves for him mentioned:
Apparently, after Hesketh effectively pulled out in 1975 (before being revived early in 1976), Hunt was in talks to join Lotus but they wanted him to drive for nothing. Also, Bernie Ecclestone attempted to run a Brabham B-team for Hunt in 1976, but using a Ford Cosworth engine instead of the Alfa Romeo (so he would probably have beaten Reutemann and Pace). Alfa Romeo refused. Hunt's backup offer was with Wolf-Williams for that team before he eventually got the McLaren drive.
Also, the driver James Hunt was fighting for the seat with after Emerson Fittipaldi retired was Jacky Ickx, although their first choice was to bring back Jackie Stewart. It was also expected at the time that Jochen Mass would develop into a top-class driver so they didn't necessarily need to sign a number one driver. Either way, if Ickx or Mass had been leading the team, McLaren would not have nicked that title. Indeed, apart from Stewart, I don't think any other driver in the world at the time would have been able to capitalise on Niki Lauda's misfortune to win that championship apart from James Hunt; not even Emerson Fittipaldi.
Later in the book, it is mentioned that Ferrari wanted to sign James Hunt to replace Carlos Reutemann for 1979, although talks didn't get very far and they went with Jody Scheckter. Although Hunt had had an awful season in 1978, I think he would have recaptured his form in a top car and been able to beat Villeneuve to that title, as the Hunt of 1975-77 was surely a stronger driver than Scheckter. Obviously it wouldn't have made any difference to Ferrari who won anyway, and Scheckter was possibly a safer pair of hands if not as fast as Hunt.
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