Looking at the way he was from the start of his F1 career up to his world championship year of 1976, you'd expect James Hunt's career to have continued on a high - but it didn't.
Was he held at McLaren in 1977 and 1978 for contractual reasons, or did he just want to stay with the team thinking they'd be World Championship contenders? The 1977 McLaren wasn't bad, but the 1978 car was bordering on terrible. Were there any negotiations with other teams during this time, like Ferrari or even Lotus?
And why did he end up in a Wolf in 1979? I think that really killed his F1 career off.
I think he'd have definitely gone on to win a lot more races. I'm not sure about further World Championships, but I don't see why he couldn't have done.
aerogi wrote:I don't know about this stay at Mc Laren in 1977 and 1978, but why would you leave a winning team?
I'd have thought that after 1977, it was apparent that McLaren was no longer a front-running team...but I suppose he had no reason to have no faith in the team for 1978.
James was one of the last playboy superstars...James never took himself or his career too seriously and was a very sad loss to all who enjoyed his joy for life.
I'll have to check and see if I still have this interview on tape where he discusses his career.
If a man can't look at danger and still go on, man has stopped living. If the worst ever happens – then it means simply that I've been asked to pay the bill for the happiness of my life – without a moment's regret. Graham Hill
I read somewhere that James had said that by the end of the '78 season with McLaren's much-hyped M26 turning out so disappointing, he was beginning to lose interest in driving racing cars more and more and the '79 stint in the Wolf was the final nail.. along with his good friend Lauda's (brief)departure from racing that basically sealed his decision. Looking back, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing because otherwise we'd have never had the legendary Walker and Hunt commentary partnership that is still regarded as the best duo to sit in a commentary booth ever by many.
Personally I think that when Ronnie Peterson was killed that was also the beginning of the end for hunt, I really must get his autobiography as I loved his attitude to life in general and have always been interested in him.
flyinsii wrote:Personally I think that when Ronnie Peterson was killed that was also the beginning of the end for hunt, I really must get his autobiography as I loved his attitude to life in general and have always been interested in him.
Didn't people blame him for it? Hunt was heroic on that day...got straight in there, apparently bent the steering wheel with his own hands, and pulled Ronnie free.
PTRACER wrote:
Didn't people blame him for it? Hunt was heroic on that day...got straight in there, apparently bent the steering wheel with his own hands, and pulled Ronnie free.
Formula One is a business of high interdependence, both technological and economical. Peterson´s death produced a chain reaction of individual fates never to be seen before.
There was Riccardo Patrese, from the very beginning of his career in 1977 connected with the reputation of extreme regardlessness, who was considered guilty of having caused the catastrophe of Monza. But this time the Italian only was the scapegoat really, because when, many months later, the pictures taken out of the helicopter had been evaluated, it became clear, that James Hunt was the origin of the mass collision. In the moment of the accident Hunt became aware of this fact suddenly, he pulled Peterson out of the burning wreck of the Lotus, was rewarded a gold medal by the Royal Swedish Automobil Club, but the real facts of the case he hid. Meanwhile a lot of dirt was thrown onto Patrese by the press and his driver collegues did the same way. The stigma of being a killer should remain for Patrese until the end of his career.
James Hunt had never been able to get over Monza 1978. In fact he switched to the Wolf team for the following year, but more and more he went into depressions. After the Grand Prix of Monaco 1979 he retired from active competition, a decision he suddenly wanted to revise some days later, because under strict secrecy he expressed his wish to buy one of the that time very successful Ligier Ford JS11, but the French team refused his offer. Later Hunt became also a very popular star, when entering the BBC as a television commentator, but this sensitive and complicated personality with all his problems fell by the wayside. James Simon Wallis Hunt died in the night to the 19th June 1992 at the age of only 45 years, poor and very, very lonely.
flyinsii wrote:...but this sensitive and complicated personality with all his problems fell by the wayside. James Simon Wallis Hunt died in the night to the 19th June 1992 at the age of only 45 years, poor and very, very lonely.
Does anyone know, why he suffered this Heart-Attack...
flyinsii wrote:...but this sensitive and complicated personality with all his problems fell by the wayside. James Simon Wallis Hunt died in the night to the 19th June 1992 at the age of only 45 years, poor and very, very lonely.
Does anyone know, why he suffered this Heart-Attack...
It was supposed to be due to all that smoking and drinking he did throughout his life...
BTW...I have a 45 minute 186 Mb video on him, that is interwoven with an interesting interview...IF anybody is interested.
If a man can't look at danger and still go on, man has stopped living. If the worst ever happens – then it means simply that I've been asked to pay the bill for the happiness of my life – without a moment's regret. Graham Hill
Is that the one where that one reporter among others, talks about how their 'interview' turned into something much more enjoyable?
Don't reacall that..It's a look at his climb to F1 and the championship with an interview with Nigel Roebuck mixed in...not by me..by the producers.
If a man can't look at danger and still go on, man has stopped living. If the worst ever happens – then it means simply that I've been asked to pay the bill for the happiness of my life – without a moment's regret. Graham Hill
