Daily James Hunt

Photos | Lore | Videos | James's Championship Year Recap - On This Day

It's not complicated around here. Every day I post something related to James Hunt, mostly photos, but sometimes videos, interviews, quotes, book extracts, press clippings or lore.

Race 11: Austrian Grand Prix, 15th August 1976

By the time of the Austrian Grand Prix, Niki Lauda was outof hospital and recovering at home on Ibiza. The F1 community knew he would live and that he said he intendes to race again, and Ferrari seemed confident he would. The reason we can be sure on that last point is that the Scuderia made a lot of attempts to get the Austrian Grand Prix cancelled out of "respect" for Niki. It was generally believed that this was because they were afraid that McLaren, and James, would make up too many points against Niki while he was off. (No one expected him back as soon as Monza).

(From Autosport, 19 August 1976. Writer not credited)

Ferrari did boycott the race in protest at James's Spanish Grand Prix victory being reinstated, and claimed they had withdrawn for the season. The race organisers were concerned because, without Niki, the local spectators were far less interested, and without any Ferraris, no Italian or Swiss fans would travel to Regazzoni. But the teams were still going to want their usual fee.

No wonder Motor Sport magazine said "[t]here was a distinct air of lethargy about the place."

Enter James and Wattie.

James Hunt at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix at the Österreichring. Photo by Ercole Colombo

London, 13th July 1976. Photographer unknown

Awards Ceremony, 7th December 1976

Divina is now retired and living in Florida, but before her racing career, she was a top level skier, captaining the British Olympic team twice, in 1968 and 1972. She took up driving in 1974, after doing a promo, celeb type driving event and proving very good. She drove for Hesketh, though a year after James had left, and was encouraged by Niki Lauda (and Marlene Lauda, who privately assured Divina that Niki was genuinely rooting for her to qualify). Divina maintains her friend Desiré Wilson was faster than she, and that may be true in a car, but Divina Galica set the British world record for women's speed skiing at the age of 48, reaching almost 125 mph (201 kmph) . She has also been a driver coach and was an enthusiastic supporter of W Series while it was ongoing.

A long-forgotten of a news story ahead of the 1976 German Grand Prix. Everyone forgot about James's owie, not unreasonably, when Niki almost died. Image from Autosport magazine, 22 July 1976 edition