1976 Formula 1 [better] Link

This was the moment that defined the difference between them.

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James Hunt was the rockstar. Driving for the underdog McLaren team, he lived on cigarettes, champagne, and pure talent. He threw his car into corners sideways, charmed the press, and fought with the establishment as often as he fought with other drivers. 1976 formula 1

The cars were monsters. The Ferrari 312T and McLaren M23D pumped out over 500 horsepower from a 3.0-liter engine, wrapped in a chassis that would crumple like tinfoil in a crash. Seatbelts? Optional. Fireproof suits? Crude at best. Tracks like the old Nürburgring (14 miles, 170 corners, no barriers) were still on the calendar. The season had been a slugfest. Hunt won in Brazil and Spain (though he was later disqualified in Spain), while Lauda dominated in Belgium, Monaco, and Britain. The title swung back and forth like a pendulum. This was the moment that defined the difference between them

The psychological blow to Hunt was immense. How do you celebrate beating a man who just crawled out of a hospital bed? And how do you beat a man with that kind of will? The season came down to the last race at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. The points were tight: Lauda (68) vs. Hunt (65). A monsoon had descended on Mount Fuji. The track was a lake. Driving for the underdog McLaren team, he lived

Forty-two days later, with raw, weeping burns under a borrowed helmet that was two sizes too big, Lauda climbed back into his Ferrari at Monza. The Italian crowd wept. James Hunt, seeing his rival back, reportedly grinned and shook his head in disbelief.

Lauda finished fourth.