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British GT: Adam and Haigh win to take the GT3 Championship to the wire,

Optimum Motorsport were the class of the field at Brands Hatch as Jonny Adam and Flick Haigh took the championship to the wire with one round remaining.

Mike Robinson took a much needed victory for Balfe Motorsport in GT4 alongside Graham Johnson in the #501 McLaren that started the race 13th in class ahead of Bens Green and Tuck in the #42 BMW, who snatched second from Martin Plowman and Kelvin Fletcher on the run to the line.

Adam passed Barwell Motorsport’s Jonny Cocker late in the race after the Lamborghini had led for most of the second stint, with the first hour punctuated by a long Safety Car period caused when Mike Newbould and Paul Vice collided on the start straight, severely damaging the Ginetta and the tyre wall.

Nicki Thiim took third from Darren Turner at the death while the championship leading Barwell Motorsport duo Phil Keen and Jon Minshaw retired late with engine failure to blow the title race wide open ahead of the decider at Donnington Park.

As Brands Hatch basked in glorious sunshine, Flick Haigh made hay and quickly built the gap that was needed to negate the 10s pit stop penalty  as Andrew Howard provided stern resistance for Graham Davidson.

Dean MacDonald had fallen back to second in GT4 class behind Century Motorsport teammate Ben Green as the BMWs bossed the early stages the race in that category.

Haigh had got the gap to 12.6 seconds before the first Safety Car was brought out as the #88 Ginetta of Graham Roberts was spun off after contact with Minshaw, who was in the process of lapping the GT4 runner.

A short Safety Car period ensued, and Haigh quickly got the hammer down again to build the gap up to seven seconds before a longer Safety Car period ensued, as Mike Newbould in the #55 Ginetta collided with Paul Vice in the #44 Invictus Jaguar on the start straight.

Newbould in particularly was fortunate to be able to walk away, and indeed gesture angrily at Vice – his Ginetta totally destroyed.

Haigh only had five laps to build another gap and while she didn’t get the 10s needed, six seconds was nevertheless an impressive effort. A crowded pit lane and the associated chaos meant that her teammate Adam only lost position to Sam De Haan and Jonny Cocker.

Adam hounded Cocker for almost the entirety of the last hour, and it didn’t look like the Lamborghini would wilt under immense pressure.

But it only needed one mistake for Adam to pounce, as Cocker ran wide on the kerb at Dingle Dell with four minutes remaining to steal a vital victory ahead of the final round in September.

Jack Mitchell saw his GT4 Championship lead cut to 10 points after finishing seventh in class after starting pole with Dean MacDonald.

A 20s pit stop penalty and two Safety Car periods in the opening stint meant it was always going to be difficult for the #43 BMW to convert pole into a win.

Fortune and strategy in the pit stops melee meant that the #501 McLaren of Mike Robinson ended the round of stops in the lead, and while he didn’t drive off he was never troubled by Martin Plowman in the #53 Nissan and Scott Malvern in the #66 Mercedes.

Malvern was faster than Plowman but the Nissan was wider than ever and the Mercedes simply could not batter the door down, while Ben Tuck recovered well for the #42 BMW to climb back from eighth.

Tuck caught Malvern and Plowman at the end and quickly deposed Malvern with a minute left, before he outdragged Plowman on the run to the chequered flag.

 

 

 

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British F3 – Chadwick takes historic win in Race Two

Jamie Chadwick took a historic victory in Race Two to become the first ever woman to win a BRDC British F3 race, after Pavan Ravishankar was penalised for a jump start.

Krish Mahadik was second ahead of Kush Maini and Sassakorn Chaimongkol, while Ravishankar dropped back to tenth after a 10s penalty.

Chadwick got most of her work done on the opening lap – moving up to second on the road at the expense of Ben Hurst and Arvin Esmaeili.

A Safety Car bought out to recover Ben Hurst’s car after he spun off at Clark Curve lasted for five minutes, and Mahadik was stuck behind Esmaeili for two laps allowing Chadwick to build a gap.

Once Mahadik did eventually clear the Swede, the gap was 2.5 seconds with three laps left of a shortened race.

The Indian, who won at Brands Hatch last year, bridged the gap and finished just four tenths behind Chadwick at the flag but had to be content with leading compatriot Maini home in third.

Race One winner Jamie Caroline retired after deciding not to risk the car ahead of Race Three, while championship leader Linus Lundqvist was 11th and Nicolai Kjaergaard ninth after difficult races for the lead pair in the standings.

After the race, Chadwick was pleased with her groundbreaking victory.

“Obviously I am delighted with that win, I didn’t know that (I was the first woman to win a BRDC British F3 race) and it is a big weight off my shoulders.

“Ultimately I’m so happy even if it was the reverse grid race win.”

While Ravishankar crossed the line first on the road before his penalty, Chadwick was quite sure of his fate from early in the race.

“I I felt like I knew he’d get a penalty, I saw him moving at the start. I was still pushing to try and put a move on him in the first half of the race to try and get a better lap for the last race too.

“As soon as I saw that the penalty was confirmed, I just sat behind him and stayed sensible.”

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BREAKING: Jamie Caroline takes maiden British F3 pole in pulsating qualifying session

Jamie Caroline took his first British F3 pole position in a qualifying session that ebbed and flowed at Brands Hatch.

On the longer GP circuit, Caroline was one of the earlier pacesetters, swapping pole with Carlin teammate Billy Monger.

Once he usurped Monger towards the end of the session, Caroline gradually bettered his time from a 1:21.7s to the 1:21.596s that he eventually ended the session on.

Caroline was just 0.062s clear of Nicolai Kjaergaard’s late surge. The Dane had been towards the end of the top six before a last-gasp 1:21.658 put him second on the grid.

That knocked teammate Monger down to third to complete the Carlin 1-2-3, although man from Reigate was just 0.011 seconds further back after earlier being the man to beat at his home circuit.

Championship leader Linus Lundqvist was fourth, only a tenth away from Caroline. The Swede has a comfortable 120-point lead over Kjaergaard in the standings, and can afford to start from fourth on the grid.

The other two drivers with faint Championship hopes start sixth and eighth respectively.

Kush Maini lines up on the third row of the grid after being pipped to sixth by Sun Yue Yang, while Gamble was surprisingly off the pace after a stellar weekend at Spa-Francorchamps last time out.

The session was brought to an end early by a red flag with just over a minute to go, as Caroline completed his all action session by spinning into the pit wall before recovering back to the pits.

Race One of three this weekend gets underway at 5:35pm on Saturday.

 

Image credit: Jakob Ebrey via www.BritishF3.com

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Red Flags: Safety in motorsports week

A red flag waved during a Formula One race. Image courtesy of Joe Barbosa (under CC 2.0)

Red Flags are used when Safety Cars are not enough of a safety precaution following an on-track incident.

As well as giving drivers the chance to change to fresh set of tyres and potentially gain track position, red flags are in place to make sure that the drivers do not race in conditions that are just too dangerous.

Red flags are typically seen when after an accident in which there is an incredible amount of debris on the track that should not be driven around even under a safety car. Or when one of the barriers is so damaged following a crash that it cannot absorb impacts efficiently, or during a wet race when there is so much standing water on the track that it is too dangerous to continue. At such point the race is suspended. Red Flags do count towards time limits in races.

During the Red Flag period, the drivers line up in position order in the race in the pit lane to await a restart. The race will only be restarted once the stewards and marshals deem that it is safe enough to resume racing.

Once the race is restarted, it will be restarted behind the safety car, and the race will then be resumed either with a standing start or a  regular safety car restart.

If it is thought that it is too dangerous to resume the race, or that there is no point due to a lack of remaining laps in the Grand Prix, then the session will be abandoned. Should it be abandoned before the race is halfway completed, then half points will be awarded.

Red Flags can also be used in Practise, Qualifying and Test Sessions. The cars will then return to their garages at a very low speed, before being allowed back out once the danger is cleared. Again, if there is not enough time left in the session or it is too dangerous to continue, the session will not be restarted.

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Red Bull Shocks: Ricciardo Leaves Team After 2018

Silly season has officially started. The driver market got a major shock on Friday the 3rd of August when Red Bull surprisingly announced that Daniel Ricciardo is set to leave the Austrian team after the 2018 season.

Team Principal Christian Horner commented on this news saying: “We fully respect Daniel’s decision to leave Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and we wish him all the best in his future. We would like to thank him for his dedication and the role he has played since joining the Team in 2014, the highlights, of course being the seven wins and the 29 podiums he has achieved so far with us.”

With the Australian set to leave the team, there’s now a very much sought-after seat to take. Red Bull Racing know that and are now looking for an alternative.

“We will now continue to evaluate the numerous options available to us before deciding on which driver partners Max Verstappen for the 2019 season. In the meantime, there are still nine races left in 2018 and we are fully focused on maximising every opportunity for Max and Daniel for the remainder of the season” Horner added.

Daniel Ricciardo has been part of the Red Bull Junior Team since 2008 and made his F1 debut at the 2011 British Grand Prix. After only two seasons at Toro Rosso he joined Red Bull Racing. He achieved seven victories, two pole-positions, twenty-nine podium finishes and brought the team 904 points. His last victory was at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix this year, an absolute highlight for the ‘Honey Badger’ at Red Bull.

In another shocking announcement that same day- just an hour after the Red Bull announcement- Renault confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo has signed for 2019 at the French team. Completing their line-up for 2019 is Nico Hülkenberg. This means that Carlos Sainz will leave Renault at the same time, now looking for another team.

Ricciardo said in an official announcement from Renault: “It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career so far. But I thought that it was time for me to take on a fresh and new challenge. I realise that there is a lot ahead in order to allow Renault to reach their target of competing at the highest level but I have been impressed by their progression in only two years, and I know that each time Renault has been in the sport they eventually won. I hope to be able to help them in this journey and contribute on and off track.”

With these announcements we are left with a very mixed-up driver market. There’s now one space available at Red Bull next to Verstappen. Most likely to go there are either Carlos Sainz or Pierre Gasly. Pierre Gasly has impressed the Milton-Keynes team at their sister team Toro Rosso, whilst Carlos Sainz is still awaiting a renewal of his Red Bull Junior Team  contract.

A lot of predictions for 2019 will probably have gone wrong after this announcement. Ocon won’t go to Renault as they already signed Ricciardo and Hülkenberg. Ricciardo isn’t staying at Red Bull as many -even himself- had predicted.

Now it’s waiting for the next announcements as the 2019 grid finally shapes up a bit.

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British F3: Lundqvist juggernaut difficult to stop as British F3 heads to Brands Hatch

The British F3 series heads to Brands Hatch this weekend with a clear championship leader, while a fight for second place is hotly contested between three drivers.

Two wins at the Spa-Francorchamps overseas round has given Linus Lundqvist a 120-point lead over Denmark’s Nicolai Kjaergaard – the Swede has a small mathematical chance of wrapping the title up by Sunday.

Kjaergaard is trailed in second place by Kush Maini (27 point) and Tom Gamble (31) in what is now a race for best of the rest, although has taken only one podium and two retirements from the last six rounds after a difficult two meetings.

If Lundqvist was dominant in Belgium, Gamble was the main threat to the 19-year-old with two second places and a retirement, while also taking pole position to lead the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup for 2018.

The Nottinghamshire teenager must rue the engine issue that stunted his progress from Sunday at Rockingham to the Sunday at Silverstone, before he was allowed to change it.

Like Kjaergaard, Maini is another one to have started brightly but fallen by the wayside as the season wore on. An impressive Silverstone meeting where he could have won two races, he lost 60 points to Lundqvist to effectively end his championship hopes.

Meanwhile, Jamie Caroline won from eighth in race two at Spa on his first F3 weekend, while Billy Monger will be looking to make the podium as he did last time out, debuting the unique “leggy” celebration inspired by Daniel Ricciardo’s “shooey”.

Kirsh Mahadik will be looking to repeat his victory here last year in the F3 series, while Ayrton Simmons will compete in only his second weekend in the series alongside his British F4 commitments.

With Brands Hatch the setting for many a classic race over the years, a new batch of younger driver will be hoping to make their own piece of history this weekend.

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Safety in Motorsport: The Monocoque

Without doubt the biggest safety advancement in Formula One over its 68-year history is the introduction of the monocoque.

The monocoque combines the driver’s survival cell, cockpit and forms an integral part of the chassis, with the engine and suspension among the compartments bolted to it.

Despite it not being common-place until the 1980s, the first example of this device appeared in the 1960s/ An aluminum alloy monocoque chassis was first used in the 1962 Lotus 25 Formula 1 entry, while McLaren was the first to use carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers to construct the monocoque of the 1981 McLaren MP4/1, this being the device and construction the world of motorsport is used to.

For safety reasons, no fuel, oil or water lines may pass through the cockpit and the driver must be able to get out within five seconds without having to remove anything except seatbelts and steering wheel (which he must be able to refit within another five seconds). F1 seat belts comprise a six-point harness, which the driver can undo in one movement. They have been compulsory since 1972.

The monocoque must be mainly constructed of carbon fibre, with up to 60 layers of it in places to absorb the energy of heavy impact accidents largely due to the high-speed nature of accidents in modern day Formula One. There is also a roll-over hoop behind the driver’s head, made of metal or composite materials while the survival cell’s flanks are protected by a 6mm layer of carbon and Zylon, a material used to make bullet-proof vests. The updates to this in recent years include the HALO device, designed to prevent foreign objects entering the cockpit and striking the drivers head.

The width of the cockpit must be 50 centimetres at the steering wheel and 30 centimetres at the pedals, the modern day monocoque often compared to driving in a bath tub as a result.

The driver’s seat is a single plastic cast and is tailored to each driver according to their exact shape and size to provide maximum protection. Since 1999, the seat has been detachable for it to be possible to remove the driver and seat as one after an accident, decreasing the chances of spinal injuries.

The system is now synonymous with the open-wheel racing community and has saved the lives of many a driver, famously Robert Kubica at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix and Mark Webber at the 2010 European Grand Prix.

The monocoque started out life in Formula One as an aerodynamic device designed to increase efficiency, making the car narrower. The development of this system has led to Formula One and the wider racing community now being as safe as it ever has been, and the motorsport community continues to strive for improvements.

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Paul Ricard: A maze of a race

French Gp 2018 race start. Image courtesy of Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Last weekend saw the return of the French Grand Prix, this time at Paul Ricard. Overall the expectations for this race were low, as this is not particularly the best circuit France has. With all of its 167 different layout options, there were enough options to make the track more interesting for racing. Many did think though that this layout was not the best they could have chosen, and that it wouldn’t provide any good racing. How wrong many people were then when this race made up for the previous two races at Monaco and Montreal, which were criticised for being too boring.

First of all, there were many debates even amongst the drivers about the track. One of the problems being discussed was the pit lane. Especially the exit was deemed very dangerous as drivers re-joining the track will get on the racing line of the upcoming drivers. The other problem was the chosen layout, with focus on the chicane on the Mistral straight. This, according to Brendon Hartley and Sergio Perez, would not provide many overtakes and thus asked for it to be removed. They were proven wrong, as this race with all of its 57 overtakes provided the most overtakes of this season yet. For sure it helped that the DRS zone before the chicane was 700 metres long, which helped Vettel and Bottas to regain some positions after their terrible start.

Other drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hülkenberg complained about the confusing blue and red lines. These lines disorientated not only the drivers, but for fans watching it on TV it was very confusing too. The Free Practices on Friday demonstrated that the drivers struggled with the braking points due to the many lines surrounding the circuit. Vettel almost took a turn too early at the Mistral chicane and Hamilton almost drove straight into Vandoorne as he missed his braking point as well. It was not going to be an easy race for the drivers.

For some drivers their weekend even started disappointing after qualifying. With both McLaren drivers in only P16 for Alonso and P18 for Vandoorne, it really was an embarrassing Saturday for the Woking team. This disappointing result in the light of rumours that employees are unhappy doesn’t help their situation at all. Another team that has to feel embarrassed was Williams. They didn’t stand a chance as they qualified in P19 and P20, filling up the last places on the grid. Luckily for them Hartley had to start in last position as he had a 35-place grid penalty, so both drivers moved up a place.

Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, France.
Saturday 23 June 2018.
Fernando Alonso, McLaren MCL33 Renault.
Photo: McLaren
ref: Digital Image SUT_French_Grand_P_1630069

The race however, which started an hour later than normal because of the World Cup, didn’t disappoint at all. The start of the race was very chaotic. Vettel had a better start than Bottas in front of him, but couldn’t get past Lewis who seemingly didn’t have a good start as he held Vettel up. This all resulted in a crash between Vettel and Bottas, as Vettel locked up his brakes and drove into Bottas. Verstappen had to evade them and, as he said himself after the race, took ‘the fast chicane’. Vettel did get a five second penalty from the stewards for the incident. However, for Lewis and many fans alike this penalty was not enough as he still finished higher than Bottas. The crash looked like just a racing incident as Vettel locked up and as a result hit Bottas, which is something that can happen at the start of the race especially with a tight corner like the first at Paul Ricard. It got even worse when it was announced after the race that Sebastian was voted Driver Of The Day, which seems very strange after he caused a collision and many fans thus were surprised.

French GP 2018. Image courtesy of Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

After the race no other than second placed Max Verstappen took this crash as the opportunity to joke about criticism towards him about his driving style. ‘’I think the next time you see Seb you should ask him to change his style, you know, because honestly it is not acceptable. That’s what they said to me in the beginning of the season so I think they should do the same.’’ Again he got a well-deserved podium, just like he did at Canada. It looks like Max has proven indeed that his driving style is the right one as his teammate Ricciardo didn’t get on the podium. Surely he didn’t have the best start of the season you could get, but now he has gotten himself two podiums in a row. With the home race for Red Bull coming up this weekend it will be his job to achieve this again, this time maybe even a win.

The start crash between Vettel and Bottas did liven up the race though, as they had to fight their way through the field. However, this was not the only crash at the start of the race. Two of the three starting French drivers at their home Grand Prix crashed after just three turns, as Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon crashed into each other. Neither of them did get a penalty for it though, as the stewards decided that they were both at mistake and it wouldn’t matter anyway as they were both out of the race. In front of the cameras a seemingly very emotional Gasly explained that he hoped for a better result as this home grand prix means a lot to him. It was a disappointing weekend for the French fans, as Grosjean didn’t deliver too with just an eleventh place.

Kimi Räikkönen on the french gp podium. Image courtesy of Ferrari

Overall then this French GP was a good one. It saw the most overtakes of the season yet, delivered some chaos, controversy and drama. There were many doubts about this race as this circuit wouldn’t make for an interesting race, but instead we got one of the more interesting races of the season. Now the question is, after we’ve seen this race, should there be changes made to the track like some drivers suggested? It looks like it isn’t necessary. Will Vettel ruin his chances for the championship on his own again just like last year? Is the new Mercedes engine good enough for Lewis to dominate again? We shall see, as this week we head down to the second GP of the ‘triple header’ in Austria, the Red Bull Ring.

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F1 VS Football

You might have seen that I went a bit viral this week, with my commentary of the England v Tunisia World Cup match. However, despite its players’ fine coiffures and fancy footwork, football is not my sport of choice. I much prefer motor racing. I’ve been a big fan of Formula 1 and other motorsport since I was a young child watching battles between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen. So, what’s the appeal? After all, there’s no diving in F1 (apart from Piquet Jr that one time, perhaps); the largely sub-par haircuts are hidden under helmets (although Marcus Ericsson and Kevin Magnussen are putting in valiant footballer-esque efforts); and, sometimes, the races are undeniably boring (recent visits to Canada and Monaco don’t so much spring, but limp, to mind).

However, some races have more than their fair share of craziness. Two out of three visits thus far to Baku have resulted in bizarre crashes, last-minute drama and surprise podium appearances (Well Done Baku, indeed). Meanwhile, even in less exciting races there’s usually some drama to discuss, whether it’s a first lap clash or a teammate rivalry. Just like football then, not every race is exciting, but there’s usually still something to talk about.

In place of the referee and VAR we have the all-powerful stewards and their sometimes questionable decisions, and there’s just as much fruitless protesting – only we get to hear it. This has given us gems such as “When did I do dangerous driving?” from an aggrieved Sebastian Vettel, who surely must have known that driving alongside, and then into, Lewis Hamilton under a safety car just might be considered dangerous.

Instead of aerial duels we have, well, aerial duels, with more than a few cars being launched into the air over the years. Even when cars don’t make it off the ground there’s plenty of dramatic crashes and clashes. From Grosjean’s repeated trips into the wall this season to the numerous clashes between Force India teammates Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon last season, there’s always material for a heated discussion about who was at fault or how an incident could have been avoided.

From a personal standpoint, this season hasn’t been the most enjoyable for me, mainly because I’m a Williams fan, and, unfortunately, they’ve produced a car so terrible it’s often slower than last year’s model. My second-favourite team, Force India, are going through some testing times as well, with poor results on track and financial problems away from it. They have, however, enjoyed a podium this season, with Perez standing atop the third step at Baku, so that has buoyed my spirits somewhat. However, it’s another reminder that, just as in football, you have to take the lows and the highs with your team of choice, and supporting a team or driver adds another level of emotion and intrigue into the sport.

So, what else might we be missing in Formula 1? Football has their transfer season, and we have ours. Will Fernando Alonso stay or will he go? Will Daniel Ricciardo accept a cool 20 million to drive for McLaren? Will Robert Kubica ever return to an F1 race seat? These questions and more keep discussions interesting even when the racing is not.

So, while my forays into football commentary have seen my tweets go viral, and years of tweeting about motorsport have done nothing of the sort, Formula 1 remains the sport closest to my heart. And while I might watch a few more football matches than I used to, nothing will hold my attention like Formula 1 has done for so many years of my life.

 

Featured image courtesy of Sven Mandel

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James “The shunt” Hunt 25 years on

? courtesy of Gilfoto

The iconic appearance of James Hunt is recognisable to almost the entire motorsport world. Those who fail to recognise him fall into two categories: Millennials, or those with a visual impairment.

25 years ago to the day, Hunt passed away after a heart attack, leaving a hole in motorsport world which can never truly be filled.

A quarter of a century on The Pit Crew online has decided to task the one writer in their ranks with a tangible link to Hunt (I was named after him), to reflect on a man whose legacy perhaps amounts to more than his achievements on the track, but I’ll get to that.

Hunt has a soft spot in every British racing fan for obvious reasons: He won the Formula one world championship in 1976 and became the face of British motorsport, a face which could perhaps be described as ‘cool’ or ‘suave’. Hunt didn’t play by the rules and that’s one of the attributes that won him supporters. He was a playboy race driver who caused controversy wherever he went, Nothing screams rebel more than dining at a restaurant with your pet dog after all…

We all remember the flashy grin, the blonde hair, and the irresistible cheek of Hunt but this was only brought to our attention by his outstanding racing pedigree. After showing flashes of brilliance in his Formula three days, Hunt joined Hesketh racing: the stepping stone to world fame. He made his formula one debut at Monaco in 1973 and managed and impressive second place at the New York track of  Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course. This early indication of Hunt’s talent won him the Campbell trophy classing him as the best British driver of the season.

The first season of promise was followed by two of stagnation and limited success. His first race win came in 1975 at the Dutch Grand Prix. This win paired with a 4th place finish in the overall standings provided the basis of Hunt’s team switch to Maclaren. This was where Hunt hit the heights.

McLaren was the golden chance for Hunt to prove his critics wrong. The myth surrounding his apparent inability to compete in a sustained title challenge was soon swept to the side. Hunt won 6 races over the course of the season and was in a two way title fight for the entirety of the season with Nicky Lauda. The title race itself suited Hunt’s lifestyle, it was unpredictable, exciting and controversial. There were disqualifications, bad blood and serious racing incidents such as Lauda’s horrific crash at the Nürburgring which has scarred him for life. The title switched back and forth all season going down to the final race in Japan. Hunt finished third and with Lauda retiring from the race due to an inability to blink resulting from his facial injuries he won the championship.

Hunt was an inspiration to millions of young aspiring racers across the globe. Kimi Raikonen was a huge fan of Hunt even entering a snowmobile race under the alias of James Hunt. His playboy, cavalier style of racing and love for the sport were perfect ingredients for the inspiration of a new generation of British racers.

As mentioned earlier, whilst Hunt was undoubtedly a talented professional, he only won one championship in a six year career. Some may question why there is so much reference and mention of Hunt as a legend of the sport when he only has one title to his name, but to me it seems obvious. Spectators love a showman. A supporter wants to watch exciting dynamic races as people dice it out in adrenalin fuelled overtakes and championship battles. They also want to root for a racer who has an interesting personality, this is true across all sports: The controversial characters have the largest fanbases, Hunt in F1, Ronaldo in football, Tyson in boxing, the list goes on. Hunt was an exciting racer, whose combination of skill and character marked him out as a legend of the sport.

25 years on the world remembers James Hunt: 1976 Formula one champion, hero to some, well known to all.

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