Hunt won the 1976 World Drivers’ Championship in his first year with McLaren, and he stayed with the team for another two years.
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James Hunt was a British racing driver who won the Formula One World Championship in 1976. He died on June 15, 1993. Hunt debuted in Formula One in 1973, driving for the Hesketh Racing team in a March 731. Before joining the McLaren team at the end of 1975, he won for Hesketh in both World Championship and non-championship races, driving their own Hesketh 308 car. Hunt won the 1976 World Drivers’ Championship in his first year with McLaren, and he stayed with the team for another two years, though with less success, before joining the Wolf team in early 1979. Hunt quit from racing halfway through the 1979 season after failing to finish a streak of events. He went on to work for the BBC as a motor racing pundit after retiring from racing. He died of a heart attack at the age of 45.
Hunt began his racing career in a racing Mini. In 1968, Hunt moved up to Formula Ford. He was driving a Russell-Alexis Mark 14 automobile that he had purchased through a hire-purchase programme. Hunt finished fifth in his debut race at Snetterton despite losing 15 horsepower due to an improper engine ignition setup. At Lydden Hill, Hunt won for the first time and set a lap record on the Brands Hatch short circuit. Hunt competed in Formula Three in 1969 with a budget provided by Gowrings of Reading, who purchased a Merlyn Mark 11A. Gowrings planned to race the car in 1968’s final two races. Hunt won numerous races and often placed in the top ten.
James Hunt has a net worth of USD 40 million dollars as a retired British race car driver and commentator. James Hunt was born in Wimbledon, London, England, and excelled in a variety of sports as a kid and teenager, competing in Junior Wimbledon and local teams in cricket and football. He became interested in racecars at the age of eighteen and began racing in the late 1960s. He began his racing career with Minis, swiftly progressing to Formula Ford and Formula Three. In 1973, he started racing in Formula One and soon rose through the ranks to become one of England’s most successful drivers. He achieved ten wins, 23 podiums, and 14 pole positions during his Formula One career.
Hunt was one of the most sought after drivers during his time in Formula One. Teams would often go out of their way to get the British superstar. During the 1974 season, Hunt was said to receive a salary of 15,000 pounds per month for Hesketh. The next year, he was signed by McLaren on a massive USD 200,000 contract. Hunt won the world championship that year.
Hunt was one of the biggest spenders in F1 during his time. The Brit was never shy to splash the cash and although that attitude did force into bankruptcy at one point, Hunt owned a number of properties. About five years ago, the former mews home of the Brit in London went up for sale for 2.7 million pounds. The large mansion, which has been extensively restored and includes an Italian designer glass kitchen, a Jacuzzi bath, and an underground wine cellar accessed by an electric hatch, was as glamorous as Hunt’s high-flying lifestyle at the time.
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