Adorable Story #146: James Hunt
The Maverick of Formula One's Golden Era
“If you’re going to win, you have to be prepared to crash.”
James Hunt, 1979 BBC Interview
James Hunt never looked or acted like a typical racing driver.
He was fast, funny, stubborn, and often a mess, but when everything came together, he was brilliant.
This week we look back at the man who made Formula One loud, unpredictable, and strangely honest.
Table of Contents: Early Years / Education and Early Passion for Racing / Rising Through the Ranks / Win with Hesketh Racing / The Championship Year / Life Beyond the Track / Twilight and Legacy / TV Career / Did you know?
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Early Years
James Simon Wallis Hunt was born on August 29th, 1947, in Belmont, Surrey, England.
James was the second of six children born to Wallis Hunt, a successful London stockbroker, and Susan Hunt (née Noel), a housewife.
The Hunt family was relatively well-off but not aristocratic.
Education and Early Passion for Racing
Hunt attended the Westerleigh Preparatory School in Hastings, and later Wellington College in Berkshire.
He was not particularly academic, but he was energetic, competitive, and known for challenging authority: that trait would later define both his racing and personal life.
His fascination with speed and racing began by complete chance: at age 18, he went to watch a friend race at Silverstone Circuit, and that afternoon changed everything. Despite never having driven competitively before, he decided then and there to become a racing driver.
