Rush to Glory: FORMULA 1 Racing's Greatest Rivalry
Read Rush to Glory: FORMULA 1 Racing's Greatest Rivalry Online
Authors: Tom Rubython
Tags: #Motor Sports, #Sports & Recreation, #General
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LORY
Also by Tom Rubython
Life of O’Reilly
The Biography of Tony O’Reilly
The Rich 500
The 500 Richest People in Britain
The Life of Senna
The Biography of Ayrton Senna
Dog Story: An Anthology
The Life and Death of Our Best Friends
Shunt: The Story of James Hunt
The Biography of James Hunt
And God Created Burton
The Biography of Richard Burton
R
USH
TO
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FORMULA 1 Racing’s Greatest Rivalry
T
OM
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UBYTHON
Foreword by John Watson
Photographs by Rainer Schlegelmilch
LYONS PRESS
Guilford, Connecticut
An imprint of Globe Pequot Press
Copyright © 2011 Tom Rubython/Myrtle Electronic Press Ltd
Photographs © Rainer Schlegelmilch
First published in the United Kingdom in 2011 as
In the Name of Glory
First Lyons Press Edition, 2013
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.
Lyons Press is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.
Project editor: Meredith Dias
Layout: Lisa Reneson
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rubython, Tom.
Rush to glory : Formula 1 racing’s greatest rivalry / Tom Rubython ;
foreword by John Watson ; photographs by Rainer Schlegelmilch.
pages cm
Includes index.
E-ISBN 978-0-7627-9696-0
1. Grand Prix racing—History. 2. Formula one automobiles—History.
I. Title.
GV1029.15.R84 2013
796.72—dc23
2013015035
Formula 1™ is a trademark of Formula One World Championship Limited and does not imply an endorsement of this book.
C
ONTENTS
Chapter 1: Niki and James before 1976
Chapter 2: Contrasting Fortunes
Chapter 3: Hunt Astonishes McLaren and Lauda
Chapter 4: Niki’s Women Problems
Chapter 5: James’s Women Problems
Chapter 6: Lauda Sets the Order
Chapter 7: Women Problems Resolved
Chapter 8: Three in a Row for Ferrari
Chapter 9: Ferrari Shoots Itself
Chapter 10: Hunt Wins, Then He Doesn’t
Chapter 11: Ferrari Ascendant, McLaren in Chaos
Chapter 12: Lauda’s Magic around Monte Carlo
Chapter 13: Lauda Has an Off Day
Chapter 14: Blood in the Garages
Chapter 15: Hunt’s First Proper Win
Chapter 16: FIA Restores Hunt’s Points
Chapter 17: Fiasco on Home Ground
Chapter 18: Enzo Ferrari Woos Lauda
Chapter 19: Hunt Takes Full Advantage
Chapter 20: Near-Death Experience
Chapter 21: Watson Denies Hunt the Advantage
Chapter 22: Hunt States Serious Intent
Chapter 23: Lauda Returns from the Dead
Chapter 24: Hunt Loses British Win
Chapter 25: Hunt’s Faint Chance
Chapter 26: Fate Intervenes in New York
Chapter 27: Caldwell Outsmarts Audetto
Chapter 28: Hedonism at the Hilton
Chapter 30: A New British Champion
Appendix I: Brazilian Grand Prix
Appendix II: South African Grand Prix
Appendix III: US Grand Prix West
Appendix IV: Spanish Grand Prix
Appendix V: Belgian Grand Prix
Appendix VI: Monaco Grand Prix
Appendix VII: Swedish Grand Prix
Appendix VIII: French Grand Prix
Appendix IX: British Grand Prix
Appendix XI: Austrian Grand Prix
Appendix XII: Dutch Grand Prix
Appendix XIII: Italian Grand Prix
Appendix XIV: Canadian Grand Prix
Appendix XVI: Japanese Grand Prix
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
A
book like this owes so many things to so many people. But, as always with any motor racing book featuring this era, I owe John Hogan the deepest thanks. John had unique insight into both Niki Lauda and James Hunt in 1976; he was their mentor, their guru, their paymaster, and their best friend during that remarkable season.
I believe that John knows what really went on in 1976 better than any other man alive. And I am very glad that he confided in me the long-forgotten details and dramas.
It’s also true to say that without John, there would have been no James Hunt. He created him, nurtured him, developed him, and saved him from himself when he needed saving, which was pretty often from what I observed.
Equally, when Niki was in trouble, he always turned to John to help him out of the holes he continually seemed to be digging for himself at certain points during 1976.
John’s account of 1976 has helped blow away the myths surrounding James and Niki, of which there were many. Both drivers were lucky to have had such a wise friend on their side.
The other man who played a significant role that season was Bernie Ecclestone. He was close to both men, though not in the same way as John Hogan. Bernie wanted James and Niki to drive for his Brabham team in 1976 and made plenty of effort to try and make it happen. But for a man who likes getting what he wants, for once Bernie failed on both counts. If he hadn’t, history would have been very different. We must thank him for failing; otherwise, we might have been denied the dramas of 1976.
I also have to thank previous authors, notably Gerald Donaldson and the late, great Christopher Hilton. Chris’s death in 2010 was a very sad loss to the Formula One community, and his books
Portrait of a Champion
and
Memories
were extremely useful to me. This book is all the better for Chris’s contribution to motor racing’s history.
I am also deeply indebted to Andrew Frankl, cofounder of
Car
magazine.
Andrew has the best memory of anyone I know about what happened at the 1976 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch. His recollections of that remarkable day bring alive a whole chapter that otherwise would have had to rely on far less reliable, less colorful, and less graphic sources.
Equally, Philippe Gurdjian’s character insights into both James and Niki were incredibly valuable to me. Few people know about the unique contribution Philippe has made behind the scenes to Formula One over the years. Luckily, I do, and so did James and Niki, as two of his many beneficiaries.
Stirling Moss was in the thick of it during 1976, working for American television. He was also particularly close to James Hunt, making his background recollections a treat to include in this book.
Equally, Andrew Marriott was close to Hunt during 1976 and, as usual, saw things that others didn’t see in the background—much of which make up the fabric of this book.