Ed Foster interviews former McLaren team manager Alastair Caldwell who talks about the 1976 season, James Hunt, the politics and McLaren's main rival - Ferrari.
Niki Lauda finished 4th (if memory serves) in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 1976 - not 5th - as stated here. This is so fascinating & I thought I knew everything with regard to this amazing Grand Prix season. Fucking Ferrari using everything in their power to cheat their way to victory. Bastards !!! I have to confess (despite being an Englishman) to desperately wanting Niki to win the championship that year to retain his title. I love that man so much. Don't get me wrong James Hunt was a true maverick with boat loads of charisma & character - who was a fine racing driver. But alas - despite NOT being a Ferrari fan - I was massively rooting for Lauda. Yet I was chuffed when James did go on to win the title at Fuji in Japan at the last race as he deserved the championship by that time for sure. They both hugely deserved to win that year as they both drove their respective socks off. A great season that was action packed. & wonderfully controversial. Loved hearing Alistair's version.
I love the nonsense that it was always McLaren v Ferrari that really mattered. Lotus won the title in '70 and '72, Tyrrell in '71 and '73. Ferrari hadn't won it since '62, and McLaren just once in their history - '74!
James Hunt, would have destroyed Lauda in '76. It's only due to the unreliable McLaren at the start of the season. James, basically won every GP from the French, once McLaren were reliable. James, won every GP from French. Robbed from British GP. Would have won the Italian GP, if not to more Ferrari dodgy fuel bollocks. Beat Lauda, at Canada and USA...then Lauda bottled it in Japan!
