0:00:02 > 0:00:08This programme contains some strong language
0:00:08 > 0:00:1025 cars line up to start the last Grand Prix
0:00:10 > 0:00:13of the most extraordinary season in the history of Formula One.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15'This, then, is the clincher -
0:00:15 > 0:00:17'the World Championship decider.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:22As heavy rain pours down, two drivers prepare for the race that will decide
0:00:22 > 0:00:25which one of them becomes World Champion.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28'James Hunt in his McLaren.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'Niki Lauda in the Ferrari.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'The flag is down...'
0:00:34 > 0:00:38The two men could not be more different. Britain's James Hunt
0:00:38 > 0:00:41is a fast, flamboyant showman who parties as hard as he races.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56His rival is the steely Austrian Niki Lauda who drives
0:00:56 > 0:00:59with cold, hard logic.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Niki was the scientist, the counterpoint -
0:01:02 > 0:01:06he was the first really technical driver.
0:01:10 > 0:01:17This is the story of Formula One's legendary rivalry - told by those who witnessed it first hand.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20James got out of the car, pulled off his crash helmet,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23started to rant and rave at them...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25'And Brambilla spins!'
0:01:25 > 0:01:27The tension was just amazing.
0:01:29 > 0:01:35His face was a mask of blood and I was saying, "My God, how can he race?"
0:01:35 > 0:01:38With previously unseen footage and exclusive interviews,
0:01:38 > 0:01:45this film charts the epic duel that would change the lives of both men and the sport forever.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48You couldn't make it up. You could not make up this season.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50It was just unbelievable.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00'It's going to be a fantastic race.'
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Fans line the streets to see Austrian Niki Lauda crowned
0:02:13 > 0:02:15World Champion of 1975.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Lauda drives for Ferrari -
0:02:20 > 0:02:24the greatest racing car constructor in the world.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26But Lauda's thoughts
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and those of his team are already turning to next season.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Ferrari's team manager
0:02:31 > 0:02:38Daniele Audetto is confident that Lauda will retain his crown in 1976.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Niki Lauda was a very professional driver.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44He can see the strategy,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48he can really understand when was the moment to push a little more,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51a little bit less, and was extremely fast
0:02:51 > 0:02:52and so consistent.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12But in Britain a new challenger has emerged.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Ladies and gentlemen, James Hunt.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16APPLAUSE
0:03:18 > 0:03:21James Hunt has signed for British team McLaren -
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Ferrari's arch rivals,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26but he has yet to prove he is championship material.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29British drivers and British cars, for that matter,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31have dominated Grand Prix racing
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and our domination had dropped off a little bit now
0:03:34 > 0:03:39and I just feel very ambitious to take up the cudgels.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I think James was hugely popular
0:03:41 > 0:03:44because he was an attractive character.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46He was a Brit and loved in this country already.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50But I don't think people thought he had anything like
0:03:50 > 0:03:52the chance that Niki Lauda had.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Hunt is better known for his romantic exploits than his driving.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I once talked to Jackie Stewart who had this thing about the car
0:04:03 > 0:04:04being a woman.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07And you drove the car like you made love to a woman.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Do you have the same poetic turn...?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I'd sooner stick to the women.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13LAUGHTER
0:04:13 > 0:04:18With his last team, his cavalier style had earned him
0:04:18 > 0:04:20the nickname "Hunt the Shunt".
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Now, McLaren team manager Alastair Caldwell
0:04:23 > 0:04:26has reservations about Hunt joining the team.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30The '76 season got off to a very interesting start for us.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32James didn't have a drive
0:04:32 > 0:04:33and we didn't have a driver,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35so we were thrown into bed with him.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37He rang me up and said,
0:04:37 > 0:04:38"I think I'm your new driver."
0:04:38 > 0:04:40I said, "I guess you are."
0:04:40 > 0:04:42One of the first things you noticed is
0:04:42 > 0:04:45when the car was switched off on the grid,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48he was so wound up, the whole car was shaking
0:04:48 > 0:04:50with his nervous energy.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55He had a lot of adrenaline in him, that's for sure.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57But that's one of the reasons he was a good racing driver.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00He was always competitive.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03And always very focused on something he wanted to do,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05be it budgerigars as a teenager,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08or train sets or Scalextric
0:05:08 > 0:05:11or something as a small boy.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14James was a sportsman, through and through.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16He never played team games, his sports
0:05:16 > 0:05:17were all solitary.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20He was very single-minded and he knew what he wanted.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22He wanted to be World Champion.
0:05:24 > 0:05:30The 1976 season will consist of 16 races over 10 months,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34running from January to October at locations across the world.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41It is not just Lauda and Hunt that are in competition -
0:05:41 > 0:05:4315 different teams, each with two drivers,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46are in the fight for the title.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51But Ferrari and McLaren are the leading contenders.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Ferrari were my arch enemies.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Daniele Audetto was their team manager,
0:05:56 > 0:05:57so I was at war with them.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Ferrari has a history
0:06:00 > 0:06:03much bigger, much longer than McLaren.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05We couldn't compete with them on money
0:06:05 > 0:06:08but we could compete with them in style and in efficiency.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10They're a lot bigger team
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and incredibly Italian.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14I think we respect each other professionally
0:06:14 > 0:06:18but I don't have a beer with him in the pub,
0:06:18 > 0:06:19if you want an example.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Race one is in the scorching heat of the Interlargos circuit in Brazil.
0:06:29 > 0:06:35Each race will cover a distance of 200 miles in approximately two hours but first,
0:06:35 > 0:06:41each driver races against the clock to set the best possible lap time.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45The driver with the best time will be rewarded with first
0:06:45 > 0:06:47place on the starting line.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48Pole position.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55In the thick of the action is pit lane reporter, Peter Windsor.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57In the distance, you'd hear an engine note,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and four minutes later, the car would reach you
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and all four wheels would be off the ground.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07And you'd think, "Wow, this is Formula One."
0:07:07 > 0:07:10The news on the track in Brazil is that Hunt is fast.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13To everyone's amazement he makes the best lap time
0:07:13 > 0:07:16and gains his first-ever pole position.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19What I remember most is Niki Lauda
0:07:19 > 0:07:22looking up the pit lane and thinking, "What's going on here?"
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Because nobody really knew, including Niki,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26how good he would be.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Do you just want to get a level?
0:07:30 > 0:07:34If I say "shucks" and "fuck" and all that sort of stuff...
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Oh, dear. I'll cancel it, then. Can we rub that out?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39He might have had some good lines
0:07:39 > 0:07:41for the microphones, he might have had
0:07:41 > 0:07:43a roving eye for the girls,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47but in the cockpit, he was very serious.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58Hunt takes his place at the front of the starting grid, just ahead of Lauda.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02The World Champion's car carries the coveted number one,
0:08:02 > 0:08:07but all eyes are on the Hunt in car number 11.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36Lauda gets the best start, with Hunt's McLaren chasing hard behind.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Sadly, in the race, part of the fuel system or the engine fell off,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40so he flew off the road,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42which wasn't his fault.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45So it wasn't a fairy-tale beginning,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48but everybody left Brazil very pleased
0:08:48 > 0:08:50that James was obviously quick.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Lauda has seen off Hunt's challenge
0:08:56 > 0:09:00and collects nine points to start building his score.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04The points scoring system was disarmingly simple.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Nine points for a win, six for second, four for third,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09down to sixth place where you got one point.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18We didn't know it would become so complicated.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22In an age when Concorde is taking its first passenger flight
0:09:22 > 0:09:26and synth music is capturing the imagination, Lauda's highly
0:09:26 > 0:09:31technical approach perfectly suits a time falling in love with technology.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33MUSIC: "Autobahn" by Kraftwerk
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Lauda is a complete driver - preparing his Ferrari
0:09:45 > 0:09:49meticulously before every race.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53He could stay in the garage
0:09:53 > 0:09:54until maybe eight o'clock in the evening
0:09:54 > 0:09:56to stay with the mechanic,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59to make sure he does the job properly
0:09:59 > 0:10:01and to understand what they are doing.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Because Niki is a perfectionist.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07What he's doing, he want to do it to his best.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13At Lauda's side is his wife, Marlene.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Marlene was a fantastic young lady.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19She was a beautiful lady,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22but for Niki she was also a big moral supporter,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and I think was a big part of his success.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Lauda knows how to get the best out of his team.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Niki Lauda had really learned
0:10:35 > 0:10:37how to make Ferrari work for him.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39An awful lot of very good drivers
0:10:39 > 0:10:42went to Ferrari and never quite made it work.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44It had a terrifying presence
0:10:44 > 0:10:46of Enzo Ferrari, with his dark glasses,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49looming over the whole thing.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Incidere senz'altro, perche...
0:10:53 > 0:10:57After nearly five decades in motor racing, the 78-year-old
0:10:57 > 0:11:03Enzo Ferrari rules his family business with an iron fist.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Mr Ferrari lost his temper and say,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10"I am the boss here, you have to do what I want."
0:11:10 > 0:11:13He did have his favourites
0:11:13 > 0:11:14and Niki, clearly,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18had got close to Enzo Ferrari in that way,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and I think the bottom line is Enzo Ferrari liked to win.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23He loved winners.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25He cared about the results.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30And Lauda delivers, pulling further
0:11:30 > 0:11:35and further ahead of Hunt with every race,
0:11:35 > 0:11:40but at the fourth round in Spain, Lauda has worrying news for Audetto.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43"Daniele, I have a problem." "What happened?"
0:11:43 > 0:11:45"I fell off from my tractor
0:11:45 > 0:11:49"in my house, in my garden
0:11:49 > 0:11:51"and I broke two or three ribs."
0:11:51 > 0:11:54I said, "My God - two or three ribs?!"
0:11:54 > 0:11:56He had a gardening accident, I think.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I think he was mowing his lawn in Austria with a garden tractor
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and it rolled on him, which is
0:12:01 > 0:12:06quite a common occurrence with garden tractors.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09James had this approach to it all, which was,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11"He's no problem. Halfway through the race, his ribs
0:12:11 > 0:12:15"will give up and I'll pass him and win the race." It's exactly what happened!
0:12:15 > 0:12:18# There was something in the air that night
0:12:18 > 0:12:21# The stars were bright, Fernando... #
0:12:21 > 0:12:24'His first win for Marlboro McLaren.'
0:12:24 > 0:12:26You're still extremely fast. How do you do it?
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Big balls.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34# Though we never thought that we could lose,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36# There's no regrets... #
0:12:36 > 0:12:38But Hunt's victory is short-lived.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40In the scrutineering area afterwards,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44there was this unheard-of situation
0:12:44 > 0:12:47where the car was disqualified
0:12:47 > 0:12:51and that was something nobody in Formula One really was prepared for.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Teams are allowed to modify the car to suit each circuit,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02but they must work within strict regulations.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04One centimetre in a Formula One car
0:13:04 > 0:13:06makes such a big difference.
0:13:07 > 0:13:13In Spain, Hunt's car had been found to be just over a centimetre too wide.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Before the race, the car was measured by the organisers,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and every day, they didn't say anything.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21I'm pretty sure they were talking to Ferrari
0:13:21 > 0:13:23cos there was kindred spirit there -
0:13:23 > 0:13:25the Spanish-speaking Catholic country.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Ferrari were saying, "Sh! Keep it shtoom. Say nothing."
0:13:29 > 0:13:33I was never involved with the scrutineering.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I was involved with MY scrutineering, with my cars,
0:13:36 > 0:13:43because I want that my car respect, 100%, the rules, because otherwise, Ferrari kill me.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Hunt's points are given to Lauda -
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and it looks like McLaren will leave Spain empty-handed.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52We immediately appealed cos we thought
0:13:52 > 0:13:54the penalty didn't fit the crime.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57It was like being hung for stealing a loaf of bread.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59They pretend in the appeal to say
0:13:59 > 0:14:02that this was difference was not affecting
0:14:02 > 0:14:05the performance of the car. Bullshit.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Had you any idea that the car might be thrown out?
0:14:15 > 0:14:17No. I don't know, I just drive the damn thing.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Although their teams are at war,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23both drivers are trying to steer clear of politics, but despite
0:14:23 > 0:14:28their different characters, their passion for racing is a bond.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Niki spent time in our pits.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34He was always visiting us and his grasp of English was very good.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37He was always known as The Rat, cos he looked like a rat.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39So he was called Rat to his face.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41James said, "Hello, Rat."
0:14:41 > 0:14:43They meshed well,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47because they weren't actually directly in competition from looks.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50MUSIC: "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker" by Parliament
0:14:57 > 0:15:00The wild side of '70s Formula One is revealed in this
0:15:00 > 0:15:04recently discovered footage of an after-race party.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Hunt is the star - with Lauda in the wings.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26For sure, Niki was in awe of James' good looks
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and personality.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35James was the good-looking playboy
0:15:35 > 0:15:38and Niki was the small Austrian
0:15:38 > 0:15:40who looked like a rat.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46They were good friends,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48though on the racetrack, of course, no quarter given.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51The race driver persona can change
0:15:51 > 0:15:54completely - once on the racetrack, all this is forgotten.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03All successful racing drivers are invested with an enormous ego.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05They all think they're the quickest.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10They can't imagine they're not the fastest racing driver in the world.
0:16:10 > 0:16:16To admit to anything else but that would be ludicrous.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Niki and James both though they were the best racing driver in the world.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25As the season approaches halfway, and even when the points from Spain
0:16:25 > 0:16:30are reinstated, it's Lauda who still dominates with double Hunt's points.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39MUSIC: "More Than A Feeling" by Boston
0:16:44 > 0:16:47When the Grand Prix circus moves to Britain, the country is
0:16:47 > 0:16:52sweltering in temperatures reaching 35 degrees centigrade.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Skirts were getting shorter.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57It was getting hotter.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00England was baking, the whole of Europe was. It never rained.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02We slept in the garden for months.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05It was quite a remarkable year,
0:17:05 > 0:17:06in more ways than one.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12But behind the sunny mirage, Britain is in the grip of political
0:17:12 > 0:17:16uncertainty and economic upheaval - inflation is rampant
0:17:16 > 0:17:21and for ordinary people, the future is anything but certain.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24We all know how hard the employment market is just now
0:17:24 > 0:17:26for new entrants
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and I know how much harder it is
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and has been for many of you to get your first job.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35# More than a feeling... #
0:17:35 > 0:17:38The return of Hunt is a welcome distraction.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I think the British public saw James
0:17:44 > 0:17:46as a sort of hero figure...
0:17:46 > 0:17:47Hello, girls.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49..somebody they could admire
0:17:49 > 0:17:53who was giving two fingers to the Establishment.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59It looked good in what might be a rather austere time for other people.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01MUSIC: "Get It On" by T Rex
0:18:01 > 0:18:04He had a sort of freedom about him.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06He didn't really care what people thought.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Hunt's unpredictable personality is a potential
0:18:11 > 0:18:16problem for the team's sponsor, Marlboro cigarettes.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Off we went and...
0:18:18 > 0:18:19HE COUGHS
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Excuse me, I've been training for my new sponsors.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24JACKIE STEWART LAUGHS
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Image is everything for the American brand and John Hogan, the man
0:18:28 > 0:18:33from Marlboro, has been tasked with keeping the young sportsman in line.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38He was this very brash figure
0:18:38 > 0:18:41with a trail of destruction behind him.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45That was going to be new for McLaren,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47which was quite a straight-laced organisation
0:18:47 > 0:18:49and also for his sponsors -
0:18:49 > 0:18:54which were also straight-laced organisations.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58In the year colour television sales overtake black-and-white, Hunt's
0:18:58 > 0:19:01car flashes Marlboro's distinctive red-and-white brand across the
0:19:01 > 0:19:07screen - and with it, he brings his own unique splash of colour.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12Turning up to a dinner party
0:19:12 > 0:19:15in black tie and flip-flops
0:19:15 > 0:19:20was, to James, pretty normal.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25Because he had this...I don't know what the British call savoir-faire,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28he was able to carry it off.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32James changed the way Marlboro looked.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35It was the first and probably only example
0:19:35 > 0:19:38of a sponsor being moulded by the driver and not vice versa.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49'This is Brands Hatch, just outside of London in the Kent countryside.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52'Today is British Grand Prix day.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55'The biggest day on Britain's motor-sport calendar.'
0:19:55 > 0:19:57The race is sold out.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Britain is in the grip of Hunt Fever.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05A record 80,000 spectators fill the circuit and all eyes are on one man.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Brand Hatch is packed.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Every grandstand is packed, every grassy bank is packed.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The reason - because they're hoping to see the first English victory
0:20:14 > 0:20:17in the John Player British Grand Prix
0:20:17 > 0:20:19since Peter Collins won, in a Ferrari, of course,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22way back in 1958.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24At Brands Hatch, what you had was
0:20:24 > 0:20:27a front row, after qualifying,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30which looked as though it was setting the race up perfectly,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33because you had Niki Lauda and James Hunt
0:20:33 > 0:20:35on the front row,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Clay Regazzoni behind in the other Ferrari.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44There is drama right from the start.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Clay Regazzoni managed to drive into the back wheel
0:20:47 > 0:20:49of Lauda,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51so the two Ferraris actually collided.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Complete mayhem began.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56'Laffite sends Hunt flying.'
0:20:56 > 0:20:59James' car landed on the left front corner,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01but being a McLaren, didn't break.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04And being James, with the two pints of adrenaline, he didn't stop.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08He charged off with the front wheels splayed out, like this.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09'Drivers who escaped the pile-up
0:21:09 > 0:21:13'are soon flagged down and the race called to a halt.'
0:21:13 > 0:21:15James was immediately thinking,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18"I've got to get back to the pits and have the car mended."
0:21:18 > 0:21:22I got out of trouble completely. I never hit anybody. I stopped on the left.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24And they came and piled into me.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Can you tell us what happened?
0:21:26 > 0:21:29There's a race going on, dear boy.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31The race has ground to a complete halt.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34The organisers want to restart the race immediately
0:21:34 > 0:21:37but Hunt's damaged car is not on the grid.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40In the chaos, in the pit, he comes running up to me.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41I said, "What's the car like?" He said,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43"The car's destroyed, a write-off."
0:21:45 > 0:21:47I wandered down to have a look at the race car
0:21:47 > 0:21:49and realised the race car was repairable.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54James explanation that it was a "write-off" was not true.
0:21:54 > 0:22:00Caldwell and McLaren will have to act quickly. There are only minutes to spare.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02It was thought that James Hunt would not be allowed
0:22:02 > 0:22:05to take the restart.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10And the crowd got behind James as a driver they wanted to see in that restart
0:22:10 > 0:22:16in a way that you don't see outside a soccer match.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20SLOW HANDCLAPPING
0:22:20 > 0:22:22The slow handclap which ran
0:22:22 > 0:22:24from the start/finish line
0:22:24 > 0:22:26all the way up to Paddock Bend
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and all the way round South Bank
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and round to Westfield Bend
0:22:30 > 0:22:32and then it became boos
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and then it became catcalls.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37CROWD: We want Hunt! We want Hunt!
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Then, the marshals had to rush onto the track,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46to pick up beer cans and coke cans
0:22:46 > 0:22:47and even bottles.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50I've never seen, at a motor race,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53quite such an extraordinary display from the public.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56"We want James Hunt, we want James Hunt."
0:22:56 > 0:22:59A mini riot was going on...
0:22:59 > 0:23:02which was not very British.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10McLaren were delighted that there was this confusion and delay
0:23:10 > 0:23:13because it gave them a little more time to mend James Hunt's car.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18'When they return to the grid, the crowd goes wild.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25'Now James Hunt is certain to start again.'
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Ferrari, you could see them, their faces fell
0:23:28 > 0:23:30cos they knew instantly what had happened -
0:23:30 > 0:23:32we had fixed the race car.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34What I remember most of all
0:23:34 > 0:23:37is Niki Lauda in a rage, getting back into his car.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39He had suddenly realised how much time had passed
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and that McLaren had had time to repair
0:23:42 > 0:23:44their race car again and get it onto the grid,
0:23:44 > 0:23:45and he was absolutely livid.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48'Back to the grid, and off they go again.'
0:23:51 > 0:23:53After another chaotic start,
0:23:53 > 0:23:58Lauda storms ahead, with Hunt chasing hard on his tail.
0:23:58 > 0:24:05'The battle's really on now between Niki Lauda and James Hunt.'
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Niki Lauda in the Ferrari leading,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10James Hunt, cheered on by the British crowd,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12gradually winding him in.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18As we went past half distance, the cars go round
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Paddock Bend, down to the bottom of the hill,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24up the hill and behind the trees.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28As the cars then came back into our sight,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31the McLaren was in front.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39And that's when the crowd erupted.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41# It's more than a feeling... #
0:24:46 > 0:24:50'Britain's James Hunt, in a Marlboro McLaren, wins the British Grand Prix.'
0:24:50 > 0:24:53And we did win the British Grand Prix, fair and square.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57James, how much does this victory mean to you?
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Nine points, 20,000 and a lot of happiness.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Can I grab that cigarette off you? Thanks.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09CHEERING
0:25:09 > 0:25:12But Ferrari is about to spoil the party...
0:25:14 > 0:25:16I think Ferrari appealed straightaway after the race
0:25:16 > 0:25:21that we didn't comply with the rules.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23We couldn't work out what kind of rule they thought
0:25:23 > 0:25:25we hadn't complied with.
0:25:25 > 0:25:31The rule says, and I am surprised but I am not surprised Alastair doesn't know well the rules,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33that is another example,
0:25:33 > 0:25:40that you have to complete the racecourse, even if the race is suspended.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Instead of completing a lap, as the race was stopped,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Hunt had taken a shortcut back to the pits.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53In cutting behind the Paddock,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56he didn't complete the race distance.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57Simple than that.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00For now, the race winning points are Hunt's, but the result
0:26:00 > 0:26:06hangs in the balance, waiting on a hearing scheduled for months later.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16The next race is at the notorious Nurburgring in Germany.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21The Nurburgring was a frightening but fantastic racetrack.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22It's 14.7 miles round,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25goes up and down thousands of feet,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27it's got hundreds of corners.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30It was generally hostile to fast racing cars,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33which was part of its appeal.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Three-times World Champion Jackie Stewart had driven the course to
0:26:37 > 0:26:41highlight the dangers of a track that had claimed more than 50 lives.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Every time I see this, it frightens me.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46There's no barriers on the right-hand side,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49there's just a rock face and trees.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50You have a left-hand-side barrier
0:26:50 > 0:26:53but that's not where you'll go off the road.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55I think if I were to walk round them,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57I would he horrified and never drive round the place again.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00The faster you drive round the ring, the less you know,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and maybe that's the best thing to do.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05For a quick lap at the Nurburgring,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08you probably experience more in seven minutes
0:27:08 > 0:27:09and six or seven seconds
0:27:09 > 0:27:12than most people have experienced in all their life.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17It was a pre-health-and-safety era.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Motor racing was dangerous.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20It said so on the back of every ticket.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And it was part of what it was.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30Nearly every year in Formula One, a driver had been killed.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33By this stage, I'd lost
0:27:33 > 0:27:36my brother in a racing car accident.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39After that, I thought, "I won't befriend racing drivers.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41"I'll have them as people who work for me,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43"but I won't become their friend,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45"because I don't want to go to their funeral as a friend.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48"I want to go as their team manager."
0:27:48 > 0:27:51For Lauda, the Nurburgring isn't worth the risk.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55He calls a meeting of the drivers in an attempt to have it stopped.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58But his fellow drivers don't agree.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00He loses by one vote,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and now has no choice but to race.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34For the first time in the season, it is raining on Race Day -
0:28:34 > 0:28:37but the track is so long that not all of it is wet -
0:28:37 > 0:28:40the choice of tyres will be crucial.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Wet tyres, they're quite tall - they have
0:28:44 > 0:28:47big tread on them like a road tyre, unlike the slicks,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49which are smooth, no tread at all.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Like most of the field, Lauda starts the race on wet weather tyres
0:28:58 > 0:29:01but quickly discovers he is losing too much speed on every dry
0:29:01 > 0:29:04section of the track.
0:29:04 > 0:29:05After the first lap,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08many drivers come into the pits
0:29:08 > 0:29:10to change the tyres, it was really chaos.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13The pit stop was a little bit slow.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16When Niki started for the second lap,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19with the slick,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21he was about maybe
0:29:21 > 0:29:22in tenth position.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26For a driver, it's not good
0:29:26 > 0:29:28psychologically to go to race on a circuit
0:29:28 > 0:29:31that you judge is too dangerous.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35It puts you in a condition that you are afraid.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39When he restarted on the second lap,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41it was not the cool Niki
0:29:41 > 0:29:43that we know.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Lauda will not complete the lap.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04His helmet comes off in the impact.
0:30:04 > 0:30:10He is trapped in a fire burning at over 400 degrees centigrade.
0:30:10 > 0:30:17It will be nearly a minute before Lauda is pulled from the flames.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28I put his head on my lap. Didn't want him to lie flat.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32But he was conscious and talked all the way through.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34He said, "Is my face burned, is it burned?"
0:30:34 > 0:30:36I replied, "Don't worry, it's OK."
0:30:36 > 0:30:39In fact, his forehead was badly burned
0:30:39 > 0:30:41and his scalp was actually charred.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43rather than telling him all this,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46we tried to keep him as quiet and composed as possible.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48Lauda is rushed to hospital.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03Amongst the drivers who arrive just after the crash is James Hunt.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14We weren't aware Niki was in trouble because there were racing drivers at the scene
0:31:14 > 0:31:16and he was conscious and talking to everybody
0:31:16 > 0:31:19so the drivers came back to the pits and said,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22"Niki's burnt but he's OK, he's fine."
0:31:22 > 0:31:26With the track cleared, the race is restarted and Hunt is victorious.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34He is now just 14 points behind Lauda.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37Then the news came through that he was
0:31:37 > 0:31:40gravely ill,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42so that cast a shadow over the whole thing.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54I can remember it now and thinking, "He isn't going to live,"
0:31:54 > 0:31:56and I felt absolutely horrendous.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I felt like the bottom had fallen out of my world.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13When we arrived at the hospital,
0:32:13 > 0:32:18Niki was, little by little, losing consciousness.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Whilst Lauda battles for his life,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Ferrari are already looking for another driver.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24I was speaking with Ferrari all the time about the accident
0:33:24 > 0:33:25and Ferrari said to me,
0:33:25 > 0:33:30"Ferrari will live, with or without Niki.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34"You don't need to stay in the hospital.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38"We need you to go back to the circuit
0:33:38 > 0:33:40"and find another driver,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42"because if Niki will not drive,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45"Ferrari will not stop."
0:33:47 > 0:33:52Once he had been the protege of Enzo Ferrari, but for Enzo,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55giving up on the World Championship is not an option.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Press and the public like to concentrate on the driver as being
0:33:59 > 0:34:01the most important member of the team, but he's not at all.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04A driver is very much replaceable.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09The unfortunate idea of the two McLaren drivers
0:34:09 > 0:34:11being involved in a motorway accident together
0:34:11 > 0:34:13and dying -
0:34:13 > 0:34:16do you think their team would be in the back
0:34:16 > 0:34:17row of the grid at the next race?
0:34:17 > 0:34:19No, they won't be, cos they'll just hire
0:34:19 > 0:34:22two more hot shoes and they'll be right up there.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Hunt takes full advantage in the next two races,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30closing the gap to just two points.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32With Niki Lauda, his main opponent,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34likely to be in hospital for some time,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38his chances of winning the title are pretty good.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43Lauda has second and third-degree burns to his face and hands.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Part of his scalp has been burnt away.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51He has lost half of one ear and his lungs are barely working.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56I was suddenly aware, through the accident,
0:34:56 > 0:34:57how quickly you can die.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02I remember my wife coming
0:35:02 > 0:35:07and she burst in tears,
0:35:07 > 0:35:11so she was very much affected when she saw me there.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16I said, "Shit, if she's crying, I must be in a bad state."
0:35:17 > 0:35:20But in racing, the risk
0:35:20 > 0:35:22and taking chances was exactly the same
0:35:22 > 0:35:24as it was before,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26because this was part of the game.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36'Just 40 days after doctors had given up hope
0:35:36 > 0:35:38'and a priest had knelt at his bedside,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41'the Austrian ace climbed back into the cockpit
0:35:41 > 0:35:45'of his glaring red Ferrari.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50'His friends and colleagues claim
0:35:50 > 0:35:53'that his miracle recovery had more to do with his iron will
0:35:53 > 0:35:55'than with master surgery.'
0:35:57 > 0:36:03With five races left and everything still to play for, Lauda is back.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08When I came to the hospital,
0:36:08 > 0:36:10you feel a kind of...
0:36:10 > 0:36:13you feel you are very tired.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15And you would like to go and sleep
0:36:15 > 0:36:18but you know it's not just going sleeping, it's something else.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21And then you just fight with the brain.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23You hear noises
0:36:23 > 0:36:25and you hear voices and you just try to listen
0:36:25 > 0:36:28to what they're saying and try to keep your brain working
0:36:28 > 0:36:31and to get the body ready to fight against illness.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34I think this was very good that I did that
0:36:34 > 0:36:36because in that way, I survived.
0:36:36 > 0:36:37Niki Lauda
0:36:37 > 0:36:40was recovering so fast
0:36:40 > 0:36:43that he proposed to Ferrari
0:36:43 > 0:36:45to race in Monza.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Ferrari said, "No, don't,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51"because if we lose the championship at the end of the year,
0:36:51 > 0:36:53"it's better you don't start so early,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56"because then we can say you had an accident.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59"This was exactly the opposite of what I was thinking."
0:37:22 > 0:37:25At Lauda's side is his wife, Marlene.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28She has been with him throughout his recovery but
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Monza is the last place she wants him to be.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Monza, Italy.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Home to Ferrari and their fans.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07After coming within seconds of being burnt to death,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Lauda returns to a hero's welcome.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14When we went to Monza, the focus was on Niki -
0:38:14 > 0:38:17110%.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19We took him inside
0:38:19 > 0:38:22the garage, he took out the balaclava
0:38:22 > 0:38:25and his face was a mask
0:38:25 > 0:38:28of blood.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31I said, "My God, how can he race?"
0:38:36 > 0:38:39It was pouring with rain on his return.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45This is the Nurburgring carrying on, almost, you know,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47the gloom of the Nurburgring.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Is there any psychological aftereffects from this
0:38:50 > 0:38:51accident for you at all?
0:38:51 > 0:38:53I don't think so.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54Everything looks good.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Lauda prepares to go back on the track to
0:39:05 > 0:39:08race against the clock for his place on the starting grid.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15The pressure was on. Ferrari called. Should I race or not race?
0:39:15 > 0:39:19It was a huge pressure on me for that particular race.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24The physical scars have begun to heal but the mental ones run deeper.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31I came to the circuit, wanted to drive out of the pits and couldn't drive.
0:39:37 > 0:39:43And I suddenly was hit by the whole four weeks' accident problems -
0:39:43 > 0:39:44all these kind of things.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46And I just couldn't drive.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52I did one slow lap, went back into the pits.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55I said, "I go back there and I drive for myself."
0:40:16 > 0:40:18And in the end of the day,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20I was quickest Ferrari
0:40:20 > 0:40:22and was right back like before.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Just before the race begins, Hunt's team, McLaren, are having
0:40:27 > 0:40:33problems of their own - their fuel has been ruled to be illegal.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35We were made to pump the fuel out of our cars,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37fill up with standard fuel at the racetrack
0:40:37 > 0:40:38and start on the back of the grid.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41So we were shafted by the Italians.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43But they're very good at this.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46The Italian Mafiosi
0:40:46 > 0:40:48managed to get us on the back row of that grid.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53How is it feeling, fighting against Niki again?
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Hard work.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57When he first met him, James said straightaway,
0:40:57 > 0:41:01"Niki, you're the only person I know who could be in a fire and come out better looking."
0:41:05 > 0:41:09For Niki, this race is life-or-death.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14"I finish and I go in the points or I lose the championship
0:41:14 > 0:41:16"here in Monza."
0:41:19 > 0:41:20Stuck at the back of the grid,
0:41:20 > 0:41:26Hunt makes a charge on the first lap, but as he tries to fight his way through,
0:41:26 > 0:41:30he almost immediately spins out of the race.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33'The partisan Italian crowd cheers for only two things today -
0:41:33 > 0:41:35'a Ferrari competitor
0:41:35 > 0:41:37'or their most serious challenger for the World Championship
0:41:37 > 0:41:39'in trouble.
0:41:39 > 0:41:40'Here it is - the latter.'
0:41:40 > 0:41:42Poor James didn't enjoy the walk back
0:41:42 > 0:41:44past the Italian fans.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Actually, knowing James, he probably loved it.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Lauda's wife, Marlene, can only watch.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Incredibly,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Niki finished not only the race, but finished fourth.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45That was something incredible.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48CROWD: Niki Lauda!
0:43:13 > 0:43:17Hunt and McLaren jet off to practise for the Canadian Grand Prix,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19but their troubles are far from over.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25In Paris, Ferrari presents its case for overturning McLaren's
0:43:25 > 0:43:27win at the British Grand Prix.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31There were gentlemen in blazers wearing old school ties
0:43:31 > 0:43:35who were meant to decide on matters
0:43:35 > 0:43:38of whether people should be disqualified,
0:43:38 > 0:43:40drivers should start or not start.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43None of them really seemed to have read the rule book very clearly.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45These three old boys turned up
0:43:45 > 0:43:48and were introduced to the saintly Niki before they went in,
0:43:48 > 0:43:51which was all part of Ferrari's...
0:43:54 > 0:43:56..psychological warfare.
0:43:58 > 0:44:04So they all went in, going, "We've touched the hand of Saint Niki..."
0:44:04 > 0:44:09The verdict goes against McLaren and nine vital points are deducted.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12So we didn't win the British Grand Prix,
0:44:12 > 0:44:14and there's no appeal to this appeal.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16That's the end of it.
0:44:16 > 0:44:21With so many points lost and only three races to go, the odds are
0:44:21 > 0:44:27heavily against Hunt, and the strain is showing between him and Lauda.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29I hope that on the other end of this telephone
0:44:29 > 0:44:31we have James Hunt, who's a very long way away in Toronto.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34- Hello, James. Good afternoon to you. - 'Afternoon, Frank.'
0:44:34 > 0:44:38Disappointed with this decision but are you really surprised?
0:44:38 > 0:44:40'Yes, I was very surprised
0:44:40 > 0:44:43'because, as far as the rules were concerned,
0:44:43 > 0:44:46'there was no question - Ferrari had no case.'
0:44:46 > 0:44:48We've just pulled off the tapes here in London
0:44:48 > 0:44:50as I've been talking to you a quote from Niki Lauda.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53He has reacted to the news, quite understandably, by saying,
0:44:53 > 0:44:55"I'm madly delighted,"
0:44:55 > 0:44:57and he goes on to say that,
0:44:57 > 0:45:00"I am satisfied, not just because this will be good for me,
0:45:00 > 0:45:02"because at least a positive decision has been taken
0:45:02 > 0:45:04"in the interests of the sport."
0:45:04 > 0:45:05What do you say to that?
0:45:05 > 0:45:09'Well, it's the sort of rubbish you'd expect.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12'The guy has, you know, had a very bad accident.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14'He's been very brave and done every well.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17'But he'd do well to considerate it as a sport.'
0:45:17 > 0:45:19I see. You are very critical about the way he behaves, are you?
0:45:19 > 0:45:23'Niki isn't a sportsman - Niki's interested in one thing, and that's Niki.'
0:45:23 > 0:45:27I don't want to discuss if the decision was wrong or right.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31At least, I expected James to react in the same way -
0:45:31 > 0:45:32to respect me as a driver.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35And fight if he wants against Ferrari.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37I decided we couldn't possibly win the World Championship
0:45:37 > 0:45:40from this position now without these points
0:45:40 > 0:45:46and stopped trying to control James' excesses, which became quite excessive.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49MUSIC: "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
0:45:52 > 0:45:54We were staying in a great, big motel
0:45:54 > 0:45:56on the side of the freeway in Toronto
0:45:56 > 0:46:01and there was a live band in the bar.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04And the lead singer was a bit like Stevie Nicks - blonde,
0:46:04 > 0:46:08little dynamite creature, so James managed to pull her.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11We had to get up early in the morning to go out to the warm-up
0:46:11 > 0:46:14and he came down, dishevelled, with this lady -
0:46:14 > 0:46:16obviously...anyway..
0:46:16 > 0:46:18"dishevelled" might be the best way of putting it, staggered off
0:46:18 > 0:46:20to the racetrack,
0:46:20 > 0:46:21won the race!
0:46:21 > 0:46:26# You can go your own way... #
0:46:30 > 0:46:33Sex - the breakfast of champions.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37In this particular case, it worked out.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43The win in Canada gives Hunt nine vital points
0:46:43 > 0:46:45and in the next race, he remains on form.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49He storms through to another victory and takes the podium.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52But Lauda is still ahead by three points.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54After 10 months and 15 races,
0:46:54 > 0:46:58the championship has come down to the very last Grand Prix.
0:47:02 > 0:47:07For the first time ever, the final race is in Japan.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10Excitement about the season has reached fever pitch -
0:47:10 > 0:47:13only three points separate Hunt and Lauda.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20This will be the first race ever to be broadcast live by satellite across the world.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Determined to win it, so in order to do that,
0:47:23 > 0:47:28the best way for me to do it is to the win the race here.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30But on race day,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33the weather threatens to bring the season to a premature end.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36'It couldn't be worse at the Fuji circuit.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39'Pouring rain, thick mist and it's a delayed start,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42'so is the Japanese Grand Prix on or off?'
0:47:44 > 0:47:46All the drivers got together and said,
0:47:46 > 0:47:48"This is ridiculous."
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Not only was Niki Lauda saying that,
0:47:51 > 0:47:54James Hunt also said, "This race should not take place."
0:47:54 > 0:47:57Being nice and wet again.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00James and Niki were both on the Drivers' Safety Committee,
0:48:00 > 0:48:02so they were in the tower, arguing
0:48:02 > 0:48:04that the race shouldn't be held,
0:48:04 > 0:48:06so we had this direct confrontation.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10I said to him, "If we don't race, James, you can't win the World Championship."
0:48:10 > 0:48:12"No, Jack, we can't race - it's too dangerous."
0:48:12 > 0:48:14All very above board
0:48:14 > 0:48:17but a bit irritating when you're trying to win the World Championship
0:48:17 > 0:48:19and you can't if you don't race.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26The race has now been delayed for nearly two hours.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28The rain continues to fall
0:48:28 > 0:48:31but the race organisers have reached a decision.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34The race director came in and said,
0:48:34 > 0:48:35"We have to start."
0:48:35 > 0:48:39We all looked out and said, "Excuse me? It's the same rain as before.
0:48:39 > 0:48:40"Why?" "Because of television."
0:48:40 > 0:48:44In two hours, it will be too dark.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47And we have the satellite TV that cost a lot of money.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50And we have a contract with the organiser
0:48:50 > 0:48:53to at least start the race, otherwise we lose money.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55The teams, the drivers, I lose the money
0:48:55 > 0:48:57if we don't at least start the race.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59'But the race is on.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01'James Hunt, in his McLaren,
0:49:01 > 0:49:03'getting ready for a lap of the circuit
0:49:03 > 0:49:05'and next, out comes Niki Lauda
0:49:05 > 0:49:09'to join the grid with the rest of the competitors.'
0:49:09 > 0:49:11The drivers have been forced onto the starting grid
0:49:11 > 0:49:16by the demands of the vast TV audience they have created.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18'This, then, is the clincher -
0:49:18 > 0:49:20'the World Championship decider.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24'Three points separate the leader, Niki Lauda, in the Ferrari,
0:49:24 > 0:49:27'and Britain's James Hunt in the McLaren.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29'It's going to be a fantastic race.'
0:49:29 > 0:49:31In Britain, it's three in the morning.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Hunt's parents and friends are watching the live satellite
0:49:35 > 0:49:37broadcast in a TV studio, but his sister, Sally,
0:49:37 > 0:49:40is at home, glued to the radio.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42We switched on the radio very early in the morning
0:49:42 > 0:49:44and I can remember walking round the house
0:49:44 > 0:49:47with the radio clamped to my ear.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49The tension was amazing.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51'Who is going to reach the corner first?
0:49:55 > 0:49:58'James Hunt takes the lead in the Japanese Grand Prix
0:49:58 > 0:50:02'and fifth, that's Niki Lauda.'
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Hunt takes the lead but for the other drivers following,
0:50:09 > 0:50:13the water spray is dangerously reducing visibility to almost zero,
0:50:13 > 0:50:16and all the cars are skidding and sliding in the heavy rain.
0:50:16 > 0:50:21'Brambilla going through and Hunt has leapt round. They haven't let him through.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25'Side-by-side, and Brambilla spins!
0:50:25 > 0:50:28'And he missed Hunt by inches.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31'And Niki Lauda had pulled into the pits in front of us.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34'The world champion has gone into the pits.'
0:50:34 > 0:50:40Niki stopped - "It's too dangerous, I stop."
0:50:40 > 0:50:44'Yes, this amazing 1976 World Championship series
0:50:44 > 0:50:47'is maintaining its drama,
0:50:47 > 0:50:49'because Niki Lauda, leading the World Championship,
0:50:49 > 0:50:52'is out of the race,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55'but, amazingly enough, there's nothing wrong with his car.'
0:50:55 > 0:50:57I tell him, "Niki, what you have to say
0:50:57 > 0:51:00"is that you have a technical failure or something."
0:51:00 > 0:51:05"No," he said to me, "tell them that it is too dangerous to race."
0:51:07 > 0:51:11When you are a normal racing driver, and you are not affected
0:51:11 > 0:51:13by an accident,
0:51:13 > 0:51:15you have reserves.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17So that means your level of risk-taking
0:51:17 > 0:51:19is higher
0:51:19 > 0:51:23than, like in my case, you've just come out of death
0:51:23 > 0:51:25and had everything happening to you.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28Then, a couple of races later,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30you have to face this more-difficult situation
0:51:30 > 0:51:34with the water and rain and risk going up,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37and at that time, I was not prepared to take this extra risk,
0:51:37 > 0:51:39because of the accident.
0:51:39 > 0:51:44Emotionally, for me, it was impossible to tell Niki
0:51:44 > 0:51:47to go back to race,
0:51:47 > 0:51:51because you see his eyes were really terrorised.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55Lauda is out of the race.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57But he will still become World Champion
0:51:57 > 0:52:00if Hunt fails to score enough points.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Then the rain stopped and the water
0:52:11 > 0:52:13disappeared on the circuit
0:52:13 > 0:52:17and the circuit got better - by coincidence, basically.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21But I was not racing and I would still do the same today.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24Hunt must finish third or higher to take the championship,
0:52:24 > 0:52:29but as the track dries out, his wet-weather tyres begin to overheat.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31One of the techniques you could do was cool them down
0:52:31 > 0:52:35by running in puddles deliberately on the straits.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37So we put this sign out - "cool tyres",
0:52:37 > 0:52:42but James refused to acknowledge or do this.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46"Cool the tyres! Cool the tyres!" And he's down the middle
0:52:46 > 0:52:49of the road, oblivious.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54Eventually, he wore all the rubber off them,
0:52:54 > 0:52:56all the canvas, down to the air.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57And he had TWO flat tyres.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59With five laps to go,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02he came into the pits.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05We thought perhaps it would all go wrong for James.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08'And Hunt is in the pits in second place,
0:53:08 > 0:53:11'and if he drops below fourth,
0:53:11 > 0:53:12'if he goes out,
0:53:12 > 0:53:14'his World Championship will be in danger.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17'What an incredible change of fortune...'
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Because he had two flat tyres,
0:53:19 > 0:53:21we couldn't jack the car up very well,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24so the car was too low to get the jack underneath,
0:53:24 > 0:53:26so a mechanic and I had to pick up the left front of the car,
0:53:26 > 0:53:28so it took us 24 seconds or something
0:53:28 > 0:53:30to change the tyres.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32'And James Hunt gets away.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34'And now he is in fifth position
0:53:34 > 0:53:36'and out of the contention.'
0:53:38 > 0:53:41With the championship seemingly beyond his grasp, Hunt,
0:53:41 > 0:53:43the sportsman, throws caution to the wind and makes his charge
0:53:43 > 0:53:45for the finish.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50'And James Hunt is passing Jones!
0:53:50 > 0:53:53'Hunt is fourth and Regazzoni is out of the race,
0:53:53 > 0:53:56'so now Hunt moves up to third position.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59'And James Hunt IS going to win the World Championship
0:53:59 > 0:54:03'if he just keeps going in the place he's in now.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05'And he does it.'
0:54:10 > 0:54:12James Hunt finishes third.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15James Hunt is champion of the world.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18THEY CHEER
0:54:20 > 0:54:22We were all whizzing about sort of cheering
0:54:22 > 0:54:25and excited because James was now World Champion.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29'I think the scenes in the McLaren pits will speak for themselves.'
0:54:29 > 0:54:34But right now, Hunt himself has no idea the championship is his...
0:54:34 > 0:54:38James Hunt came into the pits
0:54:38 > 0:54:39in a rage
0:54:39 > 0:54:42and as the McLaren team gathered round,
0:54:42 > 0:54:44James got out of the car,
0:54:44 > 0:54:45pulled off his crash helmet,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47started to rant and rave at them,
0:54:47 > 0:54:50and Teddy Mayer was holding up three fingers
0:54:50 > 0:54:53saying, "James, you're third.
0:54:53 > 0:54:54"You're Champion."
0:54:54 > 0:54:57And gradually, the penny dropped.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02It was an extraordinary moment.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08There was a lot of excitement and, "Does he know yet?"
0:55:08 > 0:55:10and, "Is it true?"
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Suddenly it was true and he was World Champion.
0:55:12 > 0:55:17Hunt has won, despite ignoring team orders.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19I was not best pleased with him.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21You won't see me in any of the photographs.
0:55:21 > 0:55:22I'm nowhere near him,
0:55:22 > 0:55:24cos I just want to punch him in the mouth.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30Even though he IS the World Champion.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37'I feel really sorry for Niki
0:55:37 > 0:55:39'in that I feel sorry for everybody that the race had to be run
0:55:39 > 0:55:42'in such ridiculous circumstances.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44'Quite honestly,
0:55:44 > 0:55:45'I wanted to win the championship
0:55:45 > 0:55:47'and I felt I deserved to win the championship.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50'I also felt Niki deserved to win the championship
0:55:50 > 0:55:52'and I just wish we could have shared it.'
0:55:52 > 0:55:55I said at the same time, at the time there,
0:55:55 > 0:55:59if anybody should get the championship,
0:55:59 > 0:56:01then I'm happy it's James.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04Because I liked him
0:56:04 > 0:56:07and we were not buddies but we are at least sympathetic,
0:56:07 > 0:56:09so I think we took care of each other
0:56:09 > 0:56:11from the heart in a very nice way,
0:56:11 > 0:56:15which in these days, the heart was never shown in Formula One.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19MUSIC: "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton
0:56:19 > 0:56:22'Hunt, who came into Heathrow early today, said,
0:56:22 > 0:56:26'"I don't think I've stopped celebrating since the race."'
0:56:26 > 0:56:29We met James coming home.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31There was James looking slightly dazed,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34he was probably so completely out of it.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36He'd drunk quite a lot on the way home.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40Very tired and somewhat hung over, thank you very much.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42What was the party like?
0:56:42 > 0:56:45It was long. But good.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Then we all went off to a party.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50I have to say my memory's a bit hazy after that,
0:56:50 > 0:56:52because I think I drank more champagne for breakfast than
0:56:52 > 0:56:54I ever had before.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58Hunt and Lauda would never have such a close race again
0:56:58 > 0:57:03but the legacy of the first superstars of Grand Prix
0:57:03 > 0:57:07helped shape Formula One into the global TV sport it is today.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11The excitement of that season meant
0:57:11 > 0:57:14that no self-respecting country
0:57:14 > 0:57:18could allow its television service
0:57:18 > 0:57:20not to cover Formula One properly.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24So suddenly, Formula One was available everywhere.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29We had James and Niki coming out of this
0:57:29 > 0:57:32as these two titans of their time.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34Who could have predicted that?
0:57:34 > 0:57:37It was just the most amazing season.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40'In life, you need a certain amount of luck.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42'The question is how much luck you need.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44'I think the luck is the minimum.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47'I think human beings can do much more
0:57:47 > 0:57:50'for themselves than they think.'
0:57:50 > 0:57:52We have to remember only the good things.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55That was a good fight.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58I don't think I thought of him as my little brother then,
0:57:58 > 0:58:01although that's what he was.
0:58:01 > 0:58:06I just thought, "It's James, who I love,
0:58:06 > 0:58:10"and my friend, and he's achieved what he wants to achieve."
0:58:10 > 0:58:12That was very exciting.
0:58:14 > 0:58:15'How do you want to do it?
0:58:15 > 0:58:17'Go at a steady pace for 70 years
0:58:17 > 0:58:19'or flat-out for ten years and then relax,
0:58:19 > 0:58:21'and I rather like doing it that way.'
0:58:25 > 0:58:27At the time, you said, "If you wrote this as a film script,
0:58:27 > 0:58:29"people would say, 'That's ridiculous.
0:58:29 > 0:58:33"'You've got to have something believable. You can't have this farcical story.'"
0:58:33 > 0:58:35But the farcical story is true.
0:58:56 > 0:58:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd