James Hunt Wins "Canadian Grand Prix" at Mosport - October 3, 1976

October 3, 1976

(Photo: Serbian car fans via photopin cc)
James Hunt wins the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport, Ontario, Canada, in a McLaren M23.

At this weekend, British championship contender James Hunt found out that he lost 9 points from his victory at the British Grand Prix earlier that year, and championship leader Niki Lauda gained another 3 points (he finished 2nd at that race). Hunt won the Mosport event, but it made no difference to his championship points standings before the race. Patrick Depailler of France was third in a Tyrrell-Ford and American Mario Andretti topped off the podium in a Lotus-Ford.

Hunt won the next race in the US but Lauda took third to lead Hunt by three points going into the final race in Japan. In appalling weather conditions Mario Andretti won, Lauda gave up because of the hazardous conditions, and Hunt eventually finished third to take the title.

The movie Rush, a 2013 British-German biographical sports drama film, centered on the rivalry between Hunt and Niki Lauda, during the 1976 Formula One motor-racing season. 

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(Photo: engyles via photopin cc) 

In the book, James Hunt: The Biography, Niki Lauda stated that "We were big rivals, especially at the end of the season, but I respected him, because you could drive next to him, 2 centimeters, wheel-by-wheel, for 300 kilometers or more, and nothing would happen. 

He was a real top driver at the time."