James hunt biography wiki

James Hunt's was a turbulent life lived to the limit - in and out of racing cars.

James hunt and niki lauda

As a driver he overcame constant fear and enormous odds to become the best in the world - triumphing in one of the most dramatic championship battles in Formula 1 history. As a colourful personality and unconventional character he had no peers - alternately entertaining admirers and offending critics with his often outrageous behaviour. After he retired he continued to make a strong impact, as a TV commentator, but died suddenly in the prime of his life.

James Simon Wallis Hunt, born on August 29, , into the family of a London stockbroker, was an unruly child: hyperactive, contrary and persistently rebellious.

James hunt wife

As a self-confident, competitive and determined youth he taught himself to play tennis and squash to a high standard. The tall and handsome public schoolboy also enjoyed considerable success with women. On his 18th birthday he saw his first race, a club meeting at Silverstone, and immediately decided to he was going to become World Champion.

His parents refused to support their feckless son's foolish Formula One fantasy. James worked at odd jobs, bought a wrecked Mini and spent two years race-preparing it, only to have his first entry fail scrutineering because the driver's seat was an old lawn chair. Many of his early races ended in huge accidents. In one of them his Formula Ford crashed and sank in the middle of a lake.

He might have drowned had he been wearing the requisite seatbelts he couldn't afford to buy. In faster Formula Three cars 'Hunt the Shunt' had even bigger accidents. Eventually he learned to stay on the track long enough to win races, but never conquered his fears.