1976 was one of the most dramatic seasons in Formula One history. Niki Lauda dominated the start of the season in his Ferrari 312T2, with more than double the points of his closest challenger, when desaster struck. In the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring Lauda suffered a near-fatal accident, allowing James Hunt to close the gap. Incredibly, Lauda made a rapid recovery, returning to race only six weeks later. This, together with Hunt's disqualification from victory at Brands Hatch, forced a championship show down in the last race of the season. As they went into the final round in Japan. Hunt was just 3 points behind. However, torrential conditions at Fuji caused Lauda to withdraw, citing excessively dangerous conditions, Hunt stayed out in his McLaren-Ford M23 and drove furiously to finish third, becoming World Champion by a single point.
Quelle: SCALEXTRIC |
