Hunt Family's Emotional Screening of James Hunt's Story 

One winter afternoon earlier this year, I went to the cinema in London. Not something I would normally do, but this was no ordinary visit. Invited by David Hunt, an old friend and James Hunt’s younger brother, I was at movie producer Working Title to watch Rush, Academy Ron Howard’s film about Hunt’s battle with Niki Lauda for the 1976 world championship.

This (2013) is a big year for Hunt’s family. The Monaco Grand Prix marked the 40th anniversary of James’s world championship grand prix debut for the Hesketh team. Kimi Räikkönen wore a special helmet in recognition of a driver, and an era, that inspired him as a youngster in Finland. He was born in 1979, but became very aware of Hunt’s lifestyle. “There was not so much money then,” Kimi said. “I liked that era very much and always respected James Hunt. It’s good to remember those guys. Life would have been easier for me in the 1970s. Maybe I was born in the wrong era.”

James would have appreciated Kimi’s modus operandi, the serious racer with plenty of time for some fun and none at all for bulls**t. Tom Hunt, James’s elder son, has been working with David on the launch of some stylish new merchandise – the James Hunt Racing Collection – including caps, shirts and jackets using images created by Nicolas Hunziker. There is also a new website (jameshuntf1.com) and a charity, the James Hunt Foundation, to which a percentage of the proceeds will go.