Goodwood to celebrate ‘The James Hunt Years’ at the 83rd Members’ Meeting

On what will be the 50^th anniversary of his 1976 F1 World Championship triumph, the Motor Circuit will embrace the legacy of the man who gave us many of the sport’s most memorable moments during his 20-year involvement in F1. And there is no better way to do that than to welcome a host of cars that he either drove or raced against between 1973 and 1979.

You can expect many of the cars that Hunt drove, from Hesketh and McLaren, to be showcased during the 83^rd Members’ Meeting as part of a wider celebration of ‘The James Hunt Years’ alongside machinery from Ferrari, Brabham, Lotus, Tyrrell, March and more. A dynamic demonstration will unleash the sound of the stunning Cosworth DFV around the Goodwood Estate on both days of the event, evoking memories of Hunt, Lauda, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Scheckter, Regazzoni, Reutemann, Mass, Deppailler, Peterson, Villeneuve and more.

Hunt is best known for his legendary rivalry with Niki Lauda, which has gone on to become the stuff of cinema, but his legacy courses far deeper within the veins of motorsport culture itself.

Possessing a raw talent behind the wheel of a racing car, his ascension to the pinnacle of motorsport was assured but not without its challenges. He did things his way, and that is perhaps the most remarkable part of his story.

While the sport around him was becoming ever more commercial, Hunt dared to be different, refusing to be sanitised by sponsorship deals or restrained by contractual obligations.

He followed the heart that he wore on his sleeve, and against all the odds he proved to the world that he was the best. Very few other drivers, if any, have approached the sport in quite the same way, and certainly none have done so with quite the success that James Hunt achieved.

Never one to mince his words, Hunt gained a reputation for his abrasive attitude, but in later years his demeanour softened as he grew into a beloved broadcast personality alongside Murray Walker.

But above all, James Hunt is remembered best as a fiercely competitive racing driver who suffered no compromise in the pursuit of victory. His rise through the junior ranks of Formula Ford, Formula 3 and Formula 2 were characterised by unrelenting speed and unequivocal determination.

Despite a less-than-traditional pathway to F1 his arrival there was inevitable, and with the similarly unorthodox Hesketh Racing team he made an immediate impact. A series of good results throughout 1973, ’74 and ’75 saw Hunt thrust into the World Championship picture when McLaren opted to sign him as their replacement for the outgoing Emerson Fittipaldi.

That he died so suddenly at the age of 45 in 1993 remains a tragedy the sport has never truly recovered from. We can only imagine how he might have influenced F1 as we know it today.

The 83^rd Members' Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport takes place on the 18^th & 19^th April 2026. Tickets are on sale now for GRRC Members and Fellows.

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