James Hunt and Hesketh: The serious racers behind the playboy image

05/22/24 • 58 min

On this episode (the final episode in season 1 of the podcast) Matt and Richard tell the tale of James Hunt and Hesketh Racing - perhaps the ultimate underdog success story in Formula 1 history.

They explain how a small, privateer racing team with a crash-prone driver rose to prominence in the 1970s, culminating with them beating the might of Ferrari to take victory at the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix.

Their reputation is one of party loving playboys, but is that an entirely fair representation of the team?

In discussing that, Matt and Richard look at the back stories of the 'real racers' at the team's heart: Colourful founder Lord Alexander Hesketh, his equally colourful right-hand man, Antony 'Bubbles' Horsley, and the man they called 'Doc', designer Harvey Postlethwaite.

And there are also plenty of thoughts on James Hunt - a man whose reputation off-track, Matt and Richard argue, has led many to overlook (and underrate) his considerable talents as a driver.

And make sure you listen until the end to hear about Matt's remarkable run-in (or should that be near run-in?) with Hunt in 1993.

Join The Race Members Club for additional podcast content! Click here to sign up
Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
Check out our latest videos on YouTube
Download our app on iOS or Android

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode (the final episode in season 1 of the podcast) Matt and Richard tell the tale of James Hunt and Hesketh Racing - perhaps the ultimate underdog success story in Formula 1 history.

Their reputation is one of party loving playboys, but is that an entirely fair representation of the team?

And there are also plenty of thoughts on James Hunt - a man whose reputation off-track, Matt and Richard argue, has led many to overlook (and underrate) his considerable talents as a driver.

And make sure you listen until the end to hear about Matt's remarkable run-in (or should that be near run-in?) with Hunt in 1993.

Join The Race Members Club for additional podcast content! Click here to sign up
Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
Check out our latest videos on YouTube
Download our app on iOS or Android

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

Paying tribute to motor sport’s pioneering female drivers

On this episode, Matt and Richard remember several pioneering female drivers from the past; each an inspiring character who competed on equal terms with their male peers and who achieved, against the odds, some incredible things.

Those discussed included Maria Theresa De Filippis (the first woman to compete in a world championship Grand Prix), Pat Moss (the talented rally driving sister of F1 star Stirling Moss), Lella Lombardi (the first woman to score an F1 point), Desire Wilson (the only woman to win an F1 race of any sort), Michele Mouton (a four-time world rally winner), Janet Guthrie (the first woman to qualify and compete in both Indy 500 and Daytona 500), and many more.

And after reappraising the past, Matt and Richard bring us up to the present to look at efforts to bring more female drivers into the sport, and they also ponder the age old question of whether female racers will ever become mainstays in F1 in the future.

NOTE: This podcast was recorded before Abbi Pulling's landmark British Formula 4 victory!

Join The Race Members Club for additional podcast content! Click here to sign up
Follow The Race on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
Check out our latest videos on YouTube
Download our app on iOS or Android

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

Coming soon… And Colossally That’s History! - Season 2

Attention fans of motor racing history: Matt Bishop and Richard Williams will be returning shortly with Season 2 of And Colossally That's History!

Join them as they take an unadulterated look at the earth-shattering events, epic sagas and huge characters that have shaped the sport's past.

Season 2 begins with a bang, with a critical reexamination of the remarkable Formula 1 'spygate' scandal of 2007, featuring a whole host of behind-the-scenes stories and eye-popping personal recollections.

To make sure you don’t miss that episode or any other, be sure to like, follow or subscribe on your podcast app of choice!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.