The Return

The Return

The 1976 Drivers Championship was one for the ages. Celebrated in the film Rush, the battle between Niki Lauda and James Hunt brought all the drama of that year to the silver screen. Niki Lauda had captured the 1975 Drivers Championship with the revitalized Ferrari team. With one victory on his resume, Hunt was a winner, but the jury was out as to his being a potential Drivers Champion. The story of the 1976 season has been told many times with Lauda starting clicking off victories and building up a lead in the championship. Hunt took a couple of wins, but it was the events at the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring that changed the dynamics of the championship. Lauda crashed his Ferrari 312T2 and suffered near fatal burns. Lauda defied all odds and recovered and 6 weeks after the crash returned to racing at the Italian GP.

The Return captures Niki Lauda in the Quebec corner at Mosport Park during the 1976 Canadian Grand Prix.