And Colossally That's History!

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

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Episode notes

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.

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