Although almost 37 years have gone by, their rivalry remains one of the gripping and enthralling in Formula 1 history. The long duel between Niki Lauda and James Hunt that dominated the 1976 season has been turned into a major new film opening in cinemas worldwide on September 13th next. The trailer for Rush, which was directed by Oscar-winner Ron Howard, is available online from today. With Chris Hemsworth as Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda, the film also sees Olivia Wilde playing Hunt’s wife, Suzie Miller, and Alexandra Maria Lara playing Marlene Knaus, Lauda’s then partner. Rush also features Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, in the role of another Ferrari favourite, Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni.
The outcome of the duel between the two men leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of Ferraristi to this day. The 1976 World Drivers’ title should have gone to Niki Lauda and would have, had his tragic accident at the Nürburgring not knocked the Austrian driver out for three grands prix, allowing Hunt to make up ground lost in the early part of the season. Despite an incredible comeback, Niki couldn’t possibly have been at his best in the final races but somehow managed to be leading the standings three points ahead of his McLaren rival on the eve of the decisive Japanese Grand Prix. However, Sunday, October 24th went down in history after Lauda decided to pull out of the race because treacherous weather conditions were making the track virtually, if not totally, undriveable. Even had the Austrian finished outside the points (at the time awarded from 1st to sixth positions), he would have been able to take his second Drivers’ title if Hunt failed to do better than fifth. However, Lauda took the decision to retire after two laps because he felt the track conditions were simply too dangerous. Hunt finished the race in third position and, at the end of what was an extraordinary race, was declared World Champion. In the intervening decades, much has been said and written about that day and what happened before, during and after the race. Now enthusiasts can relive the rivalry between two men who took a very individual approach to their job that was a world away from the Formula 1 of today. Anyone that has seen the film was impressed by the way in which Howard has drawn the drivers’ personalities and his masterful portrayal of the world of Formula 1 as it was at the time. Despite the passing of almost thirty years and the enormous progress made in safety, the Rush trailer declares that one fact hasn’t changed: “There’s a lie that all drivers tell themselves: death is something that happens to other people”. Anyone that works in the paddocks knows all about that and never forgets it.
