Hunt–Lauda rivalry

{{short description|Formula One rivalry}}

File:Hunt e Lauda a Monza.JPG (left) and Niki Lauda (right) at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in 1976.]]

The Hunt–Lauda rivalry or Lauda–Hunt rivalry was a Formula 1 rivalry between British racing driver James Hunt and Austrian racing driver Niki Lauda that ran from the 1973 season until Hunt's retirement after the 1979 season.

Widely regarded as one of the most significant rivalries in Formula 1, the Lauda–Hunt rivalry is often compared to the later Prost–Senna rivalry for its impact on the sport and the rivals' contrasting personalities and driving styles.

Lauda, known for his meticulous and analytical approach, won the World Championship in 1975 and 1977 driving for Ferrari, notably in the Ferrari 312T.{{Cite web |last=Donaldson |first=Gerald |title=Hall of Fame - the World Champions (Niki Lauda) |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/information/drivers-hall-of-fame-niki-lauda.2Ye7VYWdXwhb97ZqLyxvX |website=Formula 1}} Hunt, nicknamed "The Shunt" for his aggressive driving style and charismatic persona, secured the 1976 World Drivers' Championship in the McLaren M23.{{Cite web |last=Donaldson |first=Gerald |title=Hall of Fame - the World Champions (James Hunt) |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/information/drivers-hall-of-fame-james-hunt.4vRKjActuXEjrFBR9hzo2A |website=Formula 1}}

Their rivalry peaked in the 1976 Formula 1 season after Lauda’s near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring, during which he suffered severe burns and inhaled toxic fumes. Just six weeks after the accident, he made an astonishing comeback at the Italian Grand Prix, returning to the track with visible scars and a respirator and finishing fourth.{{Cite web |date=18 October 2024 |title=The Day a Legend Returned: How Niki’s Triumphant F1 Comeback Unfolded |url=https://www.mclaren.com/racing/heritage/formula-1/drivers/niki-lauda/niki-laudas-1982-comeback-2155556/ |website=Mclaren}}

While they were fierce competitors on the track, Hunt readily admitted that the two were good friends from their early days "gypsy[ing] around Europe together" in Formula Three, where they became "mates, not just casual acquaintances."{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/sep/18/rush-ron-howard-reel-history |title=Rush: a thrilling but untrusty ride |first=Alex |last=von Tunzelmann |work=The Guardian |date=2013-09-18 |access-date=2019-07-16}} The enduring friendship between the two continued until Hunt's death in 1993.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/rush/niki-lauda-james-hunt-facts-true-story/ |title=Niki Lauda on Rush, James Hunt and the crash that changed his life |first=Chrissy |last=Hey |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=2019-05-21 |access-date=2019-07-16}}

The 2013 biographical sports film Rush depicted their rivalry as more intense and occasionally nasty than it actually was, although it ended with a warm moment and Lauda's voiceover that Hunt was "among the very few I liked, and even fewer I respected."