June 22, 1975
James Hunt wins the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
(Photo; "James Hunt - Dutch GP 1976 crop mod" by https://commons.wikimedia)
It was the first GP win for Hunt and only GP win for Hesketh Racing. He finished fourth in the Championship that year, but Lord Hesketh had run out of funds and could not find a sponsor for his team. With little time left before the 1976 season, Hunt was desperately looking for a drive until Emerson Fittipaldi left McLaren and joined his brother's Copersucar-Fittipaldi outfit. With no other top drivers available, the team management signed Hunt to McLaren - in a deal brokered by Marlboro's John Hogan - for the next season on a $200,000 contract. Hunt immediately caused a stir by refusing to sign a clause in his contract which stipulated he wore suits to sponsor functions. Hunt wore T-shirt and jeans and was often barefoot for sponsor-led functions with world leaders, chairmen of businesses and media moguls.
This is what made him James Hunt. Not difficult to work it out. Today's drivers are contractually bound to be marketing figureheads. Take it or leave it.
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