Hunt's victory was rescinded two months later, shifting the race win to Lauda amid a controversial crowd-influenced stewards' decision.
Key Facts
- Race date
- 18 July 1976
- Circuit
- Brands Hatch, Kent, England
- Number of laps
- 76 laps
- Season round
- 9th round of 1976 F1 season
- Disqualification date
- September 1976, two months after race
- Revised race winner
- Niki Lauda (Ferrari)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A first-corner crash at the race start triggered the red flag. James Hunt drove his damaged car back to the pits via an access road on the Cooper Straight rather than completing a full lap on the circuit, leading officials to initially bar him from the restart on the grounds he was not on track when the red flag was shown.
Crowd pressure at Brands Hatch led stewards, fearing unrest, to reverse their decision and permit Hunt to take part in the restarted 76-lap race. Hunt went on to win the restart. Ferrari, Tyrrell, and Fittipaldi immediately lodged protests against his participation following the result.
Two months after the race, in September 1976, the governing body upheld the protests and disqualified Hunt, transferring the official race victory to Niki Lauda. The episode became a defining controversy of the intensely contested 1976 Formula One championship season between Hunt and Lauda.