EPISODE · Jul 18, 2025 · 13 MIN
18th July 1976: The Controversy That Nearly Cost a Championship
from Chequered Past · host Martin Elliot
On this day in Formula One history, two of the sport’s fiercest title fights were rocked by controversy. In our main story, we return to Brands Hatch in 1976, where James Hunt thrilled the home crowd with a stunning British Grand Prix win — only to have it stripped weeks later in a ruling that nearly derailed his championship bid.We then head to Silverstone in 1981, where John Watson gave McLaren its first win in years and ushered in a new era of F1 design with the carbon fibre MP4/1.Finally, we revisit the explosive 2021 British Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided at Copse Corner — a clash that ignited one of the most intense title battles in recent memory.Three races. Two championship flashpoints. One day where Formula One’s margins were razor-thin.Image: James Hunt British GP 1976 by Martin Lee licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0Send us Fan MailMusic by #Mubert Music Rendering
What this episode covers
On this day in Formula One history, two of the sport’s fiercest title fights were rocked by controversy. In our main story, we return to Brands Hatch in 1976, where James Hunt thrilled the home crowd with a stunning British Grand Prix win — only to have it stripped weeks later in a ruling that nearly derailed his championship bid. We then head to Silverstone in 1981, where John Watson gave McLaren its first win in years and ushered in a new era of F1 design with the carbon fibre MP4/1. Finall...
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18th July 1976: The Controversy That Nearly Cost a Championship
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