McLaren remembers the title won by James Hunt

With a cartoon video, McLaren wanted to pay homage to James Hunt, the acrobatic British driver who won the world title in the 1976 season, ahead of Niki Lauda in the general classification by just one point.

A year, that of '76, marked by the terrible accident which occurred to the Austrian Ferrari driver on 1 August on the old Nürburgring and which was decided in the Fuji storm (for the first time Japan was hosting a race valid for the Formula One World Championship), where Lauda decided to retire, thus paving the way for Hunt who became world champion.

The animated short created by Woking opens with Fernando Alonso (the Spaniard is filmed in the same position that generated so many photomontages after Interlagos 2015) and Jenson Button intent on sunbathing in fantastic Monaco.

While they discuss their attention focuses on James Hunt and his negative trend in the Monegasque event (no victory in seven participations), with Button revealing Hunt's true identity to Alonso. The latter was actually a spy for the English government.

With an instant flashback, the video goes back in time 40 years with Hunt – in the role of 007 – having to face a certain Laudfinger (i.e. Niki Lauda). The short ends with the call from agent Stoffel Vandoorne who entrusts a new mission to Alonso and Button.

Piero Ladisa