Niki Lauda once explained why he envied James Hunt during their fierce Formula 1 rivalry

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Niki Lauda shared some intense rivalries during his illustrious Formula 1 career, and there wasn’t one more well-known than his battles with James Hunt.

The 1970s were chock-full of incredible talents who paved the way for what Formula 1 is today, and Niki Lauda and James Hunt were two of those who found global acclaim for their hard but respectful on-track battles.

The Austrian, known for his no-nonsense attitude, and Hunt, known for his playboy antics, were a striking combination of personalities, but their rivalry stemmed from a deep friendship that the two drivers held with each other.

Lauda became McLaren’s first-ever world champion in the sport following his dominance over the field in 1974, and his feat was later replicated by the Brit two years later, at the height of their rivalry.

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Niki Lauda explained why James Hunt was the only F1 driver he ever envied

During a 2017 interview with Graham Bensinger, Lauda was asked a multitude of questions about his active driving career in Formula 1, as well as the management role he took up at Mercedes later on in his life.

One of the topics that was brought up referred to his relationship with Hunt, which later became the subject of a feature film titled Rush.

Asked about how their relationship began, Lauda said, “Hunt, I knew from Formula 3 days. We were going up the same development, more or less, trying to be a Formula 1 driver.

“So we liked each other because we were doing it together. Then I got my first chance in Ferrari, which I blew him off in a way because he was suffering from getting a proper Formula 1 car.”

Lauda was then asked by Bensinger why he envied the British world champion, to which he replied, “He was a fantastic personality. He was funny. He was a man which you never forget when you know him.

“So James, I mean, there are very few people which I say that they are still alive, you know, even if they have been dead for many years.

“If you can say this about somebody, then he has been outstanding because people you forget, you forget.

“But there are people who, especially for my life, and Hunt was a big part of that, I will never forget. He’s still alive for me.”

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Niki Lauda also explained why he was happy about James Hunt beating him to the 1976 F1 title

The Austrian racing legend also touched upon the fateful events of the 1976 F1 season, which saw him suffer a horrific incident at the Nurburgring that ruled him out of several races during his title fight with Hunt.

Lauda noted that this season was the only point in their relationship when things became tense between the two friends, adding, “Our relationship only turned down a bit when I had my accident.

“From Monza onwards, I came back, and he was really competitive because he had a fantastic, quick McLaren. Already suffering from performance, he drove on a level outstanding.

“And when the competition gets that bad, then you don’t talk to each other anymore because you want to win races. So we only had a little downturn.

“But when he won the championship by half a point in front of me, I said to him, ‘I’m more happy that you are the world champion than any of the other guys.’ And that really shows how good our relationship has been.”

Lauda would bounce back magnificently in the following season, securing his second world title in the space of just three years.