The iconic 1976 Formula 1 season that inspired ‘Rush’ begins

On this day 50 years ago, 22 cars lined up at Interlagos to kick-off the 1976 Formula 1 season, one of the most famous in racing history. The grid included past and future world champions Jody Scheckter, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti – but this year would be all about two drivers. Ferrari’s Niki Lauda and McLaren’s James Hunt.

Few could have predicted the twists and turns of this title fight, with the events of this season becoming legend 30 years later when Peter Morgan and Ron Howard decided the spectacle of Lauda and Hunt needed to be immortalised through film. The movie ‘Rush’ came out in 2013, with Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth playing our title protagonists Lauda and Hunt, respectively.

The silver screen brought to life the relationship between the rivals, the contrast in their approach to racing, Lauda’s horror crash at the Nordschleife in Germany as well as his remarkable recovery and the nail-biting title decider in Japan.

The movie quickly became a cult hit so, to mark the occasion, let’s explore all things Rush and the famous season that inspired it. Spoilers!

The backstory to a famous season

The movie begins with scenes from the pair’s rivalry in junior categories, although Hunt has previously said the pair were quite friendly as they travelled together around Europe. They had very different routes into racing, with Lauda racing in Formula Vee, three, and two, before eventually joining the March F1 team thanks to a hefty loan. On the other hand, Hunt raced on a budget after failing to get the support from his parents for his Championship aspirations. However, Hunt secured the backing of Lord Alexander Hesketh and found himself fighting with the very best despite the poor machinery.

While Hunt was fighting for points in his Hesketh, Lauda had shown promise in the BRM before a glowing review from team mate Clay Regazzoni got the Austrian a drive for Ferrari. Team boss Enzo Ferrari liked Lauda’s attitude, work ethic and analytical approach, the latter earning Lauda the nickname ‘Computer,’ and he secured Ferrari’s faith by winning both the 1975 Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships – the Italian team’s first title in a decade.

Lauda’s lead curtailed

Hunt had a horrible start to his 1976 campaign, achieving one podium in his first six races thanks to several retirements and a disqualification after winning in Spain due to the car being too wide. Lauda on the other hand was flying, with four wins and two second-place finishes giving him a huge lead in the Championship.

We see how Hunt is struggling on and off the track in the movie, but getting his Spain win reinstated after the 1.5cm infraction was deemed ‘minimal’, along with a win in France helps him get back on track. However, the defining moment of the season came at the German Grand Prix at the Nordschleife. Conditions were dire – fog, rain, and a 23km (14mi) circuit made it a very dangerous event, but the drivers decided to race despite some being concerned over safety.

After boxing on Lap 1 for dry tyres in changing conditions to make up lost time from a poor start, Lauda had a suspected suspension failure before he hurtled into the wall halfway round the eight-minute lap. Following the huge impact, he bounced back into the track into the oncoming Harald Ertl and Brett Lunger. With Lauda’s car on fire, Ertl and Lunger attempted to help, with Arturo Merzario pulling up in his Wolf car to join the attempts to extract the Austrian from the wreckage. A helicopter arrived six minutes later and transported Lauda to hospital in critical condition.

The recovery for the finale

Lauda was fighting for his life, having inhaled toxic fumes from the fire, but the severe burns to his face were glaring reminders of the level of severity of the incident. Ferrari didn’t run in Austria after the shock of the crash, and only ran Regazzoni in the Netherlands, before hiring Carlos Reutemann for the Italian Grand Prix.

But the grid was about to find out what kind of competitor Lauda really was. Lying in hospital watching Hunt close the Championship gap after winning in Zandvoort, the Ferrari man was determined to make a comeback, and in front of the Tifosi in Monza, Lauda was back racing again just six weeks after almost losing his life.

Ferrari were caught off guard by his return, running three cars that weekend with Lauda in the spare. Qualifying fifth, Lauda drove a fearless but measured race to come home in fourth, and with Hunt spinning off, the Ferrari hero had hope in the title fight again. Battling through his bandaged burns and pain caused by his helmet, Lauda finished P8 and P3 in Canada and at Watkins Glen, leaving Hunt three points behind him after the Briton won both those races.

The finale was at Fuji Speedway in Japan, and once again, the weather conditions were in play. Torrential rain under Mount Fuji had led to several drivers calling for the race to be cancelled, but the Championship decider went ahead. However, Lauda pulled into the pits on Lap 2 to retire, saying how it was too dangerous with his injuries making visibility difficult. All Hunt had to do was finish third, and after battling through a puncture and the treacherous track, he came third to win the title.

The movie closes with a monologue from Lauda, who talks about how Hunt had achieved all that he wanted, leading to a lack of success after 1976, and how their rivalry had motivated him greatly. The final quote delivered by Brühl – “He was among the very few I liked and even fewer that I respected. He remains the only person I envied,” really captured the esteem Lauda held Hunt. The Austrian went on to win two more titles in 1977 and 1984, enjoying a career in the aerospace industry and with the Mercedes team, while Hunt became a legendary commentator alongside Murray Walker.

The filming of Rush

Authenticity was central to the creation of Rush, with the filmmakers determined to immerse viewers in the cinematography, even if the dialogue wasn’t identical to the past. To capture the true character of the 70s era, much of the racing action was filmed at historic tracks, including Brands Hatch and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The latter carried special significance as the site of Lauda’s life-changing crash, adding an extra layer of realism to the film.

But to make the racing scenes in Rush feel authentic, it was all about advanced preparation and creativity from the filming team. Director Ron Howard and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle planned racing sequences months in advance, even using archive footage to map out the rhythm and visuals of scenes. On track, Mantle adopted what he called a “curious camera” approach by giving operators freedom to chase the action rather than overdirect it, creating raw, almost documentary-style shots that mirrored the chaos of 1970s F1 racing.

That realism extended to the cars used and how they were driven. With the original 1976 McLaren and Ferrari machinery far too precious to risk, period Formula cars were painstakingly reproduced, while professional racing drivers worked alongside the stunt team to storyboard every move. Hemsworth and Brühl trained extensively in simulators and at track days to ensure their body language behind the wheel felt and looked right.

But perhaps most realistic was the way Brühl was able to perfectly play Niki Lauda – flawlessly channelling all the idiosyncrasies of Lauda’s distinctive personality, and physically being a perfect match for the Austrian. The story of how that performance came to be is just as fascinating in its own right.

As Brühl recalled in a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Lauda made the first move. Lauda called the actor to say: “Yeah, it’s Niki. I guess we have to meet,” before advising Brühl to pack light in case they didn’t get on! However, the visit soon stretched beyond its original plan, and what followed proved to become an unfiltered immersion into Lauda’s world.

There were surprisingly candid conversations about the crash and its aftermath, life on and off the track, and front-row access to his sharp and painfully honest way of speaking.

Brühl even said: “People close to him said it was surprising how gentle and nice he was to me.” It was that rare opportunity that allowed Brühl to perfectly capture not just Lauda the racing driver, but the man.

Although Hunt never got to see the film, having passed away in 1993, Lauda said he would have enjoyed the film greatly, while Lord Hesketh was impressed by Hemsworth’s depiction of the Briton.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, he said: “You couldn’t do better – it practically was James Hunt.”

Movie reception

Rush was recognised by the British Academy Film Awards, getting three nominations for Outstanding British Film, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Sound, and with Rush’s Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill winning a Best Editing BAFTA. The movie also received four nominations at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. Crucially, the film got a great reception from the F1 drivers, getting a standing ovation at a private screening according to Brühl.