- October 3 down the years
Hunt takes season to the wire
What happened on this day in Formula One history?
1976
James Hunt cut Niki Lauda's lead in the drivers' championship to eight points with two races remaining with victory in front of 85,000 at the Canadian Grand Prix. He was pursued all the way by Patrick Depailler, eventually winning by 100 yards. Both drivers needed medical treatment after finishing, Hunt because he drove into a barrier on his victory lap, Depailler because of burns to his back caused by leaking fuel in his Tyrrell. "The left eye, she is completely closed," he said of his final laps. "Fortunately the pain, she keep me awake." He collapsed as he climbed out of his car and had to be rushed to hospital. Lauda, meanwhile, finished back in eighth and out of the points.
1971
Francois Cevert won the last race of the season, the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, capping a season where he had really made a mark with a brace of seconds and third place in the drivers' championship. It was surprisingly his one and only F1 win, and was achieved at a circuit where he was to lose his life two years and four days later. His prize money was £20,835. Jackie Ickx drove a storming race, smashing the lap record and cutting Cevert's lead to three seconds before his Ferrari spluttered to a half with ignition trouble.
1965
Graham Hill in a BRM completed a hat-trick of successive wins at the US Grand Prix after an early ding-dong battle with Jim Clark in a Lotus-Climax which ended when Clark withdrew with engine trouble on the 11th of 110 laps.
1941
Andrea de Adamich, born on this day in Trieste, managed two fourth-place finishes in 36 races over five seasons. His career ended with a spectacular crash at the British Grand Prix in 1973 but he went on to become a successful journalist and TV pundit in his native Italy.
1969
Massimiliano Papis, born in Como, was Emerson Fittipladi's son-in-law but his F1 career was not nearly as successful, limited to seven races for Footwork in 1995. He proved more successful when he switched to sports car racing in the USA.
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