1977 saw Niki Lauda start the season, scarred but fit. And determined to put his horrific accident in '76 behind him. Despite Lauda's poor start and total of only 3 wins for the season, he picked up points at all but three GPs, and was rewarded for his consistency with his second championship victory. Lauda chose not to complete the season, and instead, Ferrari gave the drive to a young and ambitious Gilles Villeneuve.
1976 saw reigning Champion Niki Lauda start as the favourite in his Ferrari, as nearest rival Emerson Fittipaldi made the patriotic switch from McLaren to the Brazilian-funded Copersucar team. This left a hole at McLaren, filled by the ambitious, British hopeful, James Hunt, to set the scene for a dramatic season of racing. 1976 will probably be best remembered for Lauda's horrific accident at the Nurburgring that nearly ended his life and saw him rushed to hospital with major burns. His resilience and dedication to racing saw him make a remarkable recovery, returning six weeks later to ensure a thrilling climax to a season that ended with only one point separating 1st and 2nd place in the championship. Again it was the last eventful race in Japan that decided the title.
Clay Regazzoni was a Swiss Formula 1 driver, born on September 5, 1939, in Lugano, Switzerland. He was known for his determined driving style and played a key role in Ferrari's resurgence in the early 1970s. Regazzoni won five Grand Prix races during his F1 career and finished as the runner-up in the 1974 World Championship. His career was cut short after a crash at the 1980 United States Grand Prix West, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He tragically passed away on December 15, 2006, in Parma, Italy, following a road accident.
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