James Hunt: 69 points. Niki Lauda: 68 points. World Champion by one point.
Lauda would win two more titles (1977, 1984) and become a legend of aviation and business. Hunt would retire in 1979, famously saying “I got the title, I got the girl (Suzy Miller, briefly), I got the money. What’s left?” He died of a heart attack in 1993, aged 45. 1976 formula 1 season
On a wet, 14-mile monster of a track (no chicanes, just trees and Armco), Lauda’s Ferrari slammed into an embankment, burst into flames, and was hit by another car. Fellow drivers—including Hunt—pulled him from the inferno. Lauda inhaled toxic fumes, suffered third-degree burns on his face and scalp, and his blood was poisoned. Last rites were read. James Hunt: 69 points