He was strong enough to become a champion, but could not fight with his demons. Anyway, he is my favorite racer after Ayrton Senna. All his life was like a race, with sharp turns and constant desire to increases the speed. James Hunt a British racing driver of F1. In his first year with McLaren, Hunt won the 1976 World Drivers' Championship. It was the only time when he became a champion.
After retiring from F1 James Hunt almost immediately received an offer to become a journalist on BBC to comment races. Moreover, his deep knowledge of all the nuances of racing, coupled with a ruthless sense of humor, attracted to him crowds of new fans. In 1980, James returned to Britain. He didn't like life in Spain, and as soon as the government changed the tax policy, he returned home:
"I always intended sooner or later to return to Britain and live here. Here is my home, my family and my friends, and I prefer the English culture and way of life." (James Hunt)
James bought house in England and a few acres of land, and was thinking about how to start a farm. He and Jane (his girlfriend since 1977) wanted to have a baby and even planned to get married, though both were not entirely sure of the necessity of such a step. Besides, Jane had a miscarriage all the time. Several times in the 1980's, James received offers from different teams, "Formula 1", but always refused:
"it makes no sense to risk my neck for money that you don't need. You will not be able to spend it if you die". (James Hunt)
However, James could not live just like that, without overcoming and striving for something. He needed to direct his intense energy somewhere and he has back to skiing, which abstained during a sports career for fear of injury. He was afraid for good reason: in March 1980, in Switzerland he tore a ligament in his left knee. The injury was more serious than all which he received, as a racer, and after the surgery he several weeks was confined to a hospital bed.
James couldn't sleep, pain killers did not help, forced immobility did not allow him to vent his frustration in physical exercise as he used to, and as a result, he became increasingly nervous and gloomy. He started drinking heavily and smoking more marijuana.
In September 1982, James met Sarah Lomax. A year after Dating they got married and settled in a big house in Wimbledon, with a half hundreds of budgerigars, which returned James into his childhood hobby. He bred them with the same sense of purpose that drove the car, and was very proud when his birds won rosettes at shows. Hospitable house of James was famous for loud parties, which lasted sometimes until the morning.
12 September 1985, James and Sarah became the parents of their first son. In November 1989, James and Sarah divorced. It was a very difficult time for both, the divorce procedure pushed James to the bottom. Mike Dennett, his close friend, occasionally suffered from bouts of depression too, he was the only one whom James would admit to himself at this time.
"He was trying to get rid of depression for many years, and therefore brought the budgies. He thought they can to distract him, and soon turned from a hobby into an obsession. He sat for hours in the aviary, but returned still sulking, and was so self-involved that it was impossible to even talk." (Mike Dennett)
However, James was a fighter. He didn't wait until something happens, he decided it was time to do something. He treated himself as a doctor, cutting off one after the other from his vices to find out where is the problem. He stopped drinking, smoking cigarettes and marijuana, take drugs.
"He tried a variety of methods – acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and have studied all the possible theories. Went to different specialists – psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts and other to understand the causes of his depression. And in the end he overcame it". (Mike Dennett)
James began again to exercise, comply with a healthy diet, becoming more focused on his job. New James was loved by all of his colleagues from the world of journalism, even those who had treated him with hostility. Probably the decision of James to be a better person than he was, was influenced on the fact that in 1989 he met the woman who eventually became the love of his life.
Helen Dyson was studying in art school and worked as a waitress at the restaurant where James often went out to dinner. Love to Helen and to the children – that's what changed James, and helped him finally to find himself. He no longer needed to smoke, drink and indulge in other pursuits with which he distracted himself before. He never even cheated on Helen. He had everything he need for happiness, and no longer needed to deaden the inner emptiness of casual relationships. James even told to ex-wife Sarah how happy with Helen, and she was sincerely happy for him.
In June 1993, Helen went on vacation to Greece with his girlfriend on "the bachelorette". James invited to stay his close friend Mike Dennett, during her absence. A few days later he called Helen on the phone and made her an offer to marry, she enthusiastically accepted. Afterwards, James returned to the billiard match with Mike, they had dinner, then played another hour and went to their rooms to sleep. At half past ten in the morning Mike got up and saw that James didn't come down for breakfast, and went to wake him.
He found James lying on the floor beside the bed, in a bathrobe. James even couldn't to get to bed, heart stopped suddenly. It was 15 June 1993. James Hunt was 45 years old.
In his will James donated 5,000 pounds to his many friends had a lot of fun at his funeral – it was done.