Niki Lauda 'hands' F1 rival world championship glory with stunning decision

It is perhaps F1's greatest forgotten title decider coming in a season which itself is perhaps overlooked in the absolute all-time great debates.

1976 had McLaren going at it with old rivals Ferrari, contentious disqualifications, the reigning world champion nearly dying in pursuit of his defence, and a showdown at the first-ever Japanese GP for the ages.

October 24th marks exactly 50 years - half a century since the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix - the day James Hunt defeated Niki Lauda in one of the most astonishing title deciders of all-time. 

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1976 title decider

After the trials and tribulations of 1976 that included Hunt being disqualified from a win at Brands Hatch and Lauda receiving the last rites, twice, after his horrifying accident at the German Grand Prix, and missing two races, the title race boiled down to a showdown at Fuji.

Coming into the race, Lauda had 68 points to Hunt on 65, in the days of the top six scoring points in the 9-6-4-3-2-1 system. 

Essentially, it meant that if, for whatever reason, Lauda failed to score any points, Hunt was required to finish third or better to take the title. 

As race day dawned in Japan, the heavens opened and the torrential rain forced a delay whilst drivers even debated about taking the start.

Eventually, they did, but on the second lap, in a act of defiance, Lauda pulled into the pits and retired, claiming that "my life is worth more than a title" - as Ferrari tried to encourage him back into the race - one two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi would also soon withdraw from citing the conditions.

But Hunt ploughed on, and looked set for an easy win until the track started to dry and his tyres fell away, prompting a late pit-stop, in which he fell to fifth, two places below where he needed.

On Lap 71 of 73, Hunt overtook both Alan Jones and Clay Regazzoni to haul himself into the magical third place - as he sealed the most astonishing of titles to become Britain's sixth world champion after Mike Hawthorn, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, John Surtees, and Jackie Stewart by just one point over Lauda.

The race itself was won by Mario Andretti who was now taking F1 seriously with Lotus, the big story, one which would, of course, become a Hollywood film with Rush in 2013 was Hunt vs Lauda - one of the greatest rivalries in F1 history. 

Having climbed to the top of the mountain, Hunt dropped off in 1977 as Lauda wrestled his title back, and by mid-1979, both had retired from grand prix racing, although Lauda would be tempted back in 1982 for a four-year spell, at McLaren of all places, which yielded the 1984 title.

To this day, Lauda remains the only driver in F1 history to win the drivers' world championship for Ferrari and McLaren.