Lauda retired on lap two at Fuji; Hunt won the 1976 title by one point

Fifty years ago at Fuji, Niki Lauda retired on lap two of the rain-delayed Japanese Grand Prix. With Lauda out of the points, James Hunt still needed at least third to win the 1976 Formula 1 title; after a late stop dropped him to fifth, he passed two rivals on lap 71 and took the championship by one point over Lauda.

Torrential rain delayed the start, and drivers debated whether the race should go ahead. Lauda said, “my life is worth more than a title.” Ferrari tried to encourage him to rejoin, while Emerson Fittipaldi also withdrew soon afterward, citing the conditions.

Lauda arrived at Fuji with 68 points to Hunt’s 65, despite missing two races earlier in the season after his German Grand Prix accident. The scoring system awarded points to the top six in a 9-6-4-3-2-1 order; if Lauda scored none, Hunt needed third or better to become champion.

Hunt looked set for an easy win until the track began to dry and his tyres faded. His late pit stop dropped him to fifth, two places below the required position. On lap 71 of 73, he passed Alan Jones and Clay Regazzoni to reach third. Mario Andretti won the race; Hunt claimed the championship by one point over Lauda.