1976 British Grand Prix
The 1976 British Grand Prix (formally the John Player Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 18 July 1976 at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, England, United Kingdom. The 76-lap race was the ninth round of the 1976 Formula One season.
| 1976 British Grand Prix | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 9 of 16 in the 1976 Formula One season
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| Race details | |||||
| Date | 18 July 1976 | ||||
| Official name | XXIX John Player Grand Prix | ||||
| Location | Brands Hatch, Kent, England | ||||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
| Course length | 4.206 km (2.613 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 76 laps, 319.656 km (198.588 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Dry | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | Ferrari | ||||
| Time | 1:19.35 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver | Niki Lauda | Ferrari | |||
| Time | 1:19.91 on lap 41 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | Ferrari | ||||
| Second | Tyrrell-Ford | ||||
| Third | Penske-Ford | ||||
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Lap leaders | |||||
British driver James Hunt was involved in a first corner crash that brought out the red flags. Hunt drove his damaged car back to the pits, but did not complete a full lap of the track to do so, instead driving through an access road on the Cooper Straight. The officials declared that, since he had not been on the circuit when the red flag was waved, Hunt would not be allowed to take part in the restart. This news led to much angry feeling amongst the British crowd, who chanted Hunt's name until the stewards, fearing crowd trouble, announced that Hunt would be allowed to take the restart. Hunt duly won the restarted race. Immediately after the race, the Ferrari, Tyrrell and Fittipaldi teams protested against the inclusion of Hunt's car. In September, two months after the event, a decision was reached and Hunt was disqualified, giving Niki Lauda the race win.