James Hunt – profile of a legend

Duke Marketing. 75 mins, £12.99.

As a general rule, Duke’s Legends series has handled its subjects sensitively, and this is no exception. Although there is plentiful footage of Hunt in his F1 career, much of which serves as a reminder of how reproduction standards have improved in the past 20 years or so, nice though it is to see F1 cars sliding again, the nub of the production is an interview with Hunt, conducted by Nigel Roebuck against a twittering backing track supplied by the late world champion’s budgerigar collection.

The conversation, which is largely reflective, captures the essence of Hunt: charismatic, unspoilt and, above all, intelligent.

The conversational part of the tape is actually the best bit. The action sequences are a trifle patchy, and certain key topics – for instance the startline shunt in the 1976 British GP at Brands Hatch – are illustrated by stills, which makes for slightly messy editing.

For all that, this is definitely worthwhile.

Hunt’s exploits with the Hesketh March in 1973 were amongst the things that most intrigued my schoolboy mind, and watching this revives many happy memories. However you don’t need to have grown up with a soft spot for Hesketh Racing to enjoy it. It’s an engaging appreciation of a man upon whom affection was lavished by a multitude of generations. S A