The cars were monsters. The Ferrari 312T and McLaren M23D pumped out over 500 horsepower from a 3.0-liter engine, wrapped in a chassis that would crumple like tinfoil in a crash. Seatbelts? Optional. Fireproof suits? Crude at best. Tracks like the old Nürburgring (14 miles, 170 corners, no barriers) were still on the calendar.
The season had been a slugfest. Hunt won in Brazil and Spain (though he was later disqualified in Spain), while Lauda dominated in Belgium, Monaco, and Britain. The title swung back and forth like a pendulum. 1976 formula 1