Words: Holly
Following in the footsteps of his father, Freddie Hunt is carving his own career in the world of racing. Almost a carbon copy of his late father, the 1976 Formula One World Champion James Hunt – the poster boy of racing’s heyday, when it was all about glamour, danger, sex and glory. Among his many accolades, James Hunt claimed to have bed almost 5,000 women and was, without a doubt, the heart-throb of the racing world during the late 70s. But that was his father, and this is Freddie, the resemblance may be uncanny, but the story is not.
During his late teens, Freddie tried to forge his own path in the sport and whilst in practise he had what appeared to be the same talent as his father, as soon as the lights went off, so did the confidence, “I had a mental block of some sort which made me get very uptight in competition. I would put so much pressure on myself I just couldn’t drive to my normal pace and would end up spinning and crashing a lot”. After three years, Freddie turned his back on the race track and headed to Argentina to pursue other sports and interests. Now, several years later, the youngest son of James Hunt is back behind the wheel with a new attitude and improved confidence.
To start things off, can you tell us what exactly you’re up to at the moment – what are you working towards?, Well the ultimate goal is to race in the WEC and to win the Le Mans 24 hour in ideally an LMP car, but GTs are also a possibility. I’m also working with Hackett London on a number of motor racing projects and I’ve just returned from competing in the MRF 2000 in India and the Middle East alongside Mathias Lauda. I’m also racing in the BritCar 24 hour race at Silverstone in April so I’m currently busy testing.
After three years, you stopped racing and moved to Argentina, what spurred you to come back to the sport?, Shortly after moving to Argentina I went to watch a Super TC2000 race near my house in Buenos Aires and the racing bug bit again. After being out of motorsport for those years I had forgotten how much I love it and when I was around the cars – hearing them and smelling them – the urge to race was overwhelming.
How did this time away from the sport help you in getting to where you are now?, It helped enormously. The main reason I stopped racing in the first place is that I couldn’t seem to deliver under pressure. The time I had away from racing allowed me to mature and analyse what the problem was. So when the Castle Combe race came last year I was confident in my new found maturity and I could do the job required of me.
What do you believe has helped to change your mentality towards the sport?, Quite simply – time and age!
What qualities does a young racing driver need to succeed?, Money! Motorsport is very expensive so you either need a very wealthy backer or you need to be very good at getting sponsorship. Patience, determination, bravery and a positive mental attitude are vital. Not to mention a good dose of natural talent – without that, all of the above is useless.
Talk us through the car and team involved in Le Mans., Le Mans, like any other endurance race, is all about survival – getting your car across the finish line in one piece. It’s not necessarily the fastest car/driver out there that wins, it’s the one who can maintain a good steady pace all the way through without getting into trouble.
Trying to forge your own career in racing with your father’s name constantly in play must come with added pressures – how do you deal with this?, As I mentioned before, the pressure was a big issue for me. Now with my new-found maturity I have learned that putting myself under pressure gets me nowhere. The way I now look at it is that it is up to me whether I feel pressure or not. The skill is being able to execute that theory.
What has been one of your greatest accomplishments?, Honestly, I am most pleased with the man that I have become today. When I was a boy I was shy, afraid, had no confidence and very little self-esteem, if any. I was convinced I was a failure. So my greatest accomplishment was being able to turn that around. I now know what I can achieve, how I can achieve it and, most importantly, that I deserve to achieve it.
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