"A lot of teams were quite envious of us having James – there was this guy who was very liked in some respects and outrageous in some of the things he did.

“Afterwards, with other drivers, you never had that same feeling as you had with James. It is a sad loss. If you look at it he had a full life – certainly more than most. Modern drivers will never do the things he did...well, apart from maybe Kimi [Raikkonen].”

Legend has it that the hotel Hunt hunkered down in ahead of the 1976 title-deciding Japanese GP also served as a stop-off point for BA staff.

"Every morning there was a fresh supply of females," team manager Alastair Caldwell reported. James would bounce up to them in his shorts and bare feet, say, 'Hello, I'm James Hunt,' and take them straight upstairs for a party. This happened every day for a fortnight."

"All l can say to that is bulls***," Hunt memorably concluded midway through the 1980 Monaco GP when Murray Walker reported that driver René Arnoux had attributed his lack of form to a change of engine type. "Well, anyway…" continued Murray. Television commentary has never felt quite the same since.

The party continued even after Hunt's death from a heart attack at the age of 45. A sum of £5,000 had been set aside in his will so that his friends and family could give him a suitable send-up. Attendees were summoned with invitation stating: 'It is James' wish that you get p***ed.' Cheers.