Pitstop: from pigs to polo - how Freddie Hunt will mark 50th anniversary of James Hunt’s F1 World Championship

Timed almost to perfection as this weekend sees the return of one of motor-sport’s crown jewels, 2026 Le Mans hopeful and son of 1976 Formula 1 World Champion Freddie Hunt appears on the latest episode of PitStop with Jake Boys and Fabio Bocca.

In the upcoming episode, set to be released today, 35-year-old racing driver Hunt regales us with stories of his own racing prowess, his father’s drunken heroics, and the love he has for his 17 pigs.

Freddie’s father, James, will surely be a house-hold name for any sports fans amongst the older generation, but for those unaware of his heroics on the track, the one-time champion became culturally popularised by the 2013 film Rush. The film directed by Ron Howard depicted the phenomenal battle between the McLaren driver and Ferrari’s Niki Lauda all culminating in the British driver winning that year’s championship.

As the podcast progresses past Freddie’s efforts to live in similar fashion to the 1975 sitcom “The Good Life” Jake and Fabio are able to unpack the 2022 Le Mans Cup vice champion’s true opinions on Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of his father and what it’s going to take to mark the 50th anniversary of James Hunt’s F1 world championship with a win in Le Mans.

(I would not wish to spoil the beautifully honest terminology Hunt uses when analysing Thor’s presentation of the former world champion but suffice to say it is not particularly complimentary).

The podcast then allows for a stunningly poignant moment as the 35-year-old Reiter Engineering driver remembers his father’s humble yet cheeky personality before the Pitstop podcasters return to track talk as Hunt prepares for what will be his biggest challenge behind the wheel: winning the 2026 Le Mans 24 hour race.

Despite being the son of a former Formula 1 World Champion, lifting the 2026 Le Mans trophy is not such a stroll in the park as his name might suggest it could be. For, as Hunt points out, his name “opens doors but it doesn’t walk me through them.”

The former professional polo player deliberates over sponsorship nightmares as he explains the extreme financial pressure required to even be able to compete at the 24 hour race, let alone try and win it.

For now, it’s all about ‘keeping the rust off’ and forging relationships with potential sponsors as they await the prestigious invite in three years time.

But the ultimate plan is to remember his father’s biggest sporting achievement 50 years after the fact in the most fitting manner possible.

As Formula 1 heads to Canada this weekend for the eighth instalment of the 2023 season, the latest Pitstop podcast opens fans to another area of motorsport as well as combining the seemingly opposing passions of racing and conservation. In an hour episode, we listen to how the pressure of being James Hunt’s son can induce ‘mind monkeys’ when racing while uncovering how the platform of being a motorsport driver is set to provide the perfect space for the rewilding a 10,000 acre piece of land.

Go to Pitstop’s YouTube and Spotify channel to catch the latest episode.