Hesketh Racing Formula 1 & Motorcycles
Alexander Lord Hesketh ambitiously founded his British motor racing team in 1973. The team competed in Formula 1 – as well as in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Alexander Lord Hesketh ambitiously founded his British motor racing team in 1973. The team competed in Formula 1 – as well as in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Hesketh Racing was born –
The team’s logo, the teddy bear ‘Superbear’
wearing a helmet and racing overalls
The talented British driver James Hunt very quickly became the team’s icon. The racing team developed a pop-star image, as their cheerful nature, legendary parties and a certain carefree attitude were highly unusual in the Formula 1 circuit, which was extremely dangerous for drivers at the time. It was also the heyday of grid girls and the media, who constantly followed the drivers around, both in the paddock and in their free time.
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James Hunt secured his first Formula 1 contract with Hesketh Racing in 1973. Lord Hesketh invested a large portion of his family inheritance, pouring immense dedication and passion into his own team and technical development. One could say: “No Hesketh, no Hunt.” The comparison is often made: with the Hesketh team, Formula 1 saw its first “pop icons”. James Hunt drove for Hesketh up to and including 1975, then became Formula 1 World Champion in 1976 in the McLaren M23 – that was 50 years ago.
A motorsport legend returns after 50 years
In 1975, Lord Hesketh and James Hunt unveiled the newly developed F1 car, the ‘Hesketh 308C’, to the press at the Hesketh family estate in Easton Neston.
It is precisely this car – this very 380 C Hesketh – that will be making an appearance at the Grand Meeting in 2026 and can be seen on the circuit. James Hunt’s son – Freddie Hunt – racing driver, endurance specialist, LMP3 driver and a thoroughly likeable ‘young gun’ – is coming to the festival at Rittergut Birkhof near Korschenbroich/Düsseldorf as the ‘next generation’. A motorsport story comes full circle.
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Rare icons on two wheels:
The Hesketh V1000 at the Grand Meeting
In 1978, Lord Hesketh’s involvement in Formula 1 with Hesketh Racing came to an end with a final appearance at the Kyalami Grand Prix in South Africa. As enterprising as ever, Lord Hesketh then began building motorcycles in 1979 – unveiling the ‘Hesketh V1000’ in the spring of 1980. Unfortunately, he was not successful with this venture and, after building just 139 machines, brought Hesketh Motorcycles plc’s commercial operations to an end. The original aim had been to revitalise the ailing British motorcycle industry with great enthusiasm.
The machines were innovative, incorporating successful design features from manufacturers such as those in Japan: the Hesketh V1000, for instance, was the first British motorbike to feature four valves per cylinder and four overhead camshafts. We will have the pleasure of showcasing no fewer than two Hesketh V1000 motorbikes at the festival from 31 July to 2 August. A truly rare sight.
Please make sure to book your tickets for the Grand Meeting in advance –
Tickets for 2026 are limited.
