The Pebble Beach Concours Marks 75 Years of Formula 1 Racing

Contact: Camryn Garcia or Kandace Hawkinson
(831) 622-1700; media@pebblebeachconcours.net

[PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA, July 28, 2025] ­­­­— In 1976, Niki Lauda and the Ferrari 312 T2 reshaped what it meant to be a champion.

“Ferrari is synonymous with Formula 1, being the only manufacturer to have contested all 75 F1 seasons and winning 15 titles in the process,” said Miles Morris, a Concours Selection Committee member. “Perhaps their most memorable season was in 1976, with Austrian Niki Lauda racing the sublime Ferrari 312 T2, an example of which we will have on the Pebble Beach Concours lawn as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of F1.” 

Lauda, World Champion in 1975, began the 1976 season behind the wheel of Ferrari’s new 312 T2 (chassis 026), winning the Grand Prix in Belgium and Monte Carlo and finishing on the podium in Spain and Sweden. By the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring, Lauda had transitioned to a slightly more advanced version of the car (chassis 028).

That morning, August 1, the sky was a sheet of gray as rain steadily drizzled, soaking the track and casting doubt over how the race would unfold. However, moments before the 5-light countdown, the skies slowly cleared, and sunlight beamed. The stillness before ignition held the weight of history, setting the scene for a race that would not soon be forgotten.

As the race began, drivers sped off the grid, but soon most of them, including Lauda, pitted for a change of tires. Lauda then began to ramp up speed and was in the lead when, approaching a sharp left turn, he lost control and crashed, and his Ferrari went up in flames. Laudasuffered severe burns and was given last rites.

But just six weeks later, still raw from his burns, Lauda heroically climbed back into 026 for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and finished 4th. Throughout the remainder of the season, he and James Hunt battled tooth and nail up to the last race at Fuji, in Japan, which began with Lauda three points ahead. This race started in pouring rain, and after one lap, Lauda pulled into the pits saying, “There are more important things than the World Championship.” Hunt went on to finish 3rd and pipped Lauda by one point to win the Championship. Lauda also raced 026 in the first two races of the 1977 season before switching to a new car and winning his second World Championship.

Chassis 026 will be on the Pebble Beach Concours competition field along with more than 30 other race cars tracing the full history of Formula 1, from its origins in Grand Prix racing through to the present day.

The 74th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, to be held on August 17 at The Lodge at Pebble Beach, will also celebrate the centennials of Chrysler, Invicta, Moretti and the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Virgil Exner designs and the Shelby Cobra 427 will also be featured.

For more information and tickets, please visit pebblebeachconcours.net.