1970 was a year of transition in racing at the sharp end; a season that pitched the old guard against a feisty new breed of drivers pushing forward into a new era. Nothing symbolised the battle more than the cars used by top contenders: Jacky Ickx’s Ferrari 312B relied on brute force to compensate for its outdated styling, whereas Jochen Rindt’s Lotus 72 showed that radical aerodynamics represented a brave and (potentially) faster way forward. Jackie Stewart was the defending champion but took nothing for granted. When different drivers won the first four races, Stewart, and the world, knew that the title fight was wide open. Thrilling battles ensued until triumph and tragedy came together in one fatal collision at Monza resulting in Jochen Rindt becoming the first posthumous champion.
The 1971 season saw a major skirmish in the battle between 12-cylinder rearguards BRM, Ferrari and Matra against the ever growing ranks of teams using the lighter and cheaper Ford DFVs. Ferrari’s aging flat-12 powered 312 earned debutant Mario Andretti a welcome win in the first race of the season, but once ‘69 world champion Jackie Stewart found his stride with the monocoque Trell-Ford 003, there wasn’t too much joy for fans of the big twelves. As the season progressed, Stewart and Tyrell developed a magical recipe that combined a very well designed car, a strong reliable engine and the Scot’s sublime talent. Stewart was helped to victory by an extremely talented chasing pack that saw wins spread between four other drivers, making it hard for anyone to sustain the momentum needed to overhaul the flying Scotsman. The 1971 season is perfectly summarised in this 52 minute piece of nostalgia. Relive key events from this colourful, exciting and hard-fought year of racing.
In 1972 all eyes were on the defending champion Jackie Stewart and expectations were high that he would repeat the total domination of the previous year. He made his intentions clear with an emphatic win in the 1st race – cruising home half a minute ahead of the chasing pack. However, there was another driver intent on stealing his crown: Emerson Fittipaldi, a whirlwind of talent and youthful arrogance in his iconic black and gold Lotus 72. And it turned out to be a thrilling season of on-the-limit action that climaxed at Monza – Fittipaldi’s spiritual home. Stewart’s broken clutch put him out of the race, ensuring Fittipaldi’s place in the record books. At just 25 years of age, ‘Emmo’ became the then youngest-ever driver to take the coveted champion’s laurels.
Jackie Stewart had taken the title in ‘71 but Brazilian prodigy Emerson Fittipaldi was the reigning champion. At the start of the 1973 season there was no question regarding intention: Jackie Stewart wanted his title back. It was Fittipaldi who laid down the gauntlet, winning three out of the first four races. However, Stewart refused to buckle under pressure, and consistent displays of driving genius with the Tyrrell wondercar brought him right back into contention. By the halfway point of the season, Stewart led the title race by a single point. From this, he turned on the style, transforming his slender lead into something that was simply unassailable. After tragedy struck his team mate Francois Cevert at Watkins Glen he retired from racing at the end of the season as champion – with his position as one of the all-time greats assured - and dedicated himself to improving safety in the sport he loved.
Jackie Stewart’s retirement at the end of the 1973 season created a power vacuum that sucked a host of racers, old and new, into the battle for the drivers’ title. And what a season! Predicting the outcome of each race was impossible as the drivers battled to come to terms with closer racing in faster cars with better tyres. It was reliability as much as driving skill that kept the leaderboard in a state of constant flux. By the final race of the season McLaren’s Emerson Fittipald, Clay Regazzoni for Ferrari and Tyrell’s Jody Scheckter were locked in a fascinating three-way battle for the title. It went right down to the wire.
Ferrari's prancing horse found its step again, marrying the awesome 312T to the brute force of the flat-12 engine and the development and driving genius of Niki Lauda. However, it wasn’t plain sailing all the way. 1975 was an unsettled season, full of disagreements and problems that saw four races stopped prematurely for safety reasons and the Canadian round cancelled over money issues. Niki Lauda shone through the challenges, winning four out of five mid-season races to take the drivers’ title away from his closest rival and defending champion Emerson Fittipaldi. When he also secured the constructor title for Ferrari in front of a frenzied Italian crowd at Monza, the world knew the Scuderia was back.
The reigning champion, Ferrari’s Niki Lauda, started the 1976 season as the favourite. His nearest rival, Emerson Fittipaldi, made the patriotic switch from McLaren to the Brazilian-funded Copersucar team. This left a hole at McLaren, filled by flamboyant Brit James Hunt. Tyrrell stole the limelight early on with their revolutionary six-wheeled P34. Hunt quickly adapted to life at McLaren and, unfazed by Lauda's early dominance, continued to pick up valuable points and podium finishes. The 1976 season however will probably be best remembered for Niki Lauda's horrific accident at the Nurburgring that nearly ended his life. His resilience and dedication to racing saw him make a remarkable recovery, returning six weeks later to ensure a thrilling climax to a season that ended with only one point separating 1st and 2nd place in the championship.
Following his horrific accident at the Nürburgring in 1976, Niki Lauda continued his incredible recovery coming into the 1977 season. To go from near-death to challenging for the drivers’ title in ‘76 was truly impressive, but to come back the following season and be right at the sharp end was a phenomenal performance that put Niki securely in the pantheon of great F1 champions. The first race of the season, in Argentina, saw the Wolf team start their extremely successful debut season with a stunning maiden victory. Jody Scheckter went on to take second place in the championship. The season also saw the breakthrough of promising young driver Gilles Villeneuve.
With Lauda at Brabham and Ferrari taking on the young Gilles Villeneuve, Frank Williams and Patrick Head forming Williams Grand Prix Engineering with Alan Jones in the driving seat and Brabham ditching their six-wheeler, it was all change for 1978. Brabham’s BT46B ‘fan car’ was the talk of the paddock as it arrived in Anderstorp for the Swedish Grand Prix - the incredible downforce made it virtually unbeatable, but its designers knew it was a hammer to crack a nut in comparison to the stunning Lotus Type 79. In the capable hands of Andretti and Peterson the ground effect Lotus 79 showed just how important aerodynamics had become to the design process, and the advantage Colin Chapman’s car enjoyed would send all the other teams’ designers back to the drawing boards for the ‘79 season.
Carlos Reutemann moved to partner Mario Andretti at Lotus as Jody Scheckter took his seat at Ferrari. Wolf filled the gap left by Scheckter with James Hunt, and McLaren gave John Watson a drive in place of Hunt. Over the first two races Ligier showed they had learned the lessons Lotus had taught the other teams in 1978, with Jacques Laffite taking victories in the new JS11. By the third race, Ferrari’s 312T4 ground effect model was ready for its debut. As the season progressed Williams’ reliability improved and Alan Jones demonstrated the team’s pace, winning four out of the last six races. For Williams and Jones it was too little too late, whilst Scheckter and Villeneuve gave Ferrari a brilliant 1-2 finish in the drivers’ title fight and secured the constructors’ championship into the bargain.
The new decade brought a record number of entries for the start of the season. Although Sheckter and Ferrari were reigning champions, the end of the previous season set the tone for 1980: the impressive performance of Williams and Alan Jones continued into early part of the new season. When Jones’s momentum faltered Nelson Piquet in the Brabham BT49 took advantage and pushed Jones hard taking three wins to finish runner-up but suffering from more inconsistency than his Williams rival. Whatever Piquet’s reliability woes, they were as nothing to the annus horribilis for Jody Scheckter and Ferrari, which ended with the South African retiring from the sport at the close of the year.
From the first green light at the West Long Beach, the season was charged with controversy. The aerodynamic skirts had gone and new hydraulic devices were in place. Carbon fibre bodies appeared as cars were re-invented during the layoff in the winter months. There was racing of the highest throughout the season with Argentina’s enigmatic Carlos Reutemann on the offensive. Enjoy action from every round as points go in every direction as young chargers like Alain Prost, Elio de Angelis and Nigel Mansell started to make a mark against seasoned veterans such as Mario Andretti. Taking in some of the classic circuits such as Silverstone, Zandvoort and Monza alongside new courses such as the Caesar’s Palace season closer, this was a season packed with interest and drama from day one. The charismatic Nelson Piquet would lift the World Championship with a single point separating him from runner-up, Reutemann.
The 16 rounds in this end-of-season review capture a dramatic season, with team changes, driver unrest and technical challenges setting the scene for a most unpredictable outcome. Niki Lauda made his comeback with McLaren, Keke Rosberg replaced Alan Jones for Williams, Riccardo Patrese drove for Brabham alongside Nelson Piquet, and Eddie Cheever joined Jacques Lafitte at Talbot-Ligier. The controversy started early in the season with a drivers' strike at the season opener in South Africa leading to a partial race boycott at the San Marino Grand Prix. There was also tragedy as Gilles Villeneuve and Riccardo Palleti lost their lives and Didier Pironi suffered a career ending crash. Eventual champion Keke Rosberg took only one win during a season that saw eleven drivers take the top step of the podium, including nine different winners at consecutive races.
After previous seasons punctuated by controversy and boycotts, the focus in 1983 returned to what was happening on the track with the emphasis on turbos, tyres and spectacularly quick pit stops. Foremost amongst the drivers were Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, Patrick Tambay and René Arnoux. The main change for the season was the complete ban on ground effect aerodynamics, with a mandatory flat undertray introduced to limit the downforce. As turbos increased the available power, teams struggled to find a working formula to make cars driveable as well as fast. Nevertheless Nelson Piquet and Brabham-BMW became the first to win with a turbocharged engine, setting the trend that was to continue until the turbo ban.
The 1984 season was a gripping story dominated by the McLaren TAG Porsche MP4/2 and the battle to the end between team mates Niki Lauda and Alain Prost. From the heat and uncertainties of Brazil to the cliff-hanging finale in Portugal some 16 races later, the season was a winner in terms of drama, interest and excitement. 1984 was also the year the racing world witnessed a new name soon to be on everyone’s lips: Ayrton Senna. For Lauda, the eventual winner, the title was a particularly sweet one as it came seven years after his previous title in ‘77. Prost’s achievements were just as impressive, winning a record seven races to finish within a point of Lauda at the end. New fuel rules gave all teams plenty to think about and in Germany the Nürburgring’s rebirth gave drivers a new challenge to consider. The story of the season is brilliantly narrated by Clive James.
For the first time the drivers themselves provided the commentary for the official review. Join Michele Alboreto, Stefan Johannson, Niki Lauda, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, Keke Rosberg and Ayrton Senna, to get fascinating insights from the personalities behind the wheel. The themes are endless and power-packed: Hear about Lauda’s retirement, Nigel Mansell’s first race wins, the emergence of new talents like Senna, the disappointment of mechanical failures, turbo teething problems, and what it’s like to race on some of the most famous circuits in the world - all from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. The review of the 1985 season has all the main action from every round and the inside story on all the major players, all complemented by their own telling insights on the season as it unfolds.
The cacophony of 30 highly tuned engines each laying down up to 1000hp on the tarmac as the lights turn to green. The spectacle of the World’s finest drivers, cornering on the limit at 180mph and under G-forces often exceeding those experienced by fighter pilots. Or the sight of twin vapour trails spiralling off the rear wing of one of the mighty supercars as its driver cuts through the air on maximum turbo boost, going for pole position. In this review you can experience all these images from the comfort of your armchair. And what a season to watch! A brilliant and determined Briton, Nigel Mansell, has a season-long battle, not only against the hard-charging Brazilian Ayrton Senna in the Lotus, but also Keke ‘ten-tenths’ Rosberg and the reigning world champion Alain Prost, and his team mate Nelson Piquet. All 16 races are featured in this two-hour programme accompanied by the sharp narration and wit Clive James.
Seven years after the sport came under the control of FOCA, Formula 1 was more intercontinental than ever and the coverage was increasingly benefiting from the latest recording technologies. From a standing start in Brazil, through 16 races, 4 continents and a flying finish in Adelaide, the 1987 season provided non-stop entertainment with spectacular racing - all supported by on-board and pit-lane footage, technical insights and characterful interviews. Williams-Honda teammates Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet fought it out all season long whilst checking for Ayrton Senna’s Lotus and the McLaren of Alain Prost in their rearview mirrors. Mansell should have had it with 6 wins to Piquet’s three, but a crash in Japan settled the title in the Brazilian’s favour. Narrated by Academy-Award-winning actor Peter Ustinov.
1988 saw McLaren-Honda rewrite the record books as they redefined performance - taking 15 wins out of 16 races between them - and this action-packed review retells the thrilling story from beginning to end. The last year of turbo engines was suitably thrilling, albeit almost completely dominated by the McLaren team mates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. They may have been driving for the same team but the two biggest stars of the 1980s were, unsurprisingly, extremely motivated. Neither gave an inch to the other on track, leading to several clashes, and sowing the seeds for future rivalry. What the drivers said, how the teams worked, who held the joker at Monza and how the teams travelled the World; all these fascinating questions are answered when Stirling Moss and Tony Jardine give you your pass to the pitlane.
Unlike 1988, the first year of the non-turbo era was anything but a walkover for McLaren-Honda. With Senna and Prost remaining with the British team for 1989, McLaren had the two most talented drivers in the field on their roster and every reason to believe they were in with a good chance of another Driver’s and Constructor’s title double. Then Ferrari wins came in Rio, Hungary and Portugal, Benetton-Ford in Japan, Williams-Renault in Canada and Adelaide. In the end the biggest threat came from within, as the bitter rivalry between the two legends boiled over into spectacular scenes on and off the track culminating in a controversial clash at the penultimate race of the year: Suzuka.
The 1990 season was one of the closest in years as the lead swayed between Ayrton Senna and reigning World Champion Alain Prost - now driving for Ferrari. Senna opened his account for McLaren Honda in a thrilling season opener at the street circuit Phoenix, Arizona. Wet qualifying threw the expected grid into disorder and put Senna in fifth place, the fight back to the lead set the scene for the season. The cavalcade moved to Brazil where Prost drove a typically calculating race to take nine points. Monaco and Canada: advantage Senna. All season the pendulum swung back and forth as each of the great teams found small advantages for their star drivers. As the teams headed to the Far East with everything still to play for, the Japanese Grand Prix became the most important, and most controversial, of the season.
After years of domination, the McLaren-Honda team received a shock in 1991, in the form of Williams-Renault. The Williams were by far the most competitive cars in the Championship. Ferrari, the stars of winter testing, fell into disarray during the season and finished a distant third. Benetton's highpoint was winning the Canadian race and introducing the most dynamic new driver of the season, Michael Schumacher, whilst newcomers Jordan performed superbly to take 'best of the rest' in the Constructors’ Trophy. Ayrton Senna thoroughly dominated the early races of the '91 season, but it soon developed into a tense two-way battle as Nigel Mansell clawed his Williams-Renault into contention. The official review somehow squeezes all the highlights of a dramatic and exciting year into 162 minutes.
Determination paid off for Nigel Mansell in 1992 as he finally succeeded in capturing the crown. Mansell left nothing in reserve as he piloted his Williams-Renault to nine wins and fourteen pole positions: his winning margin was more than 50 points over team-mate Riccardo Patrese. With no Alain Prost, Senna’s McLaren-Honda team off the pace, Ferrari still in the wilderness and Jordan replacing both of their 1991 drivers, ‘92 proved to be a year of turmoil for most of the grid. The exceptional team was Benetton whose young driver Michael Schumacher was proving to be a force to be contended with. With five winners in the final five races of this season the annual review packs in so much action it will reward multiple viewings.
Prost’s retirement in 1991 quickly turned out to be a “sabbatical” as he was unveiled as Williams-Renault’s star driver for the 1993 season with Damon Hill in the second car. With Honda out, McLaren became a Ford customer team, it was the end of a legendary pairing. Senna persisted in what seemed to be an impossible task, trying to stay in contention with the returned Prost and the runaway Williams-Renault. Other notable performances come from the talented Schumacher who deserved better results; Hill, who repaid the support of his team; Barrichello, who did not have the chance to show his potential and Mika Hakkinen who displayed future World Champion qualities with just three appearances.
The official two-hour review of the 1994 season - a year packed with controversy, triumph & tragedy, and lots of ‘down-to-the-wire’ racing. The season will always be remembered for the tragic accident which claimed the life of one of the all-time-greats, Ayrton Senna in the San Marino round on the Imola circuit. Damon Hill took the number one seat at Williams-Renault from Round 4 on, but the 1994 Championship appeared to belong to Michael Schumacher. But then he lost valuable points in controversial circumstances and had to sit out two races. As a result Hill was able to close to within one point following the rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix.
Ascari, Fangio, Brabham, Prost and Senna may have led the way, but in '95 it was the turn of Benetton-Renault’s Michael Schumacher to follow them into the record books. With back-to-back drivers' titles, he became the youngest ever to do so and by the penultimate round of the championship was equalling Mansell's record of nine wins in one season. Schumacher's stunning achievement topped an extraordinarily tough year marked by a strong challenge from chief '94 rival Damon Hill whose Williams-Renault team was chasing a fourth consecutive Constructors' Championship. The Ferraris thrilled the fans with their speed in the capable hands of Alesi and Berger but were too often sidelined by unreliability. McLaren Mercedes had a disappointing season despite the efforts of Mika Hakkinen. Above all though, this official review celebrates a magnificent year for Schumacher and the ultra-efficient Benetton team.
From the opening round of the 1996 season in Melbourne, the potential for an extraordinary year was plainly evident. In particular, the two Williams-Renault team mates were quick to display the sort of skill and determination that would keep this contest on the brink to the very end. As Damon Hill established his campaign to overcome Ferrari’s reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve was proving to be not only an exciting new talent, but a serious title contender. By mid-season, Hill's lead was looking comfortable, but then a disappointing British round began a run of races that would see Villeneuve and Schumacher claw back valuable points. As the finale at Suzuka approached, the outcome of the 1996 Championship rested on just one race and fans the world over held their breath...
Excitement and ultimately triumph for the newest hero in a season that all came down to the last thirty minutes of dramatic action! Williams-Renault and Jacques Villeneuve were clear favourites as the circus lined up on the grid in Melbourne. But Villeneuve raced all season with the mighty challenge of Schumacher and Ferrari resting heavily on his shoulders. Villeneuve... Schumacher...Villeneuve...Schumacher... the battle of the new phenomenon versus the driving genius continued all season long. Throughout the year there was plenty of excitement and interest elsewhere: McLaren-Mercedes were always a threat; Bridgestone challenged Goodyear’s monopoly; Hill gave a champion’s performance in the Arrows; Berger left on a high and Renault closed their latest chapter in style.
The McLaren team took a dominating win at Melbourne to start the 1998 title fight and it seemed the season would be a one-horse race. Then at the third round in Argentina, Michael Schumacher and his Ferrari took the fight to Mika Hakkinen and prefaced another classic back-and-forth battle. As quickly as Hakkinen could pull out a lead, Schumacher reeled him back with sensational drives in Canada and France and strategic drives in Argentina and Hungary, until with two rounds to go, they were even on points. The Championship went down to the final race in Japan where Mika took the honours. But there were no losers, Michael’s gallant season-long charge made for awesome viewing and a magnificent year.
1999 saw Formula 1 celebrate 50 years as the World’s top motor racing series. The season was a classic and a worthy milestone, the most open in years, producing six winners and four title contenders. In the early rounds the Championship was fought out between Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher until the German's accident at the British round. Ferrari, who had a real possibility of winning the Drivers' World championship, were despondent but they had not taken into account Eddie Irvine rising to the challenge. In the end the Championship went down to the wire at the final race in Japan where Hakkinen and Irvine fought a psychological and tactical battle dividing the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship between them.
2000 heralded a season packed full of exciting action. Ferrari wasted no time putting the pressure on McLaren, underlining just how competitive they had become. Michael Schumacher’s early dominance threatened to conclude the championship before it had really begun. But once McLaren found their form, first David Coulthard and then Mika Hakkinen challenged for the title. With the aid of Ferrari’s master strategist Ross Brawn, Schumacher’s persistence and determination won him nine races. Early rumours that Hakkinen had lost motivation were quashed after a gripping race in Spa, where the Finn pulled off one of the most sensational overtaking manoeuvres in memory. Get set for a scintillating season of top-quality F1 action.
What a season! Records tumbled, new boys rocked the establishment and one man wrote his name into the history books. Michael Schumacher - 9 wins, 123 points and 14 podium finishes! Not that he had it all his own way. The tyre war between Bridgestone and Michelin sent lap times tumbling and helped Williams break the stranglehold of Ferrari and McLaren. 3 wins for Ralf made it 12 in total for the Schumacher family in 2001. Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen staked their claims as stars of the future and Fernando Alonso shone at Minardi after they just made it in time for Australia. And if you thought the return of traction control in Spain would take the edge off the racing, think again.
In 2001, Michael Schumacher had stamped his name in the history books; in 2002 he shattered the records and raised the game above all expectations. 11 race wins, 144 points and never once finishing off the podium: Schumacher stormed his way to a fifth World Championship matching the great Juan Manuel Fangio. It wasn’t all about Schumacher though: Juan Pablo Montoya became the fastest man in Formula One, smashing a 17 year record held by Keke Rosberg. In other highlights on the official review Rubens Barrichello pushes the champion like no team-mate has done before, Kimi Raikkonen stakes his claim as the new Flying Finn, F1 debutantes Toyota score points in their first race and Australian Mark Webber brings unexpected joy to perennial underdogs Minardi.
The 2003 season promised to be great; it turned out one of the best for years! Classic on-track battles combined with off-track mind games, delivering an intensely competitive year of action and drama. Eight different drivers won Grands Prix, including three first-timers. And it all went down to the last race for a thrilling climax. McLaren-Mercedes Kimi Raikkonen and Montoya (BMW Williams) were in contention right to the end, but could they hold off the mighty Schumacher in his Ferrari? This official review is two hours of non-stop entertainment from start to finish.
The 2003 season was unprecendented, but 2004 was just remarkable. Thirteen wins out of eighteen handed Michael Schumacher his record breaking seventh FIA Formula One Drivers Championship title. To say that Michael's ruthless domination of the sport was the only story of 2004 is just not true. McLaren and Williams fell by the wayside with just one win each, leaving Renault and BAR to pick through the pieces. This year marked Jenson Button's meteoric rise to become a genuine championship contender. Ride on-board with Jenson as he hits almost 19,000 rpm taking his first ever pole position in Imola. Listen to Takuma Sato's team radio at the start of a race, experience the return of Jacques Villeneuve and the crash that put Ralf Schumacher out for much of the season. 2004 saw East meet West with new circuits in Bahrain and China that brought out the best and worst in Michael Schumacher.
2005 saw a new star emerge in the universe. Fernando Alonso became the youngest driver to take pole position, the youngest race driver to take pole position, the youngest race winner and the then youngest champion. Meanwhile, nine different drivers took pole positions and five won races in this record-breaking season. But the real story was the battle for supremacy between Renault and McLaren as Ferrari fell from grace. Alonso tore into the season with four consecutive wins but Kimi Raikkonen battled back to level pegging with three races remaining - six wins apiece. Don’t miss the nail-biting finale!
In 2006, Fernando Alonso became only the eighth member of the elite group (and the youngest) to win back-to-back World Championships in the 55-year history of Formula 1. Renault picked up where they left off with six wins out of eight and by Canada they looked to have it in the bag. But the turning point came in the USA, with everything falling in Ferrari’s favour. After China, Schumacher and Alonso were equal on points so the battle for both titles would be won and lost in the last two races. Look out for Button’s fiery exit in Australia and his blaze of glory in Hungary. Ride on board with Liuzzi as Räikkönen drives over him! Feel the emotion as Massa wins in Brazil and Michael Schumacher bows out of Formula One after a charge through the field - a genius at his best.
It was a season to rank against any in history, and the official review lets you relive the drama again and again. This is the complete story of the British rookie Lewis Hamilton's staggering debut season, as he shocked the world with stunning performances and amazing maturity. Few thought the youngster would prove a threat to his two-time World Champion teammate Fernando Alonso in his first season, but Lewis ripped up the formbook and emerged as the star of the season. Enjoy this comprehensive look back at the dramatic '07 championship chase and the down-to-the-wire battle for the crown. Stunning footage and interviews bring you all the on-track action, and take you behind-the-scenes of an exceptional - and controversial - season.
If you thought the 2007 season was close, you’ll be blown away by the 2008 season! After 5,450 kilometres of racing, the title was decided in the last few hundred metres. It was Grand Prix racing at its very best. Seven drivers won races, from five different teams, while four drivers headed the Championship standings. Raikkonen wanted to defend his title, but it was team-mate Massa who led Ferrari's charge, and BMW Sauber’s Kubica emerged as a surprise threat. But it was Hamilton who got the job done. Eighteen races of high octane drama that took in all corners of the world. The season also saw the very first night race, run under floodlighting at Singapore. Experience all the drama from exclusive pit lane footage, unique camera angles and the best on-board action.
2009 saw some of the biggest changes in regulations for several decades. With the aim of improving the on-track spectacle slick tyres were re-introduced, aerodynamics were changed and Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) promised the teams who took it up a technological advantage. Over the winter break Honda had withdrawn from the championship and it was with only weeks to spare that Ross Brawn completed the takeover of the team, relaunching as Brawn GP in an iconic, sponsorship-free livery. A remarkable British success story then unfolded, despite the best efforts of Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello. Few would have predicted this new team would dominate so completely at the start with Button going on to secure six wins in the seven opening races.
A four sided battle for the Drivers World Championship raged all year between Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber and McLaren-Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton. In a thrilling finale the title fight went right down to the last race of the year in Abu Dhabi. Although the drivers and constructors championships were dominated by established teams, there were new names on the grid in Bahrain to add even more excitement to an already eagerly anticipated season. Before even a wheel had turned Michael Schumacher’s return was the most talked about feature of the year. The official review is a two-disc set featuring 300 minutes of the best action footage from every race, interviews, exclusive behind-the-scenes access, previously unseen footage and much more.
The Official Review of the 2011 Formula One World Championship brings together all of the thrilling highlights from all 19 action-packed races of the season. Not only that, but you will see excellent interviews, special features, behind-the-scenes access and footage never previously broadcast. The powerful pairing of Sebastian Vettel and the outstanding Red Bull Racing RB7 took pole after pole in a brilliant display of technical excellence matched with skill and determination as the Austrian team battered the opposition on the way to a second consecutive World Championship. Although Vettel and team mate Mark Webber dominated the season wasn’t a one horse race. Teams took on the challenge of adapting to Pirelli’s specially designed tyres and the use of DRS and KERS saw a welcome return to races in which there was plenty of overtaking!
The Official Review of the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship is presented in a 2-disc DVD set to ensure that true fans receive the maximum ‘bang for buck’ entertainment value, ensuring you can relive more vital highlights from throughout the year. So, settle back and get ready to enjoy stunning action-packed racing from a record-breaking season, interviews, behind-the-scenes access and more - it is your comprehensive record of a scintillating Formula 1 year. The first half of the season proved thoroughly unpredictable, with seven different winners in the first seven races, including Nico Rosberg and Pastor Maldonado who took their first Grand Prix wins. Fernando Alonso showed that he still retained the ability to thrill the crowds as he became the unlikely championship leader in a Ferrari that was not the finest car on the grid. Ultimately the title was settled in the very last race of the year in Brazil as Vettel and Red Bull Racing triumphed in greasy conditions.
Sebastian Vettel became the youngest driver to score a point in Formula One on his debut in the USA in 2007. In 2013 he became the youngest to win four consecutive World Championships. His consistency and speed proved an unbeatable combination for his rivals and earned him a record-equalling thirteen wins, as well as an unprecedented nine successive victories in one season.
Really excellent Grand Prix racing often revolves around team mates who are also bitter rivals. Think of Webber vs. Vettel, Mansell vs. Piquet and Musso vs. Collins and Hawthorn. Although the Rosberg/Hamilton personality clash was to the fore in 2014, it didn’t overshadow a year of innovation and development which saw Formula One once more assert its position as the world’s premier motorsport series – and you can be there for every twist and turn of this ground breaking year of racing with this comprehensive review.
The 2015 FIA Formula One World ChampionshipTM was all about Mercedes and their drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Although Ferrari and Red Bull improved their cars throughout the season and the teams using Mercedes power units started the season with a proven package, realistically no-one was going to touch the dominance the German team had established in 2014. Simply put the Official Review of the Formula One Championship is THE motorsport review of the year. From pre-season testing to the final celebratory spray of champagne, the Official Review captures every important moment. Lewis Hamilton may have been to the fore all season but watching the review you’ll be reminded that in Formula One nobody walks to the title – champions always have to fight for the crown.
Thirty four years after his father, Nico Rosberg, followed in Keke's footsteps to become Formula 1 World Champion, creating only the second father-son pairing to win the title alongside Graham and Damon Hill. It was a fight that swung back and forth between the two main protagonists. Nico kicked off the season with four consecutive wins while Lewis was slow off the mark thanks to bad starts and poor reliability. Team relations were pushed to the limit as the drivers' rivalry stepped up a gear. With clashes both on and off track, their ruthless pursuit of the title left their relationship in tatters. The drama went down to the final round in Abu Dhabi. Lewis had nothing to lose while Nico had to keep his cool.
Fangio, Prost, Schumacher and Vettel. In 2017 a fifth name joined the elite list of drivers crowned champion for a fourth time: Lewis Hamilton. But it wasn't easy for the Briton. From the opening race of the season in Australia to the title deciding race in Mexico, via a controversial clash in Azerbaijan, Hamilton traded blows with Sebastian Vettel as a revived Ferrari threatened to end the run of Mercedes domination. But there was so much more to 2017 than an exhilarating title race. The new breed of faster, wider Formula 1 cars caused lap times to tumble and records to be smashed. There were emotional scenes in Canada when Hamilton equalled the 65 pole positions achieved by his hero Ayrton Senna - and six races later, in Italy, the Mercedes man re-wrote the record books again as he smashed Michael Schumacher's all-time pole record.
Winning one Formula One World Championship is extraordinary, but winning five? That's the stuff of legends. In 2018, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel battled it out for a fifth world title alongside the all-time great Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher. First Vettel led the drivers' championship, then it was Hamilton. Thirteen races in, both had five wins each and the Championship was on a knife-edge.
Relive the thrills, spills and battles of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship™ with hours of intense racing action from a fiercely-fought season, featuring commentary from Martin Brundle and David Croft. This edge-of-your-seat review includes on-board footage of every pole position lap, new angles of crashes and additional qualifying coverage – plus loads of bonus features. Get ready to relive the heart-pounding pinnacle of motorsport.
Records broken. Legends made. History rewritten. 2020 was the season that could not be stopped. Sit back, strap in and relive the moments that made the 2020 FIA Formula One World ChampionshipTM one of the most memorable in racing history. Climb into the cockpit for every Pole Position lap with onboard cameras pulling you into the action. Experie
Unpredictable, explosive and intense to the end – experience a season like no other Get ready to dive into the 2021 FIA Formula One World ChampionshipTM – the most thrilling season in recent F1® history. Relive each race from the first corner to the chequered flag, complete with action from every angle. Enjoy expert insight from our commentary team of Tom Clarkson, Martin Brundle, David Croft and more as the stories of 22 unforgettable Grands PrixTM unfold. Sparks fly in a clash of the titans Watch two of the greatest F1® drivers go head-to-head in the most intense battle for the Drivers’ World Championship in recent memory. The fight between seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and the young challenger Max Verstappen features dramatic collisions, high emotion and race after race of incredible driving. A season that went bigger and bolder With more Grands PrixTM than ever before and the exciting new experimental format in F1 Sprint, the season kept heart rates high and the racing in
The 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship™ bought us a white-knuckle change of the guard. Teams started from scratch, in an all-consuming clamour for top honours, battling it out in 22 hard-fought races around the globe, including the first ever FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX. Relive every moment of every race, with expert analysis from our commentary team of David Croft & Martin Brundle. Reigning champion Max Verstappen’s journey to a second title was never going to be straightforward. Watch as he throws himself into a season-long clash with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with their teammates Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz snapping at their heels all the way.
Relive an action-packed season as Lewis Hamilton won title number 6 and the sport’s young drivers starred
Relive the drama, emotion & unforgettable stories of 2020 in our F1 Season Review
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