The Brunswick material stands out in terms of quality but is lacking in depth. Often entire races are missed and some have only fleeting moments of action.
Such is the case with this DVD (also available on video, as the rest of the series are.) The South African, Spanish, German and Austrian rounds are all missing and many of the early races have substantial amounts of footage shots in the pits but precious little of the racing. Significant moments from Clay Regazzoni’s career-ending crash at Long Beach to the startline shunt at the title-deciding round in Montreal.
Why such a good mark then? Two reasons: one, the footage that is present has been remastered and presented beautifully; two, that footage of any quality from this period is notoriously difficult to obtain. There is even an onboard lap with John Watson at Brands Hatch (the lack of run-off space is astonishing) and some “fly-on-the-wall” footage of practice with the Williams team at the Dutch round.
The menu system is clear and functional and the commentry is delivered from a historical documentary style which befits the content. The music, thought, is awful. That aside, the patchiness of the coverage and the high price tag for just 52 minutes of film makes this one for enthusiasts only.
Best bit: Tyrrell driver Derek Daly neglects to brake for Sainte Devote at Monaco and flips into the air, landing on team mate Jean Pierre Jarier
F1Fanatic Verdict