Clay Regazzoni

Flamboyant, determined and wonderfully talented, it is little wonder Regazzoni was a favourite among fans. His control of a Formula One car could be masterful, almost to the point of genius, but he had an infuriating habit of throwing it all away with victory in sight. Inconsistency prevented Regazzoni winning the Formula One World Championship, but his always-exciting driving ensured his place as a Grand Prix Hero. Evocative archive footage reminds us of the highs, and lows, of a decade-long Grand Prix career which marked the Swiss great out as something special. Alongside period interviews with Regazzoni, this is a treasure trove of action-packed racing film, starting with his debut, at the Dutch Grand Prix, with Ferrari. Sir Stirling Moss narrates as we recall the days of genius, including his maiden Grand Prix win (in his first year, in a Ferrari and at Monza no less), the victory at the Nurburgring in 1974, considered by many to be his finest win, his graceful, faultless drive at Long Beach in 1976 and one of his most incredible days – recovering from 16th to finish second on the narrow streets of Monaco in 1979. Regazzoni will be remembered for securing the Williams team its first win, becoming a darling of the passionate Tifosi, coming within just a handful of points of the title in 1974 and the remarkable feat of being re-hired by the great Enzo Ferrari just a year after being sacked! These wonderful memories are all featured. We also recall the dark days, including his battles with an unreliable BRM in 1973, spinning out of the lead of the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix and the crash at Long Beach in 1980 which left him paralysed. Notably, this programme includes the horrific crash at the 1973 South African Grand Prix which almost cost Regazzoni his life. Alongside the footage, we hear from Mike Hailwood, who risked his own safety to pull the unconscious drivers from his stricken car. Typically, Regazzoni was racing again just seven weeks later, and with an even stronger ‘devil may care’ attitude. As much as his artistry on the track, it was his personality off it that won fans. Seemingly always with a broad smile beneath his trademark moustache, Regazzoni could be relied upon to liven up any situation – how many men would mark crashing out of a race by punching a policeman? Although never a champion, Regazzoni was a real Grand Prix Hero.

Emerson Fittipaldi

During a long and illustrious career Fittipaldi was twice crowned Formula One World Champion. The statistics are impressive, but it was the way in which he overcame setbacks and fierce rivals in faster cars that marked him out as a Grand Prix Hero. This fascinating programme examines the Brazilian legend’s road to becoming double World Champion, with breathtaking archive footage, interviews with ‘Emo’ and a rare chance to listen in on team talks and race strategy at key moments. From the moment he burst onto the Grand Prix scene with Lotus, including his 1970 British Grand Prix debut, to the tension-packed final race of the 1974 season where Emerson snatched the title, this DVD, with narration by Sir Stirling Moss, is filled with action-packed racing film and Fittipaldi’s own thoughts on the cars, rivals and races – including revealing the ‘most difficult’ Grand Prix of his career. The tragic death of Jochen Rindt promoted Fittipaldi to Lotus team leader for 1971 and it proved a tough season, although we witness moments of genius, like his drive back from 17th to 3rd at the French Grand Prix. In 1972 he became the youngest World Champion ever – a record he held for almost 30 years – and we are treated to his calm, controlled driving style at classic circuits like Jarama, Brands Hatch, Monza and the Österreichring. The drama continued in 1973, and we see his title defence start with an unforgettable home victory at the very first Brazilian Grand Prix. It ultimately proved a season to forget, nowhere more so than at Zandvoort, where a practice crash left him in agony – the pre-qualifying warning about painkillers having the same affect as ‘one whiskey’ reminds us what a different world Grand Prix Racing was in the 1970s! The programme concludes with dramatic racing and revealing interviews from throughout 1974, a definitive year in Emo’s career. He switched to McLaren and despite not having the fastest car and racing wheel-to-wheel with the charging Niki Lauda for most of the season, his thoughtful and mature approach to winning a championship brought him the title at the very last round. With four races to run, Fittipaldi was lying fourth in the championship standings – but his never-say-die commitment ensured he was there at the bitter end, and guaranteed his place as a Grand Prix Hero.

Frank Williams

Sir Frank Williams CBE, the driving force behind one of the most successful Formula One teams in Grand Prix history. Success has made him a legend, but it was his determined battle against the odds which first made him a Grand Prix Hero. In this film, narrated by Sir Stirling Moss, we remember the star drivers who played their part in the story of the Williams Grand Prix team, including Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Nelson Piquet. However, the focus in on the early years and the turbulent decade before Williams enjoyed his first World Championship victory. Spectacular archive footage, interviews and rarely-seen ‘behind-the-scenes’ access follow the journey from backmarker to frontrunner as Frank Williams guides his eponymous team through tragedy, unreliability, financial strife and, ultimately, victory. There’s action from throughout the 1970s and, of course, the World Championship-winning 1980 Formula One season. Alongside dramatic racing from classic circuits including Monaco, Kyalami, Spa-Francorchamps, Brands Hatch, Montjuich and many more, we chart the story of the early years of struggle, when the team only had enough cash to survive race-to-race and with a seemingly constantly changing line-up of ‘pay drivers’. The turn in fortune came in 1977, with the formation of the team we recognise today, and technical genius Patrick Head at its heart. The film recalls the emotionally-charged first victory in 1979, and the highlights of 1980, including the stunning drive by Alan Jones at Paul Ricard and the title-winning one-two at the Canadian Grand Prix – delivering the success Frank Williams had battled for a decade to achieve. Throughout there are period contributions from Williams, plus, as the championship fight reaches its climax in 1980, we listen in on the team in the pits at Zandvoort and Imola. It is a fascinating insight into the workings of the early Williams team, and reveals the hands-on dedication of Frank Williams which drove the team to staggering success, making him a Grand Prix Hero.

Ronnie Peterson

During a Formula One career cut tragically short, Peterson experienced the full range of motorsport’s highs and lows. Despite never truly delivering his full potential, the Swede’s natural talent, astonishing car control and easy-going personality ensured his status as a Grand Prix Hero. Incredible archive footage from throughout his Formula One career demonstrates an enormous talent which was stifled by under-performing cars and team orders. What shines through in the action-packed race film is Peterson’s extraordinary ability behind the wheel, and in short interviews and overheard conversations in the pits, an affable and likeable man. From his debut at the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix to the shocking scenes of confusion after the crash which ultimately cost his life, we remember one of racing’s most gifted talents. With narration by Sir Stirling Moss, we are treated to glorious footage of Peterson drifting his way around legendary circuits including Spa Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Watkins Glen, the Nurburgring, Anderstorp and many more. We share the frustrations of his maiden year in an uncompetitive privately-entered March, the ups and downs of the works March years, the switch to Lotus in 1973 which brought so much initial success and on that fateful final year in 1978. Reunited with Colin Chapman and armed with the bets machinery available, all that stood between him and the long-awaited World Championship glory was Mario Andretti, the teammate he had agreed to play support to. He showed his talents with victory when possible and dutiful second places when required, and his class in playing the number two role despite appearing the more able racing driver. This evocative story came to an horrific end at Monza that year, a terrible conclusion to the hopes of a true Grand Prix Hero.

Jackie Stewart

As a Formula One statesman and tireless safety campaigner, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE is an important figure in motorsport. This action-packed programme reminds us of the brilliant and fearless racer whose dominance first made him a Grand Prix Hero. Stunning archive footage transports us to the great racetracks of the early 1970s to witness the races which assured Stewart his place in motorsport folklore. This fascinating reappraisal of a legendary career, which brought 27 wins from just 99 Grand Prix starts and three World Championships, also includes rarely heard period interviews, important off-track film and even a run-in with a youthful Max Mosley! With narration by Sir Stirling Moss, we see Stewart with his trademark long hair, big sunglasses and Beatles-style cap climbing into the familiar bright blue Tyrrell and battling wheel-to-wheel with great names like Fittipaldi, Brabham, Peterson, Ickx and Regazzoni. There is breathtaking colour race footage from Monaco, Spa Francorchamps, Montjuic Park, Paul Ricard, Zandvoort, Mosport and many more of the world’s greatest circuits. As we revisit the great races, including Stewart’s domination of the 1971 British Grand Prix, we also hear him in team talks with Ken Tyrrell and Derek Gardner, briefing Formula 3 drivers on safety, demanding track improvements from officials and in interviews – notably including one record as he drove a Rolls Royce around the Nurburgring in 1973. Stewart’s brave crusade for safety in the face of strong opposition was reflective of his bravery behind the wheel. Although a vocal critic of racing at the deadly Nurburgring and in dangerous conditions like heavy rain, Stewart remained a thorough professional and mercurial driver – just witness his domination of the 1971 German GP and mastery of the rain in Canada that same year. The tragic death of teammate and friend Francois Cevert meant what should have been a 100 Grand Prix career ended after 99 races, but that was enough for this colourful, intelligent, dedicated Scot to make an indelible mark on Formula One, and become a true Grand Prix Hero.

Peter Revson

The title of his autobiography, Speed with Style, perfectly describes hobby-driver turned Formula One race winner Revson. As he built a stunningly successful American racing career during the 1960s, Revson flirted with Formula One – but it was in the 1970s he set his sights on becoming a Grand Prix Hero. Spectacular archive footage and revealing period interviews allow us to reassess the cool and dashing American whose rich playboy reputation could not mask his talent behind the wheel, or his will to win. After sporadic Formula One appearances, including the 1971 race at Watkins Glen featured in this programme, Revson committed himself to his first full Grand Prix season in 1972, driving for McLaren. Action-packed film from throughout the year lets us share the American’s journey as he steadily improves, claiming his first podium and the incredible race against Emerson Fittipaldi at Mosport during the Canadian Grand Prix. His dedication brought more results in 1973, including his only Grand Prix wins. Excellent footage shows Revson in action at Montjuic Park, Zolder, Monaco, the Nurburging and other classic circuits as battles to make his mark on Formula One. The massive pile-up during the 1973 British Grand Prix, captured in this programme, set the scene for Revson’s first Grand Prix victory after a dramatic drive. His second, and last, victory came in the controversy-hit Canada later in the year when a safety car was deployed in Formula One for the first time. Throughout, we hear from Revson himself, as he reflects on life in racing, relationships, rivals, backmarkers and, poignantly, safety. He also assesses his own natural talents with searing honesty, but he is perhaps too modest. As the stunning race footage in this programme shows, Revson had a bright future, a future cut tragically short at Kyalami at the start of 1974. His life may have ended too soon, but Revson’s short Formula One career was enough to make him a Grand Prix Hero.

Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda’s heroic return from life-threatening injury made him a global sporting superstar, but for Formula One fans it was his lightning speed, supreme skills and utter domination which, as much as his bravery, that made him a Grand Prix Hero. Archive race action, rarely-seen testing footage and period interviews with Lauda himself recall the highs land lows of a stunning and inspirational career, including film of his very first Grand Prix outing in his native Austria in 1971. Although results with March in 1972 and BRM the following year were disappointing, Lauda did enough to attract the attention of Ferrari, and a race seat for 1974. With commentary by Sir Stirling Moss, we enjoy action from those early, challenging days, and Lauda’s move to the front with the Prancing Horse – including his first Grand Prix win. There’s also action from Monaco, Zolder, Anderstorp and Zandvoort as Lauda dominates the 1975 season on his way to the World Championship. There’s race footage from the dramatic 1976 season, including the fiery Nurburging crash which it was feared at the time would claim the champion’s life. However, Lauda was racing again just six weeks later, and we see his brave return at Monza, as well as the Japanese Grand Prix where Lauda, still battling with his injuries, lost the championship by a single point. More amazing than his rapid return to action, was the speed with which he regained his world-beating form, and race action from throughout 1977 records his dominant journey to a second World Championship. His switch to Brabham for 1978 saw the first stage of his Grand Prix career fade out, although there were unforgettable moments – including the Swedish victory in the controversial BT46B ‘Fan Car’! In addition, we join Lauda for a 1976 Ferrari test session and five years later as he comes out of retirement to test for McLaren at Donington. Footage from the McLaren session provides a fascinating insight into the decisive moment which saw Lauda return to racing and, in 1984, score his third Formula One World Championship, cementing his place as a true Grand Prix Hero.

James Hunt

Charming, handsome, irreverent, tenacious and an outstanding talent, Hunt had everything it took to become one of England’s most famous sportsmen and a household. However, it was his dogged determination and epic battles with Niki Lauda which made him a Grand Prix Hero. Glorious archive footage shows us the great racer in action, while rare interviews remind us of the cheeky quips and trademark broad grin. There’s dramatic racing film from his debut at the 1973 Monaco Grand Prix right through to the Formula One World Championship-decided Japanese Grand Prix in 1976, with narration throughout from Sir Stirling Moss. Despite a reputation which earned him the nickname ‘Hunt the Shunt’, Lord Hesketh signed up the young Brit for an assault on Formula One. We are treated to footage from that first year, including Hunt’s maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix, and action from 1974, when Hunt, with Harvey Postlethwaite’s Hesketh 308 at his disposal could manage only three podium finishes. The 1975 season also proved tough for the team, but the highlight came at Zandvoort when Hunt scored his first, and Hesketh’s only, Grand Prix win – and archive footage lets us share the epic battle with Lauda. In 1976 came a move to McLaren and one of the most fascinating and turbulent season’s of Formula One racing. Lauda’s Ferrari led the way with a domination which would have broken the spirit of most contenders. Not Hunt. Neither was his ambition stifled by controversies such as disqualification from two GP wins or a grid penalty ‘mistake’. Hunt kept the pressure on and at the final race of the year he was just 3 points behind Lauda, still carrying the scars of his horrific crash in Germany. Some say Hunt won his World Championship be default, due to Lauda’s crash, but the spectacular and determined racing in this DVD shows he was a worthy winner, and a true Grand Prix Hero.

Mario Andretti

During a career spanning five decades, Andretti proved himself one of the fastest, most versatile and most determined racing drivers ever. A winner in NASCAR, Indycar and sportscar, his determination to master Formula One made the American a Grand Prix Hero. Spectacular archive footage follows Andretti’s Grand Prix adventure from the frustrating early days through to the glory of the World Championship. Alongside action-packed racing film, we are treated to rarely-heard interviews with Andretti, team talk from the pits and period contributions from Lotus genius Colin Chapman. With narration by Sir Stirling Moss, we witness the early struggles with an unreliable March and the move to Ferrari in 1971 which would bring Andretti his first Grand Prix win, on his debut with the Prancing Horse. His refusal to give up on his Formula One dream despite numerous setbacks made him a hero to fans, and we recall in action footage and interviews Andretti’s decision to renew his World Championship assault in 1974 with the all-American Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing team. When the unsuccessful relationship soured, Andretti remained committed to adding the Formula One World Championship to his list of achievements, and soon found a new home with Chapman at Lotus. Stunning colour footage recalls the highlights of the Lotus years as Andretti finally had the machinery to prove himself: the Lotus 77, 78 and legendary 79, a masterpiece of engineering which would bring the team victory after victory and finally deliver Andretti the crown he had chased for a decade. Witness the undoubted determination to win in epic race footage from such iconic circuits as Zandvoort, the Nurburgring, Kyalami, Long Beach, Jarama and Zolder, plus the fiery end to Andretti’s race at Monaco in 1975, his dramatic clash with James Hunt at Zandvoort and the final Formula One win of a true Grand Prix Hero.

Jody Scheckter

In the early days of his career, Scheckter earned a reputation as the controversial wild man of Formula One, always committed to driving flat out. However, it was precisely this passion to win, and his determination to overcome any challenge, which made him a Grand Prix Hero. In wonderful colour race footage, we relive the highlights of a tumultuous Grand Prix career in which the South African charger repeatedly defied his critics to produce stunning drives against the odds, and in the hardest of conditions. Plus, rarely seen period interviews are interwoven with Scheckter’s recollections to reveal the truth behind the headline-making moments. With narration by Sir Stirling Moss, the footage begins with Scheckter’s first full Formula One season, as a fresh-faced 23-yeard-old at McLaren in 1973. The controversial clash with Emerson Fittipaldi and the spin which triggered a multi-car pile-up at the British Grand Prix are both featured, but so are the outstanding drives which saw him leading races in his maiden season. His move to Tyrrell in 1974 brought the challenge of trying to replace the great Jackie Stewart, but Scheckter shrugged off the pressure to take his first win, and we enjoy the highlights of his three-year Tyrrell career – including getting to grips with the legendary six-wheel P34, and giving that bold innovation its only victory, in Sweden in 1976. A fresh challenge came in 1977 when Scheckter amazed the paddock by switching to the struggling private Walter Wolf Racing team, but, once again, he proved the doubters wrong and took victories – his Monaco drive against the hard-charging Ferrari of Niki Lauda is one of the spectacular highlights of this film. This celebration concludes with the crowning glory of Scheckter’s Formula One career, his move to Ferrari in 1979 and World Championship victory. Once again, success only came after a battle, this time with the great Gilles Villeneuve. We witness the pair in action at Zolder, Monaco, Zandvoort and, of course, Monza, where Scheckter secured his title by leading home a Ferrari one-two in front of the adoring Tifosi, and sealing his place as a Grand Prix Hero.