The Champions

When, three or four years ago, historic film footage began to appear in video format, the tendency was for critics – me included – to fall to the floor, frothing at the mouth about how good it was simply because it made such a change to the staple diet of contemporary Formula One that comprised the BBC’s output at the time.

Times, of course, have changed. The Beeb now broadcasts touring car racing and F3 on a regular basis, and reel upon reel of celluloid nostalgia is readily available in your local Woolworths.

Duke Marketing’s The Champions offers a blend of ancient and modern. It is a neatly interwoven mixture of old footage and fresh interviews. The format worked well with the first two subjects in the series, Sir Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss, and is similarly successful with two new releases, which focus on Jim Clark and Graham Hill.

There are holes which could be plugged, presumably where no suitable footage exists, but for all that these are well-edited and provide a neat resumé of both drivers’ careers for £12.99 apiece. SA