» 1998 F1 World Championship Review (VHS)

Flying Finn First at the Finish – The Official Review of the 1998 FIA Formula 1 World Championship Season
VHS, © 1998 DUKE

The 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship was a season long battle between McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen and Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, which culminated at a dramatic finale in Japan.

This officially-sanctioned review showcases the very best of the action from all sixteen races using digital TV footage only previously seen as part of Bernie Ecclestone’s short-lived pay-per-view broadcast.

The video includes a season preview, post-race analysis from all the rounds, and exclusive driver and team figure interviews to complement the on-track action.

One criticism is that the 1998 review suffers from the same ‘present-tense’ commentary that was part of the 1997 video review. At times, it can be quite the turn-off, especially for the die-hard fans wanting to relive some of the action from years past.

On balance, the video does an excellent job of showing the best off- and on-track action from the season, and it really captured the down-to-the-wire championship battle that ended so memorably in Hakkinen’s favour.

In summary:

HITS: The year-long battle between Hakkinen and Schumacher, concluding with that thrilling final race at Suzuka;
MISSES: That present-tense narrative style in the commentary;
BEST BITS: Highlights of some of the season’s best smashes, including the first-lap carnage from Canada and Belgium!

Using our unique ‘Chequered Flags’ rating system, we award the 1998 Formula One World Championship Review…