F-1 World Grand Prix
Encyclopedia
F-1 World Grand Prix is a Formula One
racing game/sim first released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64
game console and to later platforms including Dreamcast, Game Boy Color
, PC
and PlayStation. It is based on the 1997 Formula One season
, featuring each of the 17 circuits from the season and all 22 drivers (as well as several unlockable bonus racers), with the exceptions of Jacques Villeneuve
(licensing reason) and the MasterCard Lola
(not recognised) team.
as Damon Hill
or beating Jean Alesi
as David Coulthard
in the 1997 Italian Grand Prix
. The final mode allowed 2 players to compete in a single, split-screen race.
F-1 World Grand Prix offered a fairly realistic experience for its time. Prior to races, allowed for the fine-tuning of the player's car; including tyre tread, amount of fuel and wing angle. The cars themselves followed realistic simulated physics and were at risk of damage and wear like their real-life counterparts. Weather (and its effects) was also simulated. Visually, the game offered the same trademark appearance of live F1 coverage, and aimed to have a photo-realistic appeal.
F-1 World Grand Prix was highly acclaimed by most critics, more so than its sequel F-1 World Grand Prix II
, which many felt lacked a sufficient number of improvements over the original.
Due to copyright issues, WilliamsF1
driver Jacques Villeneuve
is not featured in the game and in his place is a silhouette of his body and his name is simply Driver Williams. This character's name could be customized by the player, either to personalise their driver or to unlock certain extras, such as the Silver and Gold racers.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing game/sim first released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
game console and to later platforms including Dreamcast, Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
, PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and PlayStation. It is based on the 1997 Formula One season
1997 Formula One season
The 1997 Formula One season was the 48th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 9, 1997, and ended on October 26 after seventeen races.-Season summary:...
, featuring each of the 17 circuits from the season and all 22 drivers (as well as several unlockable bonus racers), with the exceptions of Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle...
(licensing reason) and the MasterCard Lola
MasterCard Lola
MasterCard Lola is a former Formula One team that contested one race in the 1997 Formula One season. It quickly withdrew from the sport after failing to qualify in its sole race...
(not recognised) team.
Gameplay
The game consists of five gameplay modes: Grand Prix, a course-by-course simulation of the 1997 season; Exhibition, a single race; Time Trial, a race against the clock and Challenge, which comprised real scenarios from the 1997 season-examples include trying to win the 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix1997 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Hungaroring on August 10, 1997.Damon Hill, as defending world champion, had experienced a miserable year in the uncompetitive Arrows-Yamaha, but the team experienced a spike in performance levels at Hungary, mainly due to their...
as Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
or beating Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origin. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the tifosi...
as David Coulthard
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons...
in the 1997 Italian Grand Prix
1997 Italian Grand Prix
The 1997 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1997. Jean Alesi, starting from pole position, led the race until the halfway stage; however, David Coulthard, who had jumped from sixth on the grid into third place coming out of the first corner, got ahead of...
. The final mode allowed 2 players to compete in a single, split-screen race.
F-1 World Grand Prix offered a fairly realistic experience for its time. Prior to races, allowed for the fine-tuning of the player's car; including tyre tread, amount of fuel and wing angle. The cars themselves followed realistic simulated physics and were at risk of damage and wear like their real-life counterparts. Weather (and its effects) was also simulated. Visually, the game offered the same trademark appearance of live F1 coverage, and aimed to have a photo-realistic appeal.
F-1 World Grand Prix was highly acclaimed by most critics, more so than its sequel F-1 World Grand Prix II
F-1 World Grand Prix II
F-1 World Grand Prix II is a Formula One racing game for the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color. The Nintendo 64 version was released only in Europe in 2000...
, which many felt lacked a sufficient number of improvements over the original.
Due to copyright issues, WilliamsF1
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
driver Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle...
is not featured in the game and in his place is a silhouette of his body and his name is simply Driver Williams. This character's name could be customized by the player, either to personalise their driver or to unlock certain extras, such as the Silver and Gold racers.