F1 ROC: Race of Champions was the kind of cart that started revving before you even hit Start. For some it was “Race of Champions,” for others “Exhaust Heat,” and as kids we simply called it “F1 ROC.” On the Super Nintendo (SNES) it delivered that rare vibe: you weren’t just blasting around a faux‑3D Mode 7 circuit — you were living a full Formula 1 weekend. Qualifying, a packed grid, nervy pit stops, tire and fuel strategy, car upgrades — and suddenly you’re in the cockpit, clipping apexes, holding pace, praying the engine makes it. It’s not only about mashing the throttle; it’s about racecraft: when to risk it, when to wait it out, how to keep rhythm on worn rubber. No surprise it’s remembered so fondly — a racer where your fingers sweated as much as the tires.

In the early ’90s, SETA dropped a dream‑season package: a career ladder, sponsors, tuning and upgrades, and that unmistakable 16‑bit speed magic that made us believe the TV was the grandstand. Rental shelves carried carts with different stickers — “Race of Champions,” the Russian “Gonka chempionov,” “Exhaust Heat” — but it was the same game: the buzz of the paddock, pit‑lane markings, and the thunder of the starting grid. It doesn’t handhold with a manual; it teaches the routine on the fly: mind tire wear, don’t botch the pit stop, save fuel, hunt for clean air. In our history of 16‑bit racers it’s a key milestone — the one that bridged arcade and sim on the Super Famicom. Want to refresh the details and the Japan‑specific quirks under the name “Exhaust Heat”? Check the Wikipedia article. And yeah, when the split time lights up on the straight, your brain clicks again: one more lap, one more chance, one more late brake.

In F1 ROC: Race Of Champions, the start feels like a held breath on three: the lights flare, your heartbeat ticks in sync, and the car catapults forward. The rhythm snaps—short straights, grippy bends, devious chicanes where hitting the apex and carrying exit speed is everything. You tuck into the slipstream, ride the draft, pick your moment to pass and, oddly enough, smile—Race of Champions rewards patience. The handling sells weight and inertia—stab the throttle and it’ll punish you with oversteer; brake a touch early and you’re rewarded with a clean racing line. The engine growls in the cockpit, the asphalt trembles, and names hardly matter—Formula 1: Race of Champions, F1 Race of Champions, or just F1 ROC—what matters is every second is packed tight like the last sector of quali.

The real thrill is in the distance. Each event opens with nervy qualifying: your spot on the grid is a small step toward the trophy. Then the race: the pack simmers, tyre wear creeps in, and the pit‑stop call turns into your high‑speed drama. You bank points and prize money, sink it into upgrades—engine, grip, brakes—and feel the car mature alongside you. This isn’t just retro racing; it’s an honest-to-goodness career mode: every lap is an investment in future Grands Prix, the championship table, and your next personal best. Circuits worldwide, long sweepers, devious chicanes, late braking—the tempo keeps you sharp right up to the chequered flag. Want to dive deeper into handling, strategy, and pace? Check out our gameplay breakdown.