Are you following F1? Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to Grand Prix racing, Will Buxton’s Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1, published by Ten Speed Press, should be on your bookshelf or shopping list. There are many informative books about F1 racing, but Buxton’s superlative volume is an F1 primer, a reference, and a collection of driver profiles at the top of their sport.
Why Grand Prix is important
Formula 1 is an elite, exciting motorsport with ten teams and 20 drivers who race in major cities worldwide. The 2024 season has 24 races, the most in F1’s 75-year history, but only three remain. The driver and team Championships competitions remain undecided as the season nears its end.
The rapidly growing interest in F1 racing is due in no small part to the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Will Buxton, the series’ primary commentator, is also part of the broadcast team for F1 TV, the official Formula 1 streaming service.
To understand and fully enjoy F1, it helps to have a sense of the many rules and regulations, the continuously evolving technologies, the teams and team structures, and the drivers who risk their lives 24 times a year to prove that they are indeed the elite motorsports professionals in the world. Buxton’s Grand Prix is a highly readable introduction to F1, an invaluable resource, and an exciting history book.
How Grand Prix is organized
Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1 begins with an explanation of F1 and covers the Grand Prix locations around the globe, the history of some of the most famous race tracks and circuits, the race weekend format, and driver, race car, and team financial rules and regulations.
Buxton illustrates and explains the multiple safety features to protect drivers and fans. He stresses the ongoing race car development, testing, and tire selections crucial to success. Following a section on the evolution of F1 race cars, driver equipment, steering wheels, and circuits, Buxton turns the reader’s attention to each decade in Formula 1’s history.
From the 1950s to the 2020s, Buxton summarizes the history, developments, and season highlights of F1. He dives deeply into the top drivers of each decade and the dominant teams. He also recounts his choice for the outstanding Formula 1 race in each 10 years.
In the book’s final sections, Buxton explains Formula 1’s efforts on inclusion and sustainability. He also writes about the future of F1 and past and future films based on the elite motorsport.
