My first post related to Formula 1 featured four books:
- Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine by Brock Yates
- Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One by Ross Brawn and Adam Parr
- Michael Schumacher: The Edge of Greatness by James Allen
- How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Formula 1 Designer by Adrian Newey
I also mentioned a podcast I was listening to and a Netflix show I had started watching. I had no idea where it all might lead.
A few things have changed since that post. First, I’ve assembled a collection of LEGO Formula 1 cars. Second, I’ve attended my first Formula 1 event, already booked the next one, and am seriously considering booking another for 2027. Third, I like Formula 1 merchandise so much that I now wonder whether I want regular t-shirts at all, or only Formula 1 ones.
Saying that “a few things have changed” is probably putting it mildly, especially given that, when I published that post, I had barely restarted watching and following Formula 1.
So where am I now? As you can probably tell, I’m a lot more experienced and knowledgeable. I still listen to F1: Beyond the Grid. Not only that, I’ve started following a couple of Formula 1 talking heads on YouTube, some for entertainment, others for insight. On top of that, and most importantly, I’ve read a few exceptional books that have considerably expanded my understanding and appreciation of Formula 1. That is what this post is all about. I would like to recommend the following books to anyone who is interested in this wonderful sport and wants to understand what the teams are actually doing in Free Practice 1, 2 and 3 and beyond.
Before I list the five books I think everyone interested in Formula 1 should absolutely read, I would like to make one thing clear. Below you will not find five thorough book reviews. There are already plenty of those on Goodreads and beyond. Instead, you will find answers to the following questions: Why did I pick this book? Did I enjoy it? Is it worth reading if you are not knee-deep in Formula 1? If that is enough to spark your interest, go ahead and grab a copy from your local Waterstones (support physical booksellers!!!).
Surviving to Drive: A Year Inside Formula 1 by Guenther Steiner
I picked this book because of Drive to Survive. In a recent interview, Christian Horner rightly pointed out that Guenther became famous thanks to the show. His F-bombs and his now-iconic phone call with Gene Haas in the very first episode, “we look like a bunch of wankers”, generated enough noise and interest to warrant a book. Guenther delivered.
More often than not, books are written about extremely successful teams and team principals, and less so about teams that are struggling. Guenther reveals what it is like to run a team in the midfield, why managing two aspiring and, more often than not, struggling drivers is hard, one of them the son of a seven-time Formula 1 world champion, and what goes through your mind when one of your drivers crashes and the car goes up in flames. Worth reading.
Guenther has since written a second book, but I have yet to pick it up.
Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane by Matt Whyman
Going from Haas to Mercedes is a giant leap. Even though I am not the biggest fan of Sir Lewis Hamilton, the same cannot be said of the team with which he won six of his seven titles. Whyman was given unprecedented access to the team for a whole year to follow how it operates during Grand Prix weekends, how it develops the car throughout the season and, most importantly, how it overcomes adversity. The book contains insights from all the key figures, starting with the drivers, Hamilton and Russell, and ending with Toto Wolff, team co-owner, team principal and CEO all in one.
Enough said. This is a must for anyone who not only follows Formula 1, but also understands that watching Drive to Survive is not enough to grasp the ins and outs of a Formula 1 team.
How to Win a Grand Prix by Bernie Collins
Recommending this book is easy. If you want to know what teams are testing in each free practice session, this title by former Formula 1 strategist Bernie Collins is for you. For those unaware, there are three free practice sessions, two on Friday and one on Saturday, unless it is a sprint weekend, when teams get only one. Bernie explains what a strategy team aims to achieve in each session and what happens before and after it. She also provides insight into how teams prepare for qualifying and, of course, the race. This is a really good book that goes into nerdy detail on how decisions are made and what influences them. I can easily see myself reading it more than once.
Hopefully, Red Bull’s Hannah Schmitz will also write a book one day.
Growing Wings: The Inside Story of Red Bull Racing by Ben Hunt
These next two titles are obvious.
Growing Wings explains how the “energy drinks” team came to be, how Christian Horner became the youngest team principal in Formula 1 history, how the team became a multiple world champion, and what led to the decision to develop its own power unit.
You get insights from Sebastian Vettel, Christian Horner, Mark Webber, David Coulthard and even the late Dietrich Mateschitz. Each chapter covers one year of Red Bull Racing, from the very first season to the most successful one in 2023.
You don’t have to be a Max Verstappen or Red Bull Racing fan to enjoy this book. Reading it in 2026 is especially interesting, with Red Bull now running its own power unit and Christian Horner having been dismissed in 2025. Pick this up!
Drive by Christian Horner
When I picked up Horner’s book, and even before, I was slightly concerned it might be too similar to Ben Hunt’s. Some sections do cover the same ground: from Red Bull’s beginnings with DC and Mark Webber to Sebastian’s four titles; from the relationship with Renault to the birth of Red Bull Powertrains; from Dietrich Mateschitz to Max Verstappen.
This shouldn’t have come as a surprise. After all, Horner was at the centre of it all, and he contributed significantly to Ben Hunt’s book.
Drive is a memoir through and through. Christian shares details of his personal life, his early career as a racer and team owner, and his thoughts and feelings about the events of 2025. He also gives insight into his relationships with Bernie Ecclestone, Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko and Dietrich Mateschitz, which makes for a truly interesting read. I hope to find a good book about Bernie one day.
This book should be on the shelf of anyone interested in Formula 1. Christian devoted 20 years of his life to this sport. He managed two world champions and turned a small but ambitious team into a championship-winning, powertrain-making juggernaut. Worth the read.
Conclusion
My advice to anyone who wants to understand Formula 1 beyond Drive to Survive is to read, if not all, then at least a few of the books mentioned above. The more you learn, preferably through books rather than YouTube talking heads, the better you will appreciate what the teams are doing every other weekend around the world.
Stay passionate, and see you at the next race!
Kindly,
Olaaf
