I am a huge lifelong F1 fan, i adore the sport and to me it is more than just watching the big names buzz fast laps every weekend. This book jumped out to me and im so glad i received an ARC of it. It has so many interesting stories and insights from all aspects of motor sport and team personel. A very insightful and enjoyable read even for the most devout fan.

A good insight to the world of Formula One! Im a full on fan of the sport and learnt a lot and it was easy to digest

Anyone who knows me, or has the dubious pleasure of seeing my social media accounts, would know I am a huge F1 fan, and have been for over 30 years.

F1 Racing Confidential is different to any F1 book I have read. It doesn’t focus purely on the names and faces we all know. It features so many varied team personnel. From Team Principals to Esport Drivers, and many in between. Each one of their stories are so interesting, and surprising for differing reasons.

I think most people would understand that F1 is a team sport. The drivers and team principals being the faces we know so well. What this book shows, time and time again, is that every single team member feels is that sense of community. The feeling that they all desperately want to play their part, to be the absolute best they can be for themselves, but more importantly for the team.

These people are resilient and resourceful. Whether it is overcoming personal tragedy, or professional disappointment, these experiences have formed the steely determined core, found in all highly driven individuals.

Many of the contributors talk about how the first sight of the cars, and the sound of those beautifully crafted engines, ignited a lifelong passion for the sport. I completely understand this. Standing on the pit wall at Silverstone, watching the cars testing, hearing that beautiful noise, was such a special experience for me, and always will be.

There are many anecdotes that made me smile, such as Matt Bishop’s preferred method of dealing with drivers not wanting to attend a sponsor event. Each of the contributors have been incredibly open and frank, which makes the book so interesting and entertaining.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and highly recommend to other F1 fans. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

I eagerly selected this ARC because I'm an avid - but fairly new - fan of F1, and find myself mostly invested in the cast of characters who propel teams around the tracks for several weekends of the year.

Unfortunately, this book didn't provide any new excitement or insight into the sport for me - I found myself getting extremely frustrated that the author seemingly wasn't able to let his interviewees speak for themselves. They're all polished and media trained, why not provide more of an interesting interview background with a bit more substance? There was little need for interpretation of their words - it all just became a bit too word salad-y for me.

Whilst the deck is stacked with candidates and material to make this book shine, I found it to be a miss. Perhaps with a broader viewpoint or less input from the author, I'd have been more engrossed.

As a huge motorsport fan this was a great read. So many fantastic stories laced throughout a well structured and educational book.

This is a great insight into the back ground of Formula One teams and how they are run.

The many different departments that make up a team, the different backgrounds of the personal and how they came to become involved in Formula One.

An entertaining read.

This was such an informative read! As a fan of F1 already I had a basic knowledge of the sport and learned so much about the behind the scenes of the sport from this book. Giles has interviewed a wide of variety of individuals from across the sport from various teams from a driver, a comms manger and many different engineers. It was so fascinating to gain an understanding of how things work from an engineering perspective. It was also so interesting to hear the stories of how people came to the sport either accidentally or having dreamed of it since childhood. This is a must have for all F1 fans.

I really enjoyed reading this book for two reasons - it wasn't what I thought it was going to be and that it concentrated more on the "less famous" people behind the scenes doing very important jobs for the various F1 teams. From reading the book, these people definitely deserve the recognition they are now getting as I can't say I had heard of any of them before but wow, what a role/job they do to get the cars on the race track.

Absolutely fantastic! This is different to any other F1 book I’ve read in that it’s more than just a driver bio or a behind the scenes insight. This book shared the stories of the key people in F1 who we don’t tend to hear from. Yes, there are team principles and drivers in there, as we love to hear from them, but what about the accountants? The parts manufacturers? The engineers and the mechanics?

This book contains their amazing stories and knowledge of the sport, their passion and how every tiny detail has an impact right through the team. Every single person has a key role to play and they play it with precision.

Loved it!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Giles Richards and Michael O’Mara for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book not only entertains but also educates, leaving readers with a wealth of newfound knowledge. From cover to cover, I found myself engrossed, absorbing valuable insights that have undoubtedly enriched my understanding of career development. Whether you're an avid follower of Formula 1 or simply intrigued by the intricacies of professional trajectories, this book promises to deliver an enriching and enjoyable reading experience. Loved it

I really enjoyed this even as someone already watching F1 quite religiously. There were definitely some new insights I’ve never had before. I think for someone who wants to figure out the sport it’s a great entry book. I wish we got to hear from more teams though, the same 3 teams dominated most of the book!

Really interesting to read. It goes in depth about each role in F1 and how the different roles make F1 what it is.

It would have been nice to hear from a "lower rank" team principal rather than two at the top, but I understand that maybe they didn't want to be included.

Loved reading about Lando Norris as he's one of my faves.

The author has interviewed people from the world of Formula 1. From the driver and team principal. To the people behind the scenes whose faces we never see. This book gives a fascinating insight into the workings of this glamorous sport. What is great to see is that there are women holding down fantastic jobs within the sport.
This has piqued my interested in the sport again . Next time I watch a race I will give a thought to all that goes into putting the car on the track.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC.

What a fantastic look at the varied careers and people's progression to those very differing jobs.
A must for any F1 fan and careers advisors. Readable, interesting and most of all fascinating. I learnt so much from this book.
Hubby has now got my copy and I am buying one for my son.
Only wish I was younger to aim for a job in the industry.