The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport
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An NPR Best Book of 2024
A Sports Illustrated Best Book of 2024
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Wall Street Journal reporters and authors of The Club, Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg tell the riveting saga of how Formula 1 broke through in America, detailing the eclectic culture of racing obsessives, glamorous settings, gearheads, engineering geniuses, dashing racers, and bitter rivalries that have made F1 the world’s fastest growing sport.
For decades in America, car racing meant NASCAR, and to a lesser extent IndyCar, with Formula 1—the wealthiest racing league in the world—a distant third. Fast forward to 2023, and F1 has emerged at the front of the pack powered by a passionate yet nascent American fanbase. The F1 juggernaut has arrived, but this checkered flag was far from inevitable.
In The Formula, Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg tell the epic story of how F1 saved itself from collapse and finally conquered America through guile, fearlessness, and above all, reinvention. With fast cars, big money, glamorous locales, and beautiful people as the backdrop, The Formula reveals how F1’s sudden arrival in the US was actually decades in the making, a product of the sport’s near-constant state of transformation and experimentation. Bringing unique insight and access to F1’s most storied teams and personalities—from Ferrari to Bernie Ecclestone to Christian Horner to Lewis Hamilton—The Formula offers a riveting portrait of the drivers, corporations, cars, rivalries, and audacious gambles that have shaped the sport for half a century.
The end result is a high-octane history of how modern F1 racing came to be—the first book to tell the story of the outrageous successes and spectacular crashes that led F1 to this extraordinary yet precarious moment. More than just a sports story, The Formula is the tale of a disrupter that broke into the crowded American sports marketplace and claimed its place through cash, personality, and a new understanding of what a sport needs to be in the age of wall-to-wall entertainment.
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Publisher : Mariner Books (March 12, 2024)
Language : English
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 0063318628
ISBN-13 : 978-0063318625
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 0.93 x 9 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book easy to read and informative about Formula 1 history. They describe it as well-researched and covering the history and current status of the sport without going into depth.
13 reviews for The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport
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Original price was: $29.99.$17.36Current price is: $17.36.
louis weiner –
Essential reading for new and old F1 fans.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading each chapter. An inside look at the moments and people over the years who have contributed to making Formula 1 what it is today .
mook201 –
Good book, glaring errors.
The book does a wonderful job of being a very easily digestible history of Formula 1. I think it would be a great way for new fans to get up to speed if they’re interested.For those who are already familiar with the history, some errors will really jump out. The book refers to the ‘76 title decider as happening in Suzuka, when it really happened in Fuji. It talks about Alonso’s two world titles with Benetton, but they were actually with Renault. Finally it introduces Valtteri Bottas as an Estonian driver, but he’s Finnish.
Mark Kim –
The best book about F1’s history
Easy to read, informative, this is the perfect book for any F1 newbies. I’m amazed how far this sport has evolved over the years.
Wise Guy –
The best F1 book ever written.
I have been following F1 since 1965, scrambling to get a BBC commentary over the static of my radio then. Today we enjoy watching the races in the comfort of our homes. What a miracle.Over the years I have closely followed all the drama that took place on and off the track and can vouch for the accuracy of this marvellous book. But what I enjoyed the most was the detail of these events as told by the authors. Brilliant. 🍾🥂🏆🥇⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fred –
Looks good
Good introduction
Matt –
Perfect for New & Old Fans of F1
Whether you’re a new fan or have been watching for years, this book is a great and easy read!
Chris Steussy –
Great!
This was a great fun and easy read and gave me an interesting behind the scenes view of the transition into the Bernie era and out. Very well researched.
pryor555 –
Interesting, & very well written
This is a great read for long-time and new fans of Formula One racing. I purchased one for myself and then three more as gifts to family and friends.
MAXTHEAX –
Every business has skeletons in the closet. This book fairly reveals the dark side of F1 and is a good read for anyone interested in F1 and racing in general.
Coffee please –
A very well written and enjoyable history of f1 right to the present day. Even as a fan for years I learnt a lot
B. Kaufmann –
Easy and fun to read with tons of background information on how Formula one changed over the course of the last 70 years. Definitely recommended for every F1 follower to read.
Kindle Customer –
I have followed F1 since the sixties and was bored stiff while reading this book. If you have become a fan over the last few years enjoy.Us older enthusiasts should rub grit in our eyes and go to sleep. It’s a quicker and cheaper way to achieve the same outcome.
Mark –
I spotted this book in a shop one day and thought it looked interesting, but not enough for me to spend full RRP on it in book form, so when it came up at a much reduced price on Kindle I snapped it up.This is not a book for someone looking for a history of F1 on a race by race, season by season basis, rather it focuses on the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes that have made F1 into a wildly successful business where the racing is almost irrelevant (and, for me, far the worse for it) over the decades.I tend to find modern F1 tedious and this books explains a lot of why it is like it is and why I’m a dinosaur as far as those running F1 these days are concerned.Whether you love or hate F1 today, this book provides a great insight into why it’s what it is today.