Formula 1 as we know it today could not possibly exist without the Ford Cosworth DFV. How would the likes of McLaren and Williams fared without an affordable, reliable engine unit on which to build the foundations of their success? The DFV appeared in 1967 and variations of it were still being used two decades … Continue reading “The Ford Cosworth DFV” (Andrew Noakes, 2007)
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Video games, books, videos and more reviews for motorsport fans.
“1982” (Christopher Hilton, 2007)
Posted onThe 1994 season was F1’s last annus horribilis. Before that came the horrors of 1982. Two drivers died and another was horrifically injured, Suddenly F1’s champions were leaving the sport in droves, and the cars were brutal death traps. Between the trauma on the track and political chaos off it, it’s a wonder 1982 hasn’t … Continue reading “1982” (Christopher Hilton, 2007)
“Eddie Jordan: The Biography” (Timothy Collings, 2003)
Posted onEddie Jordan recently published his autobiography. But how does it stack up against a more detached view of the Irishman’s celebrated character? Collings’ book came out in 2003 and so it can’t tell the entire Jordan story – but there are plenty of other gaps it can filll in.
“rFactor” (Image Space Incorporated, 2006)
Posted onDecent F1 racing games are hard to come by these days. Formula One Group, in all their wisdom, decided to flog the exclusive rights to the F1 franchise to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. A five year deal was signed in 2003 at a value of around USD $70m (GBP £35m). If the F1 Group have … Continue reading “rFactor” (Image Space Incorporated, 2006)
“Mario Andretti: A Driving Passion” (Gordon Kirby, 2001)
Posted onLewis Hamilton is a cracking F1 driver. But just how good a racer is he, really? I want to see how he would adapt his turn-in style to the British Touring Car Championship in a front wheel drive Seat Leon. I want to see him tackle the Indianapolis 500 where they turn 230mph average laps … Continue reading “Mario Andretti: A Driving Passion” (Gordon Kirby, 2001)
“Formula One 1973: Reign of Stewart” (DVD)
Posted onThe fourth in the Brunswick series of DVDs covers Jackie Stewart’s final championship victory – and final season. It was a year punctuated by some brilliant drives and some horrible accidents. Roger Williamson and Francois Cevert both lost their lives. But this excellent documentary presents even the more harrowing footage objectively and responsibly.
“An Independent Man – the Autobiography” (Eddie Jordan, 2007)
Posted onEddie Jordan is Marmite personified. To some he’s F1’s much-missed wheeler-dealer cheeky chappy – but plenty of others remember him as a whingeing upstart whose team might have been more successful ahd he run a tighter ship. This being an autobiography it will doubtless provide plenty of fodder for both sides to support their points … Continue reading “An Independent Man – the Autobiography” (Eddie Jordan, 2007)
“Formula One 1972: Fittipaldi’s Year” (DVD)
Posted onIf you thought the four-week gap between the Bahrain and Spanish Grands Prix this year was interminable, in 1972 the first two rounds were two months apart!
“Life in the Fast Lane – An Autobiography” (Alain Prost, 1988)
Posted onAlain Prost’s position as one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time is too often overlooked. He won 51 Grands Prix – more than any other driver bar Michael Schumacher – and four world championship – fewer only than Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio. Against that terrific record you have to ask, where … Continue reading “Life in the Fast Lane – An Autobiography” (Alain Prost, 1988)
“Ken Tyrrell: The Authorised Biography” (Maurice Hamilton, 2002)
Posted onShould teams be allowed to buy chassis from other constructors and race them in Formula 1? It’s one of the most divisive arguments in F1 today and it’s not a new debate. Up until the early 1980s it was entirely commonplace for teams to race customer chassis. Those in support of it today maintain that … Continue reading “Ken Tyrrell: The Authorised Biography” (Maurice Hamilton, 2002)
“Beyond the limit” (Sid Watkins, 2001)
Posted onAt the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on 15th June 1997, Olivier Panis’ Prost speared into a tyre barrier, breaking both of Panis’s legs. The race was stopped and, as ever, Professor Sid Watkins led the efforts to treat Panis as quickly as possible. After the race the two championship protagonists of that year spoke … Continue reading “Beyond the limit” (Sid Watkins, 2001)
“Mario Andretti World Champion” (Nigel Roebuck, 1979)
Posted onRegular readers of Nigel Roebuck’s “Fifth Column” in Autosport will know he has a couple of all-time favourite drivers. If Mario Andretti isn’t number one, he’s surely a close second to Gilles Villeneuve. But a professional closeness and admiration for someone can be a mixed blessing when it comes to writing a biography of them. … Continue reading “Mario Andretti World Champion” (Nigel Roebuck, 1979)
“The Grand Prix Saboteurs” (Joe Saward, 2006)
Posted onTruth really is more extraordinary than fiction. If you tried to sell a screenplay about a Grand Prix racing driver who turned into a spy for the British government during World War Two, you might expect to be told that your imagination had run away with you. But that is exactly what became of “W … Continue reading “The Grand Prix Saboteurs” (Joe Saward, 2006)
“Autodrome” (Sam Collins & Gavin Ireland 2007)
Posted onFinland had a particularly fine racing circuit in Keimola, but it fell into disuse and thus is one of the tracks that forms the subject of this book.
“Motor Racing’s Strangest Races” (Geoff Tibballs, 2001)
Posted on“The Death of Ayrton Senna” (Richard Williams, 1999)
Posted onYou can’t walk into a bookshop without tripping over a biography of Ayrton Senna – partly because there’s so many of them, and partly because most are exercises in quantity over quality. It’s ironic that this book by Guardian journalist Richard Williams, just 200 pages or so in length, is one of the best biographies … Continue reading “The Death of Ayrton Senna” (Richard Williams, 1999)
“The Little book of Grand Prix Legends” (Philip Raby, 2006)
Posted onFor this weekend’s F1 book review, something a little lighter than usual. “The little book of Grand Prix Legends” is just over 100 pages on 30 of the biggest names of the sport. There’s no shortage of similar books along these lines, so what makes this one stand out from the crowd?
“My cars, my career” (Stirling Moss with Doug Nye, 1987)
Posted onHaving recently looked at F1 driver autobiographies from two different generations (Alex Zanardi and Niki Lauda) I decided to turn to another, even earlier subject – Stirling Moss. He collaborated on this fascinating autobiographical work with Doug Nye in 1987. Its structure is a simple chronological ‘guide’ to every car he ever raced, interspersed with … Continue reading “My cars, my career” (Stirling Moss with Doug Nye, 1987)
The Ben Evans Column: NASCAR Nookie
Posted onFaced with an empty Sunday morning and the motivation to do even less I found myself browsing Amazon to see if there were any new motor sport books or DVD’s. Aside from the usual Christopher Hilton rent-a-bio’s my attention was grabbed by a series of novels endorsed by NASCAR. This is a terrifying proposition to … Continue reading The Ben Evans Column: NASCAR Nookie
“To Hell and Back” (Niki Lauda with Herbert Volker, 1985)
Posted onLast week we took a look at Alez Zanardi’s gripping autobiography “My Story”. I thought an interesting book to compare that with would be Niki Lauda’s 1986 book “To Hell and Back” – the self-penned story of another driver whose career was defined by a life-threatening accident.