Customer Reviews

Ultimate Encyclopedia of Formula One: The Definitive Illustrated Guide to Grand Prix Motor...

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This is a reasonably good account of F1 history, but too "anglized", as too much emphasis is given to british drivers and teams. Of course F1 has a great deal to do with brits, but we shall never forget the importat roles of the french, germans, japanese and especially italians in the establishment of this important category of grand prix racing. The omissions of brilliant Nelson Piquet - one of the very few drivers ever to win 3 F1 world titles-, and of the geniuos Emerson Fittipaldi - the youngest driver ever to win a F1 world title-, as the best drivers of all times, are unforgivable. Recent F1 history owes much to talented brazilian drivers which are overlooked and not given the deserved credited in this book. Nevertheless still a readable book for grand prix racing fans.

This "ultimate" guide to F1 -- featuring a short introduction by Damon Hill -- bills itself as "The Definitive Illustrated Guide to Grand Prix Motor Racing." I think that's an overstatement, but this lightly written volume contains all the statistics and stories one would want, in a non-technical style that makes it a perfect introduction for new Formula One enthusiasts.

I received The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Formula One for Christmas, and soon found myself reading through the whole thing cover to cover. One of the things that I found lacking was in the teams section, the Beatrice Haas Lola team was absent. Other than this minor omission, it's a great book.

This is really an ultimate introduction to F1, but, as such, it is first-rate. Read this, plus a few web sites and you will quickly understand the history and culture of Formula One. Not long on technology or statistics, it is for the average fan, especially the new one.