[Book Review] Formula 1: All the Races

Formula 1: All the Races

By Roger Smith

Formula One is the worldโ€™s most popular form of motorsport, which may explain the plethora of โ€œAll-Time Summaryโ€ books available in the marketplace. Of course, like all the others, this compilation has its own individualizing twist on the subject matter that makes it sufficiently different to justify our purchase.

Every F1 season from 1950 through 2011 is recapped with thumbnail summaries of each Grand Prix, supplemented by basic data details and accompanied by bullet-pointed โ€œfacts and folkloreโ€ to provide proper perspective.

Segmented by decades, the text is supplemented with both photographs and illustrations, but while some of the drawings are spot-on recreations of the car in question, others left me wondering just which Fun House mirror the artist was looking in while drawing. A minor point, but youโ€™ll see what I mean should you peruse these pages.

In the Appendices are listings of all the winners and champions, along with a breakdown of champions by nationality, but the hidden gem is a suitably arcane compilation of every non-championship race ever run that is invaluable for those who appreciate minutiae.

Available for US$49.95/ยฃ30 from enthusiast bookstores or direct from publisher Haynes at www.haynes.co.uk