Formula One The Knowledge
By David Hayhoe
If ever you wanted to study the records of the past 65 years of the Formula One Grand Prix World Championship, then here’s the book that will give you all the information you need. There are always those times when we need to know certain trivia, such as, “How many drivers have had an F1 car named after them?” Easy you may say, McLaren, Brabham, et al., but what about Klenk, Butterworth, and McGuire? Names that don’t readily roll off the tongue. Then, there are those drivers who have made unsuccessful qualifying attempts and never made the grid—these are listed, all 15 of them from Claudio Langes (14 attempts) to Jacques Villeneuve Sr. (3 attempts) in this tome of racing trivia carefully and painstakingly put together by David Hayhoe. The 27 chapters of the book log everything from Coincidences (each of Sir Jackie Stewart’s three reigns as World Drivers’ Champion lasted for 392 days; only two drivers have won F1 races on their birthday—James Hunt and Jean Alesi) through to the final Chapter with trivia about tires.
At first glance, the book can appear as just numerous lists of facts, which yes it is, but the reader can glean so much from each of the headings. Although having previously published three editions of the Grand Prix Data Book, compiling these records must have given Hayhoe many nightmares and periods of insomnia with more than 1,000 sections on drivers, cars, engines and circuits. Great thought has been given to the layout and presentation of the information, as it is easy to access all data necessary from the logically accessible lists. Of course, the downside to such a tome is that time marches on and new data will inevitably replace that recorded, in fact already in Chapter 6, “Youngest winners,” Sebastian Vettel is recorded as the youngest winner though he now has been superseded by Max Verstappen, aged 18 years, 227 days. Having said that, from my point of view, this book is such a useful resource and I can see it will interest and educate many of F1’s global enthusiasts
- UK price: £35.00 (or equivalent + P&P)
- Available direct from www.f1knowledge.com
