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Surviving to Drive. Życie dla jazdy. Rok z życia szefa zespołu F1
SURVIVING TO DRIVE: Sezon w Formule 1 z Güntherem Steinerem
„Mówi się, że trenerzy piłkarscy funkcjonują w warunkach presji. Wierzcie mi, to jest pikuś. Presja jest wtedy, gdy patrzysz, jak twój kierowca wali w barierę z prędkością 300 kilometrów na godzinę, a potem na twoich oczach następuje eksplozja”.
Günther Steiner to jedna z najważniejszych i najbardziej znanych postaci w świecie wyścigów samochodowych. Miliony osób na całym świecie poznały go dzięki jego popisowym występom w serialu dokumentalnym Netflixa Formuła 1: Jazda o życie.
W niniejszej książce szef zespołu Haas przedstawia czytelnikom kulisy działalności swojej ekipy w sezonie 2022 i pokazuje bez ogródek, jak to wszystko wygląda od kuchni. Przedstawiając swój unikalny punkt widzenia, Günther zabiera nas w ekscytującą, ekstremalną podróż po realiach wyścigów samochodowych na najwyższym poziomie.
Po raz pierwszy zespół F1 jeżdżący aktualnie w stawce pozwolił swojemu szefowi opowiedzieć pełną historię sezonu wyścigowego. Zatrudnianie i zwalnianie kierowców, bilansowanie ksiąg, przygotowania przedsezonowe, projektowanie, premiera i pierwsze testy samochodu, no i oczywiście same wyścigi… To bezkompromisowa i szczera historia, opowiedziana w stylu typowym dla Steinera: fascynująco i zabawnie. Takiego przewodnika po realiach zespołu Formuły 1 jeszcze nie było!
„Mówi się, że trenerzy piłkarscy funkcjonują w warunkach presji. Wierzcie mi, to jest pikuś. Presja jest wtedy, gdy patrzysz, jak twój kierowca wali w barierę z prędkością 300 kilometrów na godzinę, a potem na twoich oczach następuje eksplozja”.
Günther Steiner to jedna z najważniejszych i najbardziej znanych postaci w świecie wyścigów samochodowych. Miliony osób na całym świecie poznały go dzięki jego popisowym występom w serialu dokumentalnym Netflixa Formuła 1: Jazda o życie.
W niniejszej książce szef zespołu Haas przedstawia czytelnikom kulisy działalności swojej ekipy w sezonie 2022 i pokazuje bez ogródek, jak to wszystko wygląda od kuchni. Przedstawiając swój unikalny punkt widzenia, Günther zabiera nas w ekscytującą, ekstremalną podróż po realiach wyścigów samochodowych na najwyższym poziomie.
Po raz pierwszy zespół F1 jeżdżący aktualnie w stawce pozwolił swojemu szefowi opowiedzieć pełną historię sezonu wyścigowego. Zatrudnianie i zwalnianie kierowców, bilansowanie ksiąg, przygotowania przedsezonowe, projektowanie, premiera i pierwsze testy samochodu, no i oczywiście same wyścigi… To bezkompromisowa i szczera historia, opowiedziana w stylu typowym dla Steinera: fascynująco i zabawnie. Takiego przewodnika po realiach zespołu Formuły 1 jeszcze nie było!
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,082 reviews
June 12, 2023
This was fantastic. Funny, insightful, and great to get some behind the scenes from Guenther and Haas' POV of the 2022 season. I've been an F1 fan since I was a kid, and it's great to see an influx of people now being introduced to F1 via DTS. This book was almost like a season of DTS but following Haas and from Gunther's POV only. The audiobook was a blast as well as he narrates it himself. Would love more books like this from Guenther, but also from other teams, especially Toto's for Mercedes (as a Mercedes fan ha).
December 1, 2023
Written in a diary-style format, Gunther Steiner recounts one year in Formula 1 as Team Principal of the only US team - Haas. Risen in popularity by the Netflix series Drive to Survive, you will get an up close and personal re-counting of how the Haas team was created. Guenther also gives a thorough biography of his history in team racing: from the Rally world to Formula 1.
If you have watched any Drive to Survive then you are also familiar with Guenther’s propensity for profanity. He does not apologize for that, in fact embraces it as part of who he is. The chapters are short, and it is an easy enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook – also narrated by Guenther. You will laugh out loud, and I swear you won’t regret it! – Pamela B.
If you have watched any Drive to Survive then you are also familiar with Guenther’s propensity for profanity. He does not apologize for that, in fact embraces it as part of who he is. The chapters are short, and it is an easy enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook – also narrated by Guenther. You will laugh out loud, and I swear you won’t regret it! – Pamela B.
April 23, 2023
I have been eagerly anticipating Guenther's book, "Surviving to Drive," for a few weeks now, and I am so happy that it didn't disappoint. His writing style is exactly as expected - a little rude, funny, and engaging, with throwbacks and behind-the-scenes stories that make for a truly entertaining read.
What sets this book apart from other F1 books is its unique format. Instead of the traditional biographies that we've seen before from technical directors and principals which span an entire career, Steiner chronicles the events and difficulties of the 2022 season. He shares the changes and challenges brought about by the lingering effects of the pandemic, as well as what it's like to be a team principal managing the impact of new FIA rules, the budget cap, and handling a Russian driver with Russian sponsors amidst the developing situation in Ukraine.
He also discusses the more important (but less discussed) issues in Formula 1, like which team principal he thinks would fare best in a cage match, fights with the FIA and German media, and the true cost of all those phone calls to Gene. There were parts of this book where I was crying with laughter, I couldn’t put it down. Given the year in review format, is it too desperate to hope for a new edition each year? Possibly.
All to say, the world according to Guenther Steiner is a great one & Haas forever baby.
What sets this book apart from other F1 books is its unique format. Instead of the traditional biographies that we've seen before from technical directors and principals which span an entire career, Steiner chronicles the events and difficulties of the 2022 season. He shares the changes and challenges brought about by the lingering effects of the pandemic, as well as what it's like to be a team principal managing the impact of new FIA rules, the budget cap, and handling a Russian driver with Russian sponsors amidst the developing situation in Ukraine.
He also discusses the more important (but less discussed) issues in Formula 1, like which team principal he thinks would fare best in a cage match, fights with the FIA and German media, and the true cost of all those phone calls to Gene. There were parts of this book where I was crying with laughter, I couldn’t put it down. Given the year in review format, is it too desperate to hope for a new edition each year? Possibly.
All to say, the world according to Guenther Steiner is a great one & Haas forever baby.
January 3, 2024
“i came, i saw, he fok smashed my door”
September 11, 2024
If you are a Formula 1 fan and a Drive to Survive junkie, you'll get what you expect and then some. Luckily for me that's who I am, so I really enjoyed this one. Well done Guenther!
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Se sei un fan della Formula 1 e un drogato di Drive to Survive, otterrai ciò che ti aspetti e anche di più. Fortunatamente per me è quello che sono, quindi mi è piaciuto davvero tanto. Ben fatto Guenther!
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Se sei un fan della Formula 1 e un drogato di Drive to Survive, otterrai ciò che ti aspetti e anche di più. Fortunatamente per me è quello che sono, quindi mi è piaciuto davvero tanto. Ben fatto Guenther!
September 12, 2024
2.5
Look, I’m not the biggest fan of Guenther Steiner, but I tried to approach this book as objectively as possible. Generally, I love the concept and the way the book is structured. In fact, I would LOVE to read this kind of book from other team principals, just to compare how differently they work.
As fun as the inside DTS (Drive to Survive) jokes are, after the 5000th "fok," it just got annoying. The "fun Guentherisms" just started to grate on my nerves.
On a positive note, I really enjoyed the side stories from the past. They gave an interesting insight into how someone becomes a team principal and works their way up the motorsport ladder.
Now, onto the F1 part. I don’t know — I would have loved a bit more depth. A lot of the content felt like things we already knew. I would have actually LOVED to know what goes on in the team when a crash happens (let’s be honest, that’s why most people wanted to read it), or how you handle talking to a driver, what you mention, etc. The same goes for when a car failure happens. Don’t just say, "Well, whoops, the car broke, moving on." I wanted to know what you say to the driver who had nothing to do with it, what you tell the mechanics, and generally how you handle that as a team principal. What do you say when going to interviews? How do you communicate with PR and the press?
For example, I would have especially LOVED more detail about Monza and Mick's clutch issue. Everyone knew the clutch was inserted the wrong way, but the book downplays it like it’s a minor mistake that could happen any day. In that instance, I wanted to know what you say to your driver who missed out on practice time, how you address the mechanics — but there was nothing. Generally, the book glosses over the team's mistakes as minor mishaps without going into depth.
Considering the book's promotion focused so much on Mick, it feels like his part is treated as a disinterested side story from the start. It’s great to hear about how Kevin handled things and how any issues were addressed, but with Mick, you always had the feeling it was never going to work out. His mentions feel like an afterthought — "Oh, by the way, he qualified 12th, moving on." This feeling is especially noticeable after the Austria race, where you’d expect the team principal to be thrilled with the result, celebrating with the drivers, calling Gene, or throwing a party. But the diary entry was just about Sky Germany. I don’t think Guenther hates Mick, but it feels like from the start, he wasn’t someone Guenther particularly wanted to work with. Mick seemed more like a piece for attracting sponsors, and that’s how their relationship feels throughout the book — especially in contrast to how Guenther talks about Kevin, or even Nico and Romain.
To summarize: interesting concept, okay execution, but I would have loved a bit more depth.
Look, I’m not the biggest fan of Guenther Steiner, but I tried to approach this book as objectively as possible. Generally, I love the concept and the way the book is structured. In fact, I would LOVE to read this kind of book from other team principals, just to compare how differently they work.
As fun as the inside DTS (Drive to Survive) jokes are, after the 5000th "fok," it just got annoying. The "fun Guentherisms" just started to grate on my nerves.
On a positive note, I really enjoyed the side stories from the past. They gave an interesting insight into how someone becomes a team principal and works their way up the motorsport ladder.
Now, onto the F1 part. I don’t know — I would have loved a bit more depth. A lot of the content felt like things we already knew. I would have actually LOVED to know what goes on in the team when a crash happens (let’s be honest, that’s why most people wanted to read it), or how you handle talking to a driver, what you mention, etc. The same goes for when a car failure happens. Don’t just say, "Well, whoops, the car broke, moving on." I wanted to know what you say to the driver who had nothing to do with it, what you tell the mechanics, and generally how you handle that as a team principal. What do you say when going to interviews? How do you communicate with PR and the press?
For example, I would have especially LOVED more detail about Monza and Mick's clutch issue. Everyone knew the clutch was inserted the wrong way, but the book downplays it like it’s a minor mistake that could happen any day. In that instance, I wanted to know what you say to your driver who missed out on practice time, how you address the mechanics — but there was nothing. Generally, the book glosses over the team's mistakes as minor mishaps without going into depth.
Considering the book's promotion focused so much on Mick, it feels like his part is treated as a disinterested side story from the start. It’s great to hear about how Kevin handled things and how any issues were addressed, but with Mick, you always had the feeling it was never going to work out. His mentions feel like an afterthought — "Oh, by the way, he qualified 12th, moving on." This feeling is especially noticeable after the Austria race, where you’d expect the team principal to be thrilled with the result, celebrating with the drivers, calling Gene, or throwing a party. But the diary entry was just about Sky Germany. I don’t think Guenther hates Mick, but it feels like from the start, he wasn’t someone Guenther particularly wanted to work with. Mick seemed more like a piece for attracting sponsors, and that’s how their relationship feels throughout the book — especially in contrast to how Guenther talks about Kevin, or even Nico and Romain.
To summarize: interesting concept, okay execution, but I would have loved a bit more depth.
August 1, 2024
We look like a bunch of wankers!
A signature Guenther phrase, that made him probably the most liked person in Netflix's "Drive to survive". And yes, I enjoyed his moments on screen as well, so no wonder that this book piqued my interest.
The expectations were higher than the result, alas.
What I did not expect, was that this book is written as a diary. While it is nothing bad about diary style, I've been expecting this book to contain much more of an insider info about the F-1 stars and teams. Like, Crouchie's "How to be a footballer" in a funny way, or Andrea Pirlo's masterpiece "I think therefore I play" in a serious and engaging way. Instead, what I've got had been the boring diary type. You know, like "6th august. Zandvoort. Free practice 3. Mick drove bad. Kevin drove a bit better. 7th august, Qualification. We expected more. Mick had a time of 1:20:20, that was not enough for Q2. Kevin did a bit better, but finished in P15". Well, thanks for the effort and there's no sarcasm meant, but I can google the lap number and qualification times in a minute by myself. What I can't do by myself, is to get a peek into the team. Preparation, reactions, training routines, race aftermaths. And I really lacked a chance to do so in this book.
Of course, not all book is just like that, there are lots and lots of Guenther's thoughts, events, told from the perspective of the other side and even a few occasional stories from his rally days.
But since I liked those rally stories the most, I guess it is a telling criteria, since this is a book about F-1 season. A decent book and the 3* are well deserved, but I expected much more.
A signature Guenther phrase, that made him probably the most liked person in Netflix's "Drive to survive". And yes, I enjoyed his moments on screen as well, so no wonder that this book piqued my interest.
The expectations were higher than the result, alas.
What I did not expect, was that this book is written as a diary. While it is nothing bad about diary style, I've been expecting this book to contain much more of an insider info about the F-1 stars and teams. Like, Crouchie's "How to be a footballer" in a funny way, or Andrea Pirlo's masterpiece "I think therefore I play" in a serious and engaging way. Instead, what I've got had been the boring diary type. You know, like "6th august. Zandvoort. Free practice 3. Mick drove bad. Kevin drove a bit better. 7th august, Qualification. We expected more. Mick had a time of 1:20:20, that was not enough for Q2. Kevin did a bit better, but finished in P15". Well, thanks for the effort and there's no sarcasm meant, but I can google the lap number and qualification times in a minute by myself. What I can't do by myself, is to get a peek into the team. Preparation, reactions, training routines, race aftermaths. And I really lacked a chance to do so in this book.
Of course, not all book is just like that, there are lots and lots of Guenther's thoughts, events, told from the perspective of the other side and even a few occasional stories from his rally days.
But since I liked those rally stories the most, I guess it is a telling criteria, since this is a book about F-1 season. A decent book and the 3* are well deserved, but I expected much more.
September 15, 2024
For those not interested in Formula 1 or the Netflix show Drive to Survive, this book will make no sense. Guenther Steiner, HAAS team principal, used the momentum of his popularity and wrote a diary-like book about the Formula 1 season of 2022. Guenther has a certain personality and an unfiltered way of expressing himself (swear words are part of his catchphrases). HAAS is the youngest F1 team with a different concept, largely created by Guenther. It's not fighting for the pedestal (not yet), but it has enough drama to keep everyone entertained. I wish I had read the book parallel to watching the same season on the Netflix show as I had forgotten some details. It would have also been helpful if editors had decided to add some factual data about each race to complement Guenther's emotional outbursts. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed reading it, especially those parts where Guenther shares adventurous stories from his past or explains the background to some of the F1 conundrums.
April 21, 2025
This was a fun, behind-the-scenes look at an F1 season by one of the most fun F1 personalities. I became a fan of the sport from watching Drive to Survive, where Guenther was clearly the star in the earlier seasons. He was entertaining and honest on the show, and was exactly the same in this diary-style book. This followed a season in Guenther's shoes as the Haas F1 team principal and all the the ups and downs that come with the position. It was a quick and easy read. The audiobook was narrated by Guenther and that added a lot to my overall enjoyment of the book.
July 5, 2023
Książka jest bardzo dobra, jest to swego rodzaju pamiętnik Günthera, w którym opisuje swoje doznania, ale jednocześnie opowiada historię. Pokazuje on że zespół F1 jest "raz na wozie a raz pod wozem" i to jest wyjątkowe.
Uwielbiam poczucie humoru autora, jego żarty dosłownie zawsze mnie bawiły 🙉
Książka dla starszych fanów F1, ale także dla początkujących chcących zapoznać się z historią Haasa.
Ocena: 5/5 ⭐
Uwielbiam poczucie humoru autora, jego żarty dosłownie zawsze mnie bawiły 🙉
Książka dla starszych fanów F1, ale także dla początkujących chcących zapoznać się z historią Haasa.
Ocena: 5/5 ⭐
April 20, 2023
A very insightful look into a year in formula 1! Really enjoyed learning all about the legend that is Guenther and everything that went off behind the scenes for Haas in 2022. The writing style was really good and conversational which helped me to picture Guenther talking it through, it also really brought out his brilliant personality. A great read for any F1 fans!
May 9, 2025
This was of course amazing!!! I loved every second of it and it set the mood for my trip at a Race. Guenther Steiner has always been one of my favorite principle and I loved seeing more information on F1.
January 11, 2024
EDIT jan 10 2024: GUENTHER STEINER QUITTING HAAS!???????????????!!!! MY GOD IF HE DOES WRITE ANOTHER BOOK, ABOUT HIS FALLOUT WITH GENE HAAS. I WILL READ IT I DONT CARE HOW BADLY WRITTEN IT WILL BE. I NEED GOSS
Summary: Guenther Steiner (Team Principal of HAAS F1 Team, aka the endearing-but-sketchy backmarker clownshow team) recounts the 2021-2022 F1 seasons from his perspective, through diary entries. His perspective ignores the frontrunners for the most part, but he does cover a lot of the 2021 drama since HAAS was at the centre of the major Nikita Mazepin/Ural Kali scandal. TBH HAAS is always on some weird shady shit because of money problems, so any year is a HAAS drama year lol
Delivery: I listened to the audiobook version because the main draw of this book for me was Guenther's sweet sweet voice. I enjoyed his narration but I do wish it was more natural - Guenther's reading voice is SO monotone and lacks the emotions of his actual speech patterns, so I would stop paying attention to what he was saying after a couple minutes. His writing style is simple, coarse, and easy to digest, but the narration kills the Guentherness of it, even if the narration is by Guenther himself.
Content: Guenther shares some interesting insights into how he got into F1. He used to work in rallying! but then Niki Lauda (THE Niki Lauda!!) dragged Guenther into F1 because they're.. pals? He also punches back against the Mick Schumacher girlies who hate him for dropping Mick from the HAAS driver lineup after 2021, and I think he's honestly justified! HAAS really isn't a team that can take on crashy rookies (HAAS can barely afford ONE car upgrade per season) and unfortunately Mick has a track record for crashing cars and being expensive. The footage dont lie.
Also, I liked hearing Guenther say that he's only good at spewing his own bullshit to investors, he's not good at spewing other peoples' bullshit. Silly little scammer man. F1 is so messed up.
But these interesting tidbits are rare. What I remember being the bulk of this book are just "we had a shit qualy on saturday. then we had a shit race on sunday. fuck." and "someone sent me another meme thats just my guenthy little face doing something silly. i hate it. people on the internet need to log off" over and over again. I get that this is an accurate depiction of a race season, since those two things actually do happen all the time, but that shit gets old real fast! Really pushes this book further towards Drivel, in the Interesting-to-Drivel literature spectrum. #survivingtodrivel...But also, why did I expect anything more? He's not a writer he's a guy who's whole personality is he doesnt give a shit about anything, who sent random bits of text to a publisher like "sure if u really want me to write a book here's some words now leave me alone". It's so Guenther-core to write a shit book.
All in all, exactly the kind of low effort "book" I'd expect from Guenther Steiner. Good job. Exactly what I needed to play in the background as I work. I will not be reading any more F1 books now.
Summary: Guenther Steiner (Team Principal of HAAS F1 Team, aka the endearing-but-sketchy backmarker clownshow team) recounts the 2021-2022 F1 seasons from his perspective, through diary entries. His perspective ignores the frontrunners for the most part, but he does cover a lot of the 2021 drama since HAAS was at the centre of the major Nikita Mazepin/Ural Kali scandal. TBH HAAS is always on some weird shady shit because of money problems, so any year is a HAAS drama year lol
Delivery: I listened to the audiobook version because the main draw of this book for me was Guenther's sweet sweet voice. I enjoyed his narration but I do wish it was more natural - Guenther's reading voice is SO monotone and lacks the emotions of his actual speech patterns, so I would stop paying attention to what he was saying after a couple minutes. His writing style is simple, coarse, and easy to digest, but the narration kills the Guentherness of it, even if the narration is by Guenther himself.
Content: Guenther shares some interesting insights into how he got into F1. He used to work in rallying! but then Niki Lauda (THE Niki Lauda!!) dragged Guenther into F1 because they're.. pals? He also punches back against the Mick Schumacher girlies who hate him for dropping Mick from the HAAS driver lineup after 2021, and I think he's honestly justified! HAAS really isn't a team that can take on crashy rookies (HAAS can barely afford ONE car upgrade per season) and unfortunately Mick has a track record for crashing cars and being expensive. The footage dont lie.
Also, I liked hearing Guenther say that he's only good at spewing his own bullshit to investors, he's not good at spewing other peoples' bullshit. Silly little scammer man. F1 is so messed up.
But these interesting tidbits are rare. What I remember being the bulk of this book are just "we had a shit qualy on saturday. then we had a shit race on sunday. fuck." and "someone sent me another meme thats just my guenthy little face doing something silly. i hate it. people on the internet need to log off" over and over again. I get that this is an accurate depiction of a race season, since those two things actually do happen all the time, but that shit gets old real fast! Really pushes this book further towards Drivel, in the Interesting-to-Drivel literature spectrum. #survivingtodrivel...But also, why did I expect anything more? He's not a writer he's a guy who's whole personality is he doesnt give a shit about anything, who sent random bits of text to a publisher like "sure if u really want me to write a book here's some words now leave me alone". It's so Guenther-core to write a shit book.
All in all, exactly the kind of low effort "book" I'd expect from Guenther Steiner. Good job. Exactly what I needed to play in the background as I work. I will not be reading any more F1 books now.
July 1, 2024
Buoyed by the popularity of the Netflix series “Drive to Survive”, Formula 1 (F1) racing has enjoyed a surge in popularity and one of the personalities who fans both old and young alike is Guenther Steiner. This audiobook written and narrated by Steiner is a very good recap of his 2022 F1 season with the Haas team.
Haas is one of the smaller teams in F1 and doesn’t have the same amount of money, resources, or personnel that some of the bigger teams do like McLaren or Red Bull Racing. Nonetheless, they make do with what they have in order to compete and earn points each week on the circuit and Steiner’s stories give the reader/listener great insight into the workings and issues faced by a team of this size.
There is plenty of material on the two main drivers for Haas that year, Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher (son of legendary driver Michael Schumacher), as well as Haas and of course, Steiner himself. His unfiltered recall of the races, trials and tribulations of his team are great reading. The audio version, which I listened to, was even better as you can tell through Guenther’s voice when he was elated, or he was frustrated.
His insight and language (not the accent, but also the colorful words he used which are not safe for children) make the stories even better. This is especially true about the days between races. Whether it was a story about the travel, the amount of work to get the cars ready or just venting, Steiner made the recollection of a F1 season very entertaining.
Haas is one of the smaller teams in F1 and doesn’t have the same amount of money, resources, or personnel that some of the bigger teams do like McLaren or Red Bull Racing. Nonetheless, they make do with what they have in order to compete and earn points each week on the circuit and Steiner’s stories give the reader/listener great insight into the workings and issues faced by a team of this size.
There is plenty of material on the two main drivers for Haas that year, Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher (son of legendary driver Michael Schumacher), as well as Haas and of course, Steiner himself. His unfiltered recall of the races, trials and tribulations of his team are great reading. The audio version, which I listened to, was even better as you can tell through Guenther’s voice when he was elated, or he was frustrated.
His insight and language (not the accent, but also the colorful words he used which are not safe for children) make the stories even better. This is especially true about the days between races. Whether it was a story about the travel, the amount of work to get the cars ready or just venting, Steiner made the recollection of a F1 season very entertaining.
September 9, 2023
Huge fan of the drive to survive show on Netflix so I recognised some of what was written really clever book sort of half journal and half autobiography I had no idea Guenther did so much in motorsport highly recommend to all even non F1 fans
August 22, 2024
I wasn't expecting this book to be written as a diary (I didn't read the synopsis) but it made the read highly entertaining! Highly recommend for an F1 fan (definitely not if you're not)
July 11, 2025
You get exactly what you expect, and a good few laughs throughout. A simple and quick read, quite literally diary entries.
January 9, 2024
Pool Party!! -
Alice in Borderland
Alice in Borderland
August 6, 2023
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably watched Drive to Survive on Netflix and found Günther Steiner somewhat amusing.
Great, as Surviving to drive feels like a season of the show and Steiner‘s distinct voice shines through every page.There is at least one swear word in almost every entry and he keeps everything honest, even if his team isn’t doing too well.
And he couldn’t have picked a better season to write about: it’s drama from the first to the last page.
First off, Haas finally have a competitive car again which even brought home some great results.
Than of course Mazepin and Uralkali had to go with the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
And last but definitely not least, we had the whole drama around Mick Schumacher.
In addition to all of the above, one also learns a lot about running a Formula 1 team. Steiner not only describes his current job as the team principal of Haas F1 but his time in Rally and NASCAR and even how his current team was founded, as well.
Overall, a funny, informative and drama-filled account perfect for (almost) every F1 fan.
—> 4 stars
Great, as Surviving to drive feels like a season of the show and Steiner‘s distinct voice shines through every page.There is at least one swear word in almost every entry and he keeps everything honest, even if his team isn’t doing too well.
And he couldn’t have picked a better season to write about: it’s drama from the first to the last page.
First off, Haas finally have a competitive car again which even brought home some great results.
Than of course Mazepin and Uralkali had to go with the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
And last but definitely not least, we had the whole drama around Mick Schumacher.
In addition to all of the above, one also learns a lot about running a Formula 1 team. Steiner not only describes his current job as the team principal of Haas F1 but his time in Rally and NASCAR and even how his current team was founded, as well.
Overall, a funny, informative and drama-filled account perfect for (almost) every F1 fan.
—> 4 stars
August 14, 2023
Live, laugh, love Guenther
Literally get me an interview with Guenther. Two aries in front of a camera, I promise it'll be a good time. If you put Oscar on there too, you'll have three aries. With all our different personalities it's bound to be chaos.
I need a shirt with Guenther's face blown up on it. Please and thank you
Literally get me an interview with Guenther. Two aries in front of a camera, I promise it'll be a good time. If you put Oscar on there too, you'll have three aries. With all our different personalities it's bound to be chaos.
I need a shirt with Guenther's face blown up on it. Please and thank you
April 23, 2023
Easy to pick up and put down. Short chapters for late night and holiday readers. Funny, interesting and entertaining. It’s written exactly as he speaks which is fun. An enjoyable read for any F1 fan :)
March 5, 2024
Written in a dairy-style format, Guenther Steiner takes us through a rollercoaster of an F1 season with Haas F1. Amazingly well written with some great (intentional? Maybe?) comedy mixed in with some awesome insight into the goings-on within a Formula 1 team.
October 9, 2024
Nice series of diary entries over a full Formula 1 season. A bit repetitive but definitely fuelled and fed my interest in the sport a bit more. His unique tone and intonation comes across the writing - fun for the reader.
March 10, 2024
He did not survive to drive
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2024
W kategorii komedia 5/5, bo bardzo tęsknię za Guntherem i jego żartami - jestem pełna podziwu w stosunku do faktu, że w słowie pisanym jest tak samo komiczny i bezpośredni jak w DtS. Niezwykle lekki i miły początek czytelniczego roku 2024 :))
February 12, 2025
To be brutally honest, this book is boring and uninspiring, especially if you lived through the 2022 F1 season.
The problem with writing a book primarily centered around events that have already happened that your primary audience is already aware of is that you have to provide a unique and new perspective on it. You’d think that wouldn’t be difficult for someone with Steiner’s level of knowledge and insider information but he almost completely fails to share any interesting insight about Haas’ 2022 season.
The moments where we learn new information that is actually worth learning are few and far between, and he fails to go into detail on anything worth going into detail on. There are multiple instances where Steiner makes a passing mention of something that would make a genuinely interesting topic for F1 fans only to quickly brush past it and pivot to something wholly uninspiring, creating an infuriatingly surface level account of the season, most of which is just a report of results we already know.
It was expected that a book clearly made to pander to an audience who doesn’t find the “foking wankers” bit overdone and isn’t overly concerned with actual insight would do that and only that, but it’s disappointing all the same.
Ultimately I am not the target audience and cannot fairly judge this book off of what it brings to me, someone who 1) reads a lot of books and 2) is pretty deeply involved in motorsport. That’s clearly not who this book was written for.
If you were somehow endeared to Steiner by his DTS performance and don’t care about the intricacies and details of F1 and if you really like unfunny jokes that get repeated over and over again, I can see how this might be enjoyable, but if you’re looking for anything outside of a basic account overshadowed by Steiner’s over-commitment to the bit of his personality you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
The problem with writing a book primarily centered around events that have already happened that your primary audience is already aware of is that you have to provide a unique and new perspective on it. You’d think that wouldn’t be difficult for someone with Steiner’s level of knowledge and insider information but he almost completely fails to share any interesting insight about Haas’ 2022 season.
The moments where we learn new information that is actually worth learning are few and far between, and he fails to go into detail on anything worth going into detail on. There are multiple instances where Steiner makes a passing mention of something that would make a genuinely interesting topic for F1 fans only to quickly brush past it and pivot to something wholly uninspiring, creating an infuriatingly surface level account of the season, most of which is just a report of results we already know.
It was expected that a book clearly made to pander to an audience who doesn’t find the “foking wankers” bit overdone and isn’t overly concerned with actual insight would do that and only that, but it’s disappointing all the same.
Ultimately I am not the target audience and cannot fairly judge this book off of what it brings to me, someone who 1) reads a lot of books and 2) is pretty deeply involved in motorsport. That’s clearly not who this book was written for.
If you were somehow endeared to Steiner by his DTS performance and don’t care about the intricacies and details of F1 and if you really like unfunny jokes that get repeated over and over again, I can see how this might be enjoyable, but if you’re looking for anything outside of a basic account overshadowed by Steiner’s over-commitment to the bit of his personality you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
Read
November 11, 2023 Name: Guenter Steiner
Date of birth: A foking long time ago
Skills: Bullshit, bad news, persuasion
First of all: I'm so confused as to why Goodreads labels this book "from the breakout star of Netflix's Drive to Survive". He's a team pricinple, ffs. Not an actor. Also, he's not a star.
Must be an American thing.
One cannot deny that Steiner is unapologetically himself in this book. He writes what he thinks, as controversial as things may be. And he uses the typical Steiner tone - he used the word "fok" 280 times!
I mean yes, the book was entertaining. I'm not a Mick fan but the slander has to stop. He talked shit about him, claiming that F1 has to "separate the men from the boys." He already thought about replacing him after 4 races yet he waited until fucking Abu Dhabi with the decision. If he would have told Mick his thoughts after Imola, Mick would have had the opportunity to talk to other teams! He completely ruined Mick's chances.
Other parts were funny, such as the claim that Haas would be competetive in 2023 (lmao). The fact that their freight went via Leipzig to Bahrain (hi from Dresden!). I was also shocked to find out that he has beef with my man, Andi. How can someone hate Andi? I miss Andi. :-(
When it wasn't race week, he sometimes talked about his past in rally. I really couldn't care less. There was too much rally talk!
I can't possibly rate this book. I'm a McLaren girlie through and through.
It was definitely interesting to read and I loved a glimpse behind the scenes of modern F1 (since many other books were written by people who partook decades ago). But I just don't vibe with Steiner and his tone. Sorry not sorry.
Date of birth: A foking long time ago
Skills: Bullshit, bad news, persuasion
First of all: I'm so confused as to why Goodreads labels this book "from the breakout star of Netflix's Drive to Survive". He's a team pricinple, ffs. Not an actor. Also, he's not a star.
Must be an American thing.
One cannot deny that Steiner is unapologetically himself in this book. He writes what he thinks, as controversial as things may be. And he uses the typical Steiner tone - he used the word "fok" 280 times!
I mean yes, the book was entertaining. I'm not a Mick fan but the slander has to stop. He talked shit about him, claiming that F1 has to "separate the men from the boys." He already thought about replacing him after 4 races yet he waited until fucking Abu Dhabi with the decision. If he would have told Mick his thoughts after Imola, Mick would have had the opportunity to talk to other teams! He completely ruined Mick's chances.
Other parts were funny, such as the claim that Haas would be competetive in 2023 (lmao). The fact that their freight went via Leipzig to Bahrain (hi from Dresden!). I was also shocked to find out that he has beef with my man, Andi. How can someone hate Andi? I miss Andi. :-(
When it wasn't race week, he sometimes talked about his past in rally. I really couldn't care less. There was too much rally talk!
I can't possibly rate this book. I'm a McLaren girlie through and through.
It was definitely interesting to read and I loved a glimpse behind the scenes of modern F1 (since many other books were written by people who partook decades ago). But I just don't vibe with Steiner and his tone. Sorry not sorry.
May 5, 2023
We look like a bunch of foking w@nkers!
Guenther created swearing, I’m sure of it.
This was SUCH an easy read. Even if you’re not heavily in to Formula 1, I still think this would be an interesting insight into how it all works and understand the struggles and challenges they face. Especially since it’s all told from the mind and eyes of Guenther Steiner. He is absolutely hilarious and just seems so genuine.
Admittedly, last season I was a bit disappointed with how the situation with Mick Schumacher was dealt with. As a Mick fan, it was disheartening to see how little he made it out on track due to faults with the car. After getting an insight to how much can go wrong behind the scenes really opened my eyes and the pressure the drivers and whole team deal with is immense.
The media has a lot to answer for too.
I have found a whole new level of respect for everyone involved in Formula 1. You may think they have lavish lifestyles and lots of money, which is true. But, on the other hand, they never stop. They deal with so much pressure and are constantly striving to win, when it’s not always possible. Especially with Guenthers luck.
I love how he wrote this book as diary entries and it felt like he was speaking to you. It was very authentic and it was just a great read.
I’m definitely going to listen to it on audible too, just to hear him speak… and swear!
Guenther created swearing, I’m sure of it.
This was SUCH an easy read. Even if you’re not heavily in to Formula 1, I still think this would be an interesting insight into how it all works and understand the struggles and challenges they face. Especially since it’s all told from the mind and eyes of Guenther Steiner. He is absolutely hilarious and just seems so genuine.
Admittedly, last season I was a bit disappointed with how the situation with Mick Schumacher was dealt with. As a Mick fan, it was disheartening to see how little he made it out on track due to faults with the car. After getting an insight to how much can go wrong behind the scenes really opened my eyes and the pressure the drivers and whole team deal with is immense.
The media has a lot to answer for too.
I have found a whole new level of respect for everyone involved in Formula 1. You may think they have lavish lifestyles and lots of money, which is true. But, on the other hand, they never stop. They deal with so much pressure and are constantly striving to win, when it’s not always possible. Especially with Guenthers luck.
I love how he wrote this book as diary entries and it felt like he was speaking to you. It was very authentic and it was just a great read.
I’m definitely going to listen to it on audible too, just to hear him speak… and swear!
April 16, 2025
This book is so peak Guenther Steiner. Surviving to Drive is basically him yelling into a diary about everything that went down during Haas’s 2022 season, and honestly? I ate it up. It’s unhinged, chaotic, brutally honest—and I wouldn’t expect anything less. 😂
If you’re already a fan of Drive to Survive, this feels like getting the unfiltered, no-cameras version of Guenther’s rants. He spills on everything from the team's budget stress to driver drama (hi, Mick) to trying to keep Haas from fully combusting mid-season—and does it all in his signature “I’m not mad, I’m just extremely mad” tone.
Don’t come into this expecting deep technical F1 breakdowns or a masterclass in engineering. This is all vibes, attitude, and behind-the-scenes chaos from a man who lives in the stress pit that is F1 team management. It’s more like reading the group chat of someone trying to hold it together while everything’s on fire—but with sponsors involved.
4 stars. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s hilarious, weirdly inspiring, and full of F1 tea. Haas may not always win races, but Guenther? He wins at being entertaining. 🏎️🏁
If you’re already a fan of Drive to Survive, this feels like getting the unfiltered, no-cameras version of Guenther’s rants. He spills on everything from the team's budget stress to driver drama (hi, Mick) to trying to keep Haas from fully combusting mid-season—and does it all in his signature “I’m not mad, I’m just extremely mad” tone.
Don’t come into this expecting deep technical F1 breakdowns or a masterclass in engineering. This is all vibes, attitude, and behind-the-scenes chaos from a man who lives in the stress pit that is F1 team management. It’s more like reading the group chat of someone trying to hold it together while everything’s on fire—but with sponsors involved.
4 stars. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s hilarious, weirdly inspiring, and full of F1 tea. Haas may not always win races, but Guenther? He wins at being entertaining. 🏎️🏁
July 7, 2025
Formula 1 is currently one of the fastest-growing sports in history. Spanning across decades, it has an amazing heritage, and Guenther is an icon of the sport. From a history of rally racing to being clueless as Mazda's mechanic, he shares some action-packed stories, from getting lost in Libya and bribing a man possessing a weapon for beer in exchange for directions, and also some horrific, tragic crashes.
Guenther truly shares the experiences of the ups and downs of being a leader of a billion-dollar Formula 1 team, the pressures of constant travel, and frequent media backlash. The format of the read is a diary style to truly provide insights on his day-to-day life. He provides us with some realistic expectations of what it takes to be one of the best drivers in the world in his eyes...
"If you’re good enough and you fight for it, you might be lucky enough to get one, but you do not deserve that seat. If you get it, you have simply earned that seat."
Personally, I resonate a lot with Guenther's mindset. His morals and beliefs not only target Formula 1 drivers but also what it takes to be the best!
Guenther truly shares the experiences of the ups and downs of being a leader of a billion-dollar Formula 1 team, the pressures of constant travel, and frequent media backlash. The format of the read is a diary style to truly provide insights on his day-to-day life. He provides us with some realistic expectations of what it takes to be one of the best drivers in the world in his eyes...
"If you’re good enough and you fight for it, you might be lucky enough to get one, but you do not deserve that seat. If you get it, you have simply earned that seat."
Personally, I resonate a lot with Guenther's mindset. His morals and beliefs not only target Formula 1 drivers but also what it takes to be the best!
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