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On the Grid: The Inside Track on Formula One
'On the Grid is incredibly special. I loved every thoughtfully written word'
Will Buxton
'Luke is one of the foremost journalists within the paddock. His book draws the curtain back on our sport... Very few titles have covered the stories of the unsung members of the F1 community in this level of detail and with such vibrancy'
Toto Wolff
'Even if you think you know everything there is to know about Formula 1, you'll learn something within these pages'
GP Racing
Formula 1 might only have twenty drivers in its most elite competition, but each is supported by a world-class team of mechanics, engineers, strategists, party planners and much more. In On the Grid journalist Luke Smith takes us behind the scenes of the past, present and future of the sport, telling its story through the eyes of the people who create it, including the all-important fans.
We see thrilling drama, cutting-edge technology, the stress and the glamour. Smith takes us to the starting grid, full of engine fumes and sweat, to yacht parties in Monaco and to the pit lane for the critical mid-race decisions. We see how a fifty-pence screw in the wrong place could cause a £15m car to break down, how F1 has influenced not just the cars we drive but life-saving medical equipment and even croissants, how you create a Grand Prix track from scratch.
On the Grid shows us what it’s like to work in a high-pressure and inherently dangerous sport; showcases the personalities that give it such drama and intrigue; examines how the sport is addressing its critics around inclusivity and environmental impact. For both long-time fans and newcomers, what results is the definitive, access-all-areas account of what makes F1 stand alone in world sport.
Will Buxton
'Luke is one of the foremost journalists within the paddock. His book draws the curtain back on our sport... Very few titles have covered the stories of the unsung members of the F1 community in this level of detail and with such vibrancy'
Toto Wolff
'Even if you think you know everything there is to know about Formula 1, you'll learn something within these pages'
GP Racing
Formula 1 might only have twenty drivers in its most elite competition, but each is supported by a world-class team of mechanics, engineers, strategists, party planners and much more. In On the Grid journalist Luke Smith takes us behind the scenes of the past, present and future of the sport, telling its story through the eyes of the people who create it, including the all-important fans.
We see thrilling drama, cutting-edge technology, the stress and the glamour. Smith takes us to the starting grid, full of engine fumes and sweat, to yacht parties in Monaco and to the pit lane for the critical mid-race decisions. We see how a fifty-pence screw in the wrong place could cause a £15m car to break down, how F1 has influenced not just the cars we drive but life-saving medical equipment and even croissants, how you create a Grand Prix track from scratch.
On the Grid shows us what it’s like to work in a high-pressure and inherently dangerous sport; showcases the personalities that give it such drama and intrigue; examines how the sport is addressing its critics around inclusivity and environmental impact. For both long-time fans and newcomers, what results is the definitive, access-all-areas account of what makes F1 stand alone in world sport.
- GenresNonfiction
Audible Audio
Published February 13, 2025
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32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 6, 2025
( Format : Audiobook )
"Innovation, adaptation and competition."
What a fabulous book.
With the new rise of interest in Formula 1,especially a.angst the younger adult members of society, there has been an accompanying surge of books about it from autobiographies of drivers, and the vast army of mechanics and others in and beyond the pitwall. Great and many are very enjoyable. But this book goes beyond that, stuffed with facts about how much it costs for an aspiring driver to work their way through text different levels before they can hope to try for an F1 licence - the cost of dedication not only of the potential racer but of their entire family even to selling the family home in an attempt to raise the vast sums of money needed. It covers the passion, dedication and the drivers, the physical extremes sometimes endured, the circuits old and new and the people who built them. The various constructor teams, the financial as well as the uplifting feelings from factory floor to team principal on winning from the constructor and drivers.
And what of female drivers - yes, there have been two who raced in F1 in the past - and the up-and-coming women of today,,both as far s and behind the wheel. It goes on - fact, figure and so much more. I have watched F1 since the 1990s, read .any of the books published since but I learned so much from this marvellous inclusive book and from it could taste that "pushing the boundaries of what is possible" and connecting with the speed and thrills as well as the people.
With an excellent narration by Joe Eyre.
Wonderful.
"Innovation, adaptation and competition."
What a fabulous book.
With the new rise of interest in Formula 1,especially a.angst the younger adult members of society, there has been an accompanying surge of books about it from autobiographies of drivers, and the vast army of mechanics and others in and beyond the pitwall. Great and many are very enjoyable. But this book goes beyond that, stuffed with facts about how much it costs for an aspiring driver to work their way through text different levels before they can hope to try for an F1 licence - the cost of dedication not only of the potential racer but of their entire family even to selling the family home in an attempt to raise the vast sums of money needed. It covers the passion, dedication and the drivers, the physical extremes sometimes endured, the circuits old and new and the people who built them. The various constructor teams, the financial as well as the uplifting feelings from factory floor to team principal on winning from the constructor and drivers.
And what of female drivers - yes, there have been two who raced in F1 in the past - and the up-and-coming women of today,,both as far s and behind the wheel. It goes on - fact, figure and so much more. I have watched F1 since the 1990s, read .any of the books published since but I learned so much from this marvellous inclusive book and from it could taste that "pushing the boundaries of what is possible" and connecting with the speed and thrills as well as the people.
With an excellent narration by Joe Eyre.
Wonderful.
April 14, 2025
What is this book about?
This book is about what goes on behind the scenes every race weekend, ranging from the factory to the pitwall all the way to the cockpit.
Favourite part of the story and why?
My favourite part of the story was when they had a section for the book about all the Drivers and what they think about the demands of the sport.
Favourite character and why?
Luke Smith was the Narrator/journalist of the story talking about Formula 1.
What is a lesson or a fact that you learned from this book?
That they are trying to go net zero carbon by 2030.
Give your review out of 5 stars
5/5
This book is about what goes on behind the scenes every race weekend, ranging from the factory to the pitwall all the way to the cockpit.
Favourite part of the story and why?
My favourite part of the story was when they had a section for the book about all the Drivers and what they think about the demands of the sport.
Favourite character and why?
Luke Smith was the Narrator/journalist of the story talking about Formula 1.
What is a lesson or a fact that you learned from this book?
That they are trying to go net zero carbon by 2030.
Give your review out of 5 stars
5/5
February 28, 2025
I really like Luke's F1 journalism, been following and reading him for years.
There is nothing to this book. It is ... I don't even know what it is. A sprinkling of pieces of interviews very loosely connected along with some nothing tales that don't even go behind any of the scenes.
There is nothing new or interesting in here at all, nothing not already covered - widely covered before. I have no idea what the inside track is. Rehashing stories from over the years, Hamilton's Mission 44, Vettel's bees... inside track?
Oooof.
There is nothing to this book. It is ... I don't even know what it is. A sprinkling of pieces of interviews very loosely connected along with some nothing tales that don't even go behind any of the scenes.
There is nothing new or interesting in here at all, nothing not already covered - widely covered before. I have no idea what the inside track is. Rehashing stories from over the years, Hamilton's Mission 44, Vettel's bees... inside track?
Oooof.
March 13, 2025
The book itself doesn’t really reveal anything new, unless you’re fascinated by Australian croissants 🤷🏻♀️
The narrator was a definite mis-hire; he obviously knows nothing about F1, as he couldn’t pronounce driver names or cities, in many cases.
All a bit cringe.
The narrator was a definite mis-hire; he obviously knows nothing about F1, as he couldn’t pronounce driver names or cities, in many cases.
All a bit cringe.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews