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F1 Racing: Drive: The Secrets to Formula One Success
How do twenty of the best drivers in the world drive on the same racetrack and have such different results? This is Formula One unlocked, revealing the strategy and skill behind the most successful drivers in the world.
With exclusive insider access, F1 Drive reveals the tactics of the top teams and strategies they use to optimize driver performance, explaining how drivers succeed, why they fail and those marginal adjustments that are the difference between winning and losing.
Featuring chapters on everything from defensive masterclasses and the importance of engineering and working as a team to the skills of driving in the rain and conquering mindset, this is a definitive insight into the secrets of the best drivers in F1 history.
Rachel has obtained new interviews specifically for the book with some of the biggest names in F1,
Drivers and Team Principals
Guenther Steiner
Toto Wolff
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
Valtteri Bottas
Nico Rosberg
Pedro De la Rosa
Anthony Davidson (ex-driver)
Jock Clear (veteran engineer, currently at Ferrari)
Journalists
Martin Brundle (Sky, ex-driver)
Bernie Collins (Sky Sports, F1TV, female, ex-engineer for Aston Martin)
Sit in the driver’s seat with Sky Sports F1 commentator Rachel Brookes as she examines the make-or-break moments across 75 years of Formula One and beyond. Brookes draws comparisons between modern drivers alongside their iconic predecessors in a dramatic yet detailed look at how the sport has progressed, ultimately seeking to answer the what makes one driver World Champion, while his teammate is stuck forever languishing behind?
With exclusive insider access, F1 Drive reveals the tactics of the top teams and strategies they use to optimize driver performance, explaining how drivers succeed, why they fail and those marginal adjustments that are the difference between winning and losing.
Featuring chapters on everything from defensive masterclasses and the importance of engineering and working as a team to the skills of driving in the rain and conquering mindset, this is a definitive insight into the secrets of the best drivers in F1 history.
Rachel has obtained new interviews specifically for the book with some of the biggest names in F1,
Drivers and Team Principals
Guenther Steiner
Toto Wolff
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
Valtteri Bottas
Nico Rosberg
Pedro De la Rosa
Anthony Davidson (ex-driver)
Jock Clear (veteran engineer, currently at Ferrari)
Journalists
Martin Brundle (Sky, ex-driver)
Bernie Collins (Sky Sports, F1TV, female, ex-engineer for Aston Martin)
Sit in the driver’s seat with Sky Sports F1 commentator Rachel Brookes as she examines the make-or-break moments across 75 years of Formula One and beyond. Brookes draws comparisons between modern drivers alongside their iconic predecessors in a dramatic yet detailed look at how the sport has progressed, ultimately seeking to answer the what makes one driver World Champion, while his teammate is stuck forever languishing behind?
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There are over eight billion people in the world and only 22 of them are Formula 1 drivers. In this phenomenally brilliant book, Rachel Brookes dissects and explains what the elite few need, in order to have the chance of becoming one of those 22.
I had the pleasure of bumping into Rachel when I was fighting the crowds in the pit lane walk at Suzuka two weeks ago and I can confirm that she is as genuinely lovely as she appears on screen. I started reading this book in between sessions at the circuit; swipe ⬅️ for race weekend pics.
You could be forgiven for thinking that F1 Racing Drive is about Rachel’s life and career in the paddock, especially as several F1 journalists, pundits, presenters and drivers have published books in recent years, but actually, the only reference to her own personal life and experience is her decision to obtain her racing licence and compete, to enable her to really get a feel of what it’s like to be on a racing track driving a single seater. So for me, this book stands a head taller than the rest because Rachel is right there, in the thick of it, race weekend after race weekend. She tackles some of the most difficult driver interviews with incredible skill; sometimes they are on a high, but then there are the drivers who have had a terrible weekend and just don’t want to be interviewed. They are sometimes snarky, angry and can be really awkward. If it was me? I’d probably cry and run away, but Rachel holds her nerve and draws as much as she can out of them, without pushing too hard. That’s a real skill and where she talks about race craft in the book, it makes me think of her own talent at her craft; getting into the heads of these elite 22 and their team bosses, to understand what sets them apart from the rest.
In this book, Rachel shares the incredible amount of technical and strategic knowledge she has accumulated, combined with her unparalleled insight into the mind of a Formula 1 driver. Alongside this, there are exclusive interviews by our F1 Interview Queen with drivers (past and present) and team personnel, and a collection of stunning photographs.
If you are an F1 fan, whether you’re new to the sport, or whether, like me, you’ve been following F1 for more than 30 years, you’re going to want to read this fabulous book.
5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel Brookes and Michael O’Mara for an ARC of this book.
I had the pleasure of bumping into Rachel when I was fighting the crowds in the pit lane walk at Suzuka two weeks ago and I can confirm that she is as genuinely lovely as she appears on screen. I started reading this book in between sessions at the circuit; swipe ⬅️ for race weekend pics.
You could be forgiven for thinking that F1 Racing Drive is about Rachel’s life and career in the paddock, especially as several F1 journalists, pundits, presenters and drivers have published books in recent years, but actually, the only reference to her own personal life and experience is her decision to obtain her racing licence and compete, to enable her to really get a feel of what it’s like to be on a racing track driving a single seater. So for me, this book stands a head taller than the rest because Rachel is right there, in the thick of it, race weekend after race weekend. She tackles some of the most difficult driver interviews with incredible skill; sometimes they are on a high, but then there are the drivers who have had a terrible weekend and just don’t want to be interviewed. They are sometimes snarky, angry and can be really awkward. If it was me? I’d probably cry and run away, but Rachel holds her nerve and draws as much as she can out of them, without pushing too hard. That’s a real skill and where she talks about race craft in the book, it makes me think of her own talent at her craft; getting into the heads of these elite 22 and their team bosses, to understand what sets them apart from the rest.
In this book, Rachel shares the incredible amount of technical and strategic knowledge she has accumulated, combined with her unparalleled insight into the mind of a Formula 1 driver. Alongside this, there are exclusive interviews by our F1 Interview Queen with drivers (past and present) and team personnel, and a collection of stunning photographs.
If you are an F1 fan, whether you’re new to the sport, or whether, like me, you’ve been following F1 for more than 30 years, you’re going to want to read this fabulous book.
5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel Brookes and Michael O’Mara for an ARC of this book.
June 20, 2026
F1 Racing: Drive by Rachel Brookes is the perfect companion for the F1 fan.
Rachel Brookes writes in a very personable style that draws the reader into her inner circle.
The book covers technical topics such as set up, choice of tyres, breaking, approach to corners etc. She presents them in a way that is easily understood by the lay person.
There are quotes from both racers and pundits alike, including Martin Brundle, Anthony Davidson, Valtteri Bottas, Oscar Piastri and more. All are familiar names and well respected by the F1 fan.
Drivers of the past are included too, as everyone tries to decide – who is their personal G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time)?
We learn about the dedication of the late, great Aryton Senna. And we see the comparison of Seb Vettel who “made it his business to know people, not just their job titles but their lives.” There is the belief that “people work harder when they feel they matter.”
We learn the importance of “living your values, even when no one is watching.”
Lewis Hamilton has done much for the sport, and he champions other causes too, changing lives.
I thoroughly enjoyed F1 Racing: Drive. It was entertaining, enjoyable and educating, and just perfect for the F1 fan.
Rachel Brookes writes in a very personable style that draws the reader into her inner circle.
The book covers technical topics such as set up, choice of tyres, breaking, approach to corners etc. She presents them in a way that is easily understood by the lay person.
There are quotes from both racers and pundits alike, including Martin Brundle, Anthony Davidson, Valtteri Bottas, Oscar Piastri and more. All are familiar names and well respected by the F1 fan.
Drivers of the past are included too, as everyone tries to decide – who is their personal G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time)?
We learn about the dedication of the late, great Aryton Senna. And we see the comparison of Seb Vettel who “made it his business to know people, not just their job titles but their lives.” There is the belief that “people work harder when they feel they matter.”
We learn the importance of “living your values, even when no one is watching.”
Lewis Hamilton has done much for the sport, and he champions other causes too, changing lives.
I thoroughly enjoyed F1 Racing: Drive. It was entertaining, enjoyable and educating, and just perfect for the F1 fan.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Do you believe that Formula 1 is just about going as fast as you can? Think again.
Longtime Formula 1 presenter for Sky Sports 1, Rachel Brookes takes us inside the world of the racers and everyone who makes the end product happen. Filled with interviews with past drivers, current drivers, and team principals, F1 Racing: Drive is a masterclass in learning what it takes to be a champion.
As someone who just got into the sport in the past 6 months, and has been binging the Netflix series, this book gave me a deeper appreciation of the complexities of Formula 1. My mind is still reeling at all of the calculations that go into even the most minute detail.
Longtime fans and new ones will both be captivated by this book that will be a staple in home libraries and Formula 1 paddocks alike.
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael O'Mara Limited I Michael O'Mara for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
Longtime Formula 1 presenter for Sky Sports 1, Rachel Brookes takes us inside the world of the racers and everyone who makes the end product happen. Filled with interviews with past drivers, current drivers, and team principals, F1 Racing: Drive is a masterclass in learning what it takes to be a champion.
As someone who just got into the sport in the past 6 months, and has been binging the Netflix series, this book gave me a deeper appreciation of the complexities of Formula 1. My mind is still reeling at all of the calculations that go into even the most minute detail.
Longtime fans and new ones will both be captivated by this book that will be a staple in home libraries and Formula 1 paddocks alike.
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael O'Mara Limited I Michael O'Mara for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
August 2, 2026
Hyvä koonti F1-maailman tärkeimmistä aspekteista - radalla ja sen ulkopuolella. Useat kuskihaastattelut oli myös plussaa.
September 7, 2026
Amazing read for F1 newcomers - how does the sport work, what stands behind the tactics in each race, even who’s the GOAT 🤫 One-sided in some parts, it’s a book that every F1 fan should go through
September 14, 2026
Very simplistic, doesnt introduce any new concept.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews