How to Build a Car

by Adrian Newey, Damon Hill (Introduction)

The world’s foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain’s greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir.

How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian’s unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he’s been involved.

A true engineering genius, even in adolescence Adrian’s thoughts naturally emerged in shape and form – he began sketching his own car designs at the age of 12 and took a welding course in his school summer holidays. From his early career in IndyCar racing and on to his unparalleled success in Formula One, we learn in comprehensive, engaging and highly entertaining detail how a car actually works. Adrian has designed for the likes of Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, always with a shark-like purity of purpose: to make the car go faster. And while his career has been marked by unbelievable triumphs, there have also been deep tragedies; most notably Ayrton Senna’s death during his time at Williams in 1994.

Beautifully illustrated with never-before-seen drawings, How to Build a Car encapsulates, through Adrian’s remarkable life story, precisely what makes Formula One so thrilling – its potential for the total synchronicity of man and machine, the perfect combination of style, efficiency and speed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Sports, Engineering, Science, Autobiography, Cars

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Dawn McCance · Rating 2 out of 5]

He's definitely a genius.
We probably wouldn't be pals.

[Ethan Chang · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to look like rock stars instead of looking like a fokking bunch of wankers

[Helga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the memoir of Adrian Newey, the British Formula One engineer who currently is the chief technician of the F1’s Red Bull team.
The memoir is a fun read for all the fans of F1.
Thank you, Chris, for recommending this book to me!

[Gem ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've spent this weekend thoroughly engrossed in this account of the infamous Adrian Newey's life with cars. It spans from his earliest childhood memories to his current Formula One career with Redbull Racing / Redbull Advanced Technologies; charting both personal and professional insights with his likeable, firm but fair style.

As a Formula One fan since childhood I was delighted to receive a review copy from the publisher to be able to compare to the many F1 autobiographies and history books I've read across the years; I have to say this is one of my personal favourites as Newey is such an innovator of the sport and has such breadth and history amongst the pivotal teams in the sport that it is packed with detail and such a unique insight. From the early days of Fittipaldi, the internal politics at Williams, Senna's tragic Imola crash, the regulation changes in the sport over the years, highs and lows at McLaren and the evolution of Redbull Racing, the story of Newey's career is told in a clever concept that charts the chapters by each one of his historic car design concepts from the March 83G to the RB8 and formats them as a race track (his early years are "On the Grid", then his career moves are each divided in to "turns" as a track is designed). This concept is inspired; helpful as a historical guide across modern F1 history and good for quick reference if you prefer to dip in and out of the book.

This book would make an ideal purchase for anyone with a love of motorsport, but also any interested in engineering/aerodynamic concepts or design. The illustrations provided for each car are just fantastic and provide such detail about key features, specifically regulation change innovations. There is a lot of technical terminology used but most important concepts are explained within each discussion and there is a handy glossary at the back if anything needs further explanation.

There is so much to love about this book and I have been raving about it to several fellow F1 fans. I found it provided some important opinion on a lot of key issues within the sport that have been talked about over the years (diffusers, KERS, team fallouts) ; to hear Newey's opinion and take on such matters (as he's not typically one of the outspoken people within the sport) was very interesting, and amongst other autobiographies such as Mark Webber's Aussie Grit etc you see a broad picture of what was often left unexplained or given a media spin at the time. I found it fascinating how despite being such an innovator of modern car technology Newey prefers old school drawing by hand to any technical computerised drawings; having an old drawing board that has literally followed him from each role. It is telling how Newey seems discontent with the current state of the sport, a feeling echoed by many fans, and perhaps clearly indicates the divide of direction that has crept up over the past decade.

[tima]

can someone pls send this book to the ferrari engineers?

Edit 2024/02/09:
APPARENTLY, THERE'S RUMORS ADRIAN MIGHT MOVE TO FERRARI???? PLS BE TRUE, I NEED FERRARI DOMINANCE ERA 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[Marlies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why did I pick this book?
How to Build a Car was recommended by many of my recommendation sources. When a recently discovered YouTube channel, focused on engineering, suggested the book I decided it was time to check it out.
I'm an Industrial Designer, so the engineering aspect of the book really peaked my interest. The Formula 1 aspect did not particularly speak to me and I had never heard of Newey before.

What the book is about
This is the autobiography of Adrian Newey, apparently the best Formula 1 racecar designer ever. He chronicles his life, starting with early years, studies and then his many years in the racing industry.

My review
It's the largest (in size as well as in volume) book I've read in a while. Not a book you can easily take with you reading in the train.
Luckily, and surprisingly, it was super easy to read and I got through it in no time, not having to take it with me to finish it. Newey has a way of writing which is kinda similar to actual story telling, including getting off track and having to "But, let's get back to the story" interruptions.

Unfortunately that is the most positive I have to say about this book. I was pleasantly surprised it read so well, but I was disappointed the book dives so little into the real engineering aspects. I had hoped to get a deeper understanding of aerodynamics, the systems engineering that goes into a sports car, how to manage such an extended team, etc, etc.
However, we only get a description in the way of; 'I designed a better car the next year and then this and this and this is what happened at the races.' I learned nothing, only that apparently Newey has had many accomplishments and he wants to see that reflected in his salary, and if his cars did not finish first it was due to reliability issues with the engine..

Was disappointed and would not recommend to anyone expecting to learn something from this book. Would however recommend anyone already interested for Formula 1 and people who could use a different perspective on the F1 world, which is not from the driver's perspective.

[aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am confident that i could now build a car that will stop red bull from winning next year.

[clumsyplankton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book for any formula one fan. Extremely interesting and technical. I love the small anecdotes which include Christian Horner getting picked up by bouncers. It’s honestly so good and if you’re a formula one fan I would suggest it.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adrian Newey has been living and breathing cars since he first started sketching them at the age of 12. The roots of this love were seeing his father pottering around in the garage on some project or other. Drawing them was one thing, what he really wanted to do was build them, so a welding course followed one summer holiday. He tried racing karts, having saved to buy one, but even though he enjoyed it, it was not his thing. He worked hard to get into Southampton to do a degree in mechanical engineering, however, the maths was a struggle. Leaving with a 1st, he wrote to Brabham and a lot of the other teams but nothing seemed to be offered until a chance call from Fittipaldi and his interview consisted of a nervous wait while Harvey Postlethwaite took his Ducati for a test ride. He was in the door.

The first car that he was involved with, Newey ended up redesigning the aerodynamics to meet the latest change in regulations. The team folded after the money ran out and he was offered a position at March working on the 83G as well as working on the car for the Daytona 24 hour race. Success in that meant he was seconded to Truesports to help with another Indycar. Then the opportunity beckoned for a place in a Formula 1 team, and he joined Leyton House where he had the chance to design a car from scratch. Other teams noticed his success and soon he was working for Williams on their FW14 to FW18 cars before being poached again by McLaren. Leaving there under a little bit of a cloud, he ended up with the newest team in the paddock, Red Bull. The owner wanted to make a serious investment in the sport to promote the brand and the drink and so began a new era and four world championships.

People are well aware of the drivers who wrestle these cars at 200 mph around some of the fastest circuits in the calendar. There are a few team heads that people can name, but most of the designers, engineers and aerodynamicists are completely unknown. But there is one who is almost a household name, Adrian Newey. To put it frankly he is an engineering genius. He has worked with almost all the big teams, using his wide experience in creating a car that just goes very very fast. These cars have, in the right hands, give some of the best drivers in the world race wins and world championships. I have been an F1 fan since the age of 8. I grew up in Woking, and McLaren has always been my number one team, though their performance in the past few years has not done them any favours. There is plenty of fascinating detail in this book, as Newey writes about some of his personal life as well as lots of information about the cars that he designed and how he solved the particular problems that the constant changes in regulation through up. Definitely a books for the die hard F1 fan.

[Dmitry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Мои ожидания были не слишком высокими: ну что может быть в книге с таким названием? Детали того, как сделать переднее крыло на 3% эффективнее? Или просто туманные описания без подробностей, ведь конкуренты могут черпать вдохновение даже в давно отвергнутых проектах?
Нет, в этой книге можно найти гораздо больше, и она на 80% состоит из рассказов о людях, об их мотивации, и о процессах, приносящих результаты. Как можно понять, что команда F1 начинает двигаться к своему закату? (спойлер: увольняться можно в тот момент, когда нанимают стороннего финдиректора или и вовсе ставят на руководящую должность бухгалтера).
В книге подробно описаны наиболее яркие пилоты, с которыми автор сумел взять десять кубков конструкторов и выиграть 154 Гран-При(на 2019 уже больше, разумеется). Чем Сенна заслужил безоговорочное восхищение, у какой команды он на слух сумел определить нелегальное использование трекшн-контроля? Почему о Шумахере сказана всего пара теплых слов? Как пилоты в Вильямс интриговали друг против друга, какие безобидные и не очень фокусы с настройками проворачивали? В чем похожи Льюис Хэмилтон и Кристиан Хорнер? Ньюи не слишком концентрировался на конфликте Феттеля и Уэббера, но в то же время подчеркнул сильные и слабые стороны каждого, иногда настолько подробно, что стали понятные периодические ошибки Феттеля в 2017, приводящие к разворотам.
В несколько меньшем объеме автор прошелся по деталям принятия решений за кулисами F1: почему некоторые команды равнее, чем другие(FIA aka Ferrari International Aid), как команды решали вопрос с Гран-При США в 2005, какими неспортивными методами можно воспользоваться, чтобы улучшить показатели одного гонщика или команды(ухудшив их другим). Очень п��дробно описаны причины переходов в другие команды, и как принимались итоговые решения(стоит ли уходить в команду, которая уже почти взяла следующий кубок? А если в ней явно происходит борьба между д��умя равносильными кланами?). Особенно интересным был отрывок про построение команды Red Bull, когда Хорнеру и Ньюи приходилось бороться со старыми выгоревшими инженерами, договариваться с поставщиками и за три года довести болид из состояния "отваливается всё" в состояние "вот и кубок конструкторов у нас".
Книга не предназначена для введения в аэродинамику, но все же дает понимание того, какие проблемы решаются и какими способами(и как FIA запретит эти способы в следующем сезоне), не говоря уже о реальных чертежах.
Нельзя не упомянуть огромное количество забавных историй(почему Дэвид Кулхард на пьянке к добру не приведет? Что может заставить высший менеджмент команды Ред Булл стоять нетрезвыми в коридоре и подслушивать у двери, приложив к ней стакан?) и в целом образцовый английский юмор, особенно в частях, связанных с FIA.
tl;dr: отличная книга, написанная поразительно легким языком, и вероятно первая биография, которой я зачитывался настолько, что ложился на 2 часа позже. Перевернет ли она вашу жизнь? Едва ли. Сможете ли вы применить в своей работе те же подходы? Надеюсь, что нет, выходные штука полезная. Получите ли вы удовольствие от чтения и как минимум несколько моментов "ах ты черт, так вот что там происходило в реальности"? Точно да!

[HB. · Rating 2 out of 5]

he seems like a dick but some of the technical stuff was cool.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got into Formula 1 last year from the Netflix show, so this memoir from Red Bull Racing's CTO was a great intro into the tech side of racing. I now know how downforce works!! (Mostly.) There are very cool technical sketches too that give a nice history of the F1 racecar's evolution. The author also mixes in some cringey stories of getting drunk, pranking his engineer bros, and crashing cars. Weird but OK sure!

[Anna Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

like being trapped on a long car ride with someone else’s dad

[Elly · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was overwhelmingly impressed by his ability to explain f1 car components/design choices he made with words & technical drawings (but equally put off by some of the off-hand remarks he made about drivers/his family/different figures in f1:’))

[Julius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fittipaldi F1 Team, FORCE, March, Leyton Hoyse, Williams, McLaren y Red Bull tienen en común haber contado con los servicios del genio Adrian Newey. El ingeniero británico, nacido en 1958, es uno de los más exitosos de la historia de la Fórmula 1. Sus creaciones, desde los años 80, siempre fueron competitivas. Desde sus inicios, poco a poco fue ganando experiencia, sumando éxitos y siendo cada vez más prestigioso.

Uno de los primeros éxitos de Newey fue la victoria en las 500 Millas de Indianápolis del equipo March y el título de la Indycar en 1985. En 1988 se convirtió en jefe de diseño de March en la F1 y comenzó una carrera en Europa que sigue sumando triunfos a día de hoy.

A finales del año 2017, el creador de los imbatibles Williams de los 90, de los McLaren de finales de esa década y de los cuatro Red Bull campeones del mundo entre 2010 y 2013, lanzó su autobiografía “Cómo hacer un coche”.

En ella podemos descubrir de forma emocionante cómo funcionan las carreras, los coches de competición y lo que se cuece en el Gran Circo. Lo acompañan imágenes, anécdotas y un sinfín de curiosidades. Además de todo lo que cuenta Newey, es también interesante lo que comenta Fernando Alonso: sus encuentros, incluso sus negociaciones y su rivalidad. Porque Alonso y Newey nunca coincidieron en el mismo equipo, pero se admiraron siempre el uno al otro.

He aprendido mucho, y he ganado empatía hacia este ingeniero. Lejos de ser una persona altiva y pretenciosa, Newey parece que gusta más de ser discreto, trabajar en sus cosas y dedicarse a mejorar el coche. La fama y la exposición pública son el tributo necesario. Lejos de ser un libro muy técnico, tiene varios episodios de humanidad, en la que Newey habla sin miedo de que prefirió un equipo a otro por la situación que pasaba en ese momento con la familia, o porque confiaba más en un piloto que en otro. Me he quedado con la idea de que este señor no es un robot, sino alguien con bastante carisma y humanidad, en definitiva.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great deep dive for Formula 1 or Motorsport fans who want an introduction to the development of race cars and a primer on aerodynamics and mechanical principals.

This book is not a particularly insightful peek into Adrian Newey’s life as the emotions of one of the leaders in a cutthroat global sport, or a man balancing a demanding career with family (two unsuccessful marriages get less than a page’s treatment, one nearly entirely omitted).

I didn’t need an in-depth emotional redemption story, but I had hoped for a bit more than the recap of most race results between 1980 and 2014.

In the end, Newey’s acknowledgement of a ghost writer makes total sense. Perhaps the style is indicative of his singular focus on improvements in his racing results.

Set your expectations accordingly and you will be rewarded. A reluctant 4 stars.

[Zoe Zaleski · Rating 4 out of 5]

My relatively new entry into F1 has led me to immense enjoyment of podcasts, discussions with friends, and Sundays becoming centered around watching races. This seemed like an inevitable step, what with Newey becoming such an influential person in the world of motorsport and race-car engineering. I got to see so much more behind the scenes of the construction of race-cars, regulation constraints, loopholes, and so much more. A thoroughly enjoyable read, and excited to see F1 with fresh eyes this season after Newey’s move to Aston Martin

[Richard Burgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now it is finaly starting to make a little more sense with all the inovations that took place, why is the sport so thrilling and what can be the details winning championships. Newey is a genius in his own sport, but as this season is showing us so far, you have to at least take a glimpse at the other point of view, the one that for the past 7 years did not give them sleep, nor the chance for what it seemed. Looking forward to reading about R.Brawn and building Mercedes!

[Chad Cruickshank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed some of the anecdotes Newey was able to share. For someone who enjoys Formula One on both a sporting and technical perspective this was well worth the read.

[Marko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the famous F1 designer's autobiography, ghost written by Andrew Holmes, with the brilliant ideas for the name of the book and the chapters by Jack Fogg.

It's also the first book I bought in hardcover. I don't prefer it as it isn't that portable, but it's the only edition this book comes in. And it was the last purchase from the very good Book Depository (RIP).

The book went beyond my expectations. It starts with the early days of Newey in his primary school and leads us all through his education, career and personal life up until 2017. Through the chapters, which are defined by the cars he was building at the time, he talks about who he worked with and what were the design problems he faced. Almost all of the time he was able to simplify the explanations so I didn't have any problem understanding the highly complex design of an F1 car. Add some drawings off the original parts to it, and it makes for a fascinating introspection of what goes behind designing a car. All in all, it's a great combination of finding out about a man that is responsible for so many championships, but isn't that prominent in the media, and the cars themselves, with a bit of politics that goes behind the scenes.

What I didn't like about the book was that Newey quickly skips over all the years where he lost the title, or where the team built a car that did not evolve into a championship winning car. I'm sure those cars presented some similar problems that they were trying to resolve which would also make for some fun reading. I'm also not sure if this book would be that interesting to non-F1 fans, maybe even for non-technically aspiring F1 fans. There are a lot of times when the chapters are solely focused on fixing an aerodynamic issue at a small part of the car. Still, for me as a person interested on the technical aspect as well, it was a wonderful read.

[Nahuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como si fuera una conversación cara a cara, Adrian Newey, una de las mentes más brillantes del diseño en deportes de motor, te cuenta como fueron sus comienzos, como fue labrando su exitosa historia y lo que le depara el futuro de la forma más cercana y sencilla. Una narración sencilla y graciosa, por momentos, que te enseña como funciona el mundo de la aerodinámica.

[Zoe Amstutz]

Paul and I listened to this on audiobook. We went from knowing nothing about F1 to being fans if that tells you anything about how we enjoyed this book😆

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO good. Absolutely fascinating hearing about Adrian’s life and his career development. Would absolutely love an update now of him talking about the RB17, RB18 and RB19!!

Adrian Newey is a GENIUS

10/10 HIGHLY recommend

[Shaheer Azam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well structured.

[Mack Chao · Rating 4 out of 5]

gr8 for the history but sideeye for this guy trying marriage so many times and having so many kids. it would've been fine to just stick with bros and cars

finished in celebration of mclaren's double dq #dudududumaxverstappen

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

objectively this man is a huge dweeb and also maybe a little bit of a knob but I liked this for the most part!

definitely could’ve paced myself better on this one and probably enjoyed it a lil more but it is what it is.

a very odd mixture of insanely technical jargon filled essays (which is on some level exactly what I wanted bc I want to Understand), extremely fascinating recounts of race weekends over literal DECADES, and like 7 paragraphs total about his personal life. chapters upon chapters of minute car updates with like 15 rly interesting personal anecdotes related to f1 and maybe 500 words total about his three wives and four kids lol.

simultaneously boring enough to make my eyes glaze over and interesting. I had to read MANY of the technical parts over and over to get even a tiny bit of understanding out of it but I have absolutely no physics, engineering, or math background at all so. it is what it is.

glad I read it, kinda upset at myself that I had to grind through it, but as always we move

three wives is crazy tho lmao

[Mike Spear · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half is informative and entertaining. I had no idea how much American motorsports was influenced by today’s de facto automotive engineer / aerodynamicist. The back half was less informative for those that have followed F1 for the past couple decades. Reminiscent and repetitive but an enjoyable read. Great insight to some of motorsports happiest and saddest moments.

[Paul Kim]

fuck red bull but newey forever has a place in my heart for designing the mid 90s and early 2000s williams and McLaren cars

[Andrii Mykhailov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to the book - interesting journey through a successful career and history of motorsport with glimpses of internal workings of the racing teams.

[Noah Royal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frat boy but math