Book Review: F1 Mavericks

While far from the first book written about Formula 1, F1 Mavericks is very digestible. It covers a lot of ground–what author George Levy calls the defining, innovative period from 1958 through 1982–in bite-size chunks. It’s a book you can pick up, read for a few pages, and come away feeling satisfied. The focus feels both narrow and wide, yet the thread of innovation ties everything together.

Co-author Pete Biro, who passed away just last year, was there for those years as a photographer. The shots include on-track images–yes, there are many–but there are also lots that show the emotion–from the pits, the garages, and from the grid. The words, a mix of interviews and profiles, highlight the people who fueled that innovation: Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, Colin Chapman, Dan Gurney, Bernie Ecclestone and more.

The book’s afterword by the late champion Niki Lauda, which offers a blistering take on the current state of F1, is alone worth the price of admission. Lauda sounds off on the cars, the tracks and the sport. Just a taste of his disgust: “Look at the [MotoGP] motorbikes. The motorbikes are still going as they were always going. Attractive. Aggressive. You see what these guys do. Why did we change Formula One around so stupid?”

Buy This Book on Amazon.com

“F1 Mavericks” by Pete Biro and George Levy

Motorbooks, an imprint of The Quarto Group

Format: Hardback, 240 Pages

Cover Price: $50.00

ISBN: 9780760362211

Illustrations: 300 color & b-w photos

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