The Formula, written by Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg chronicles the history and transformation of Formula 1 racing, particularly its crusade to conquer the American sports market. The book details how the sport's reinvention happened through innovation, high-stakes gambles, and a focus on entertainment, which led to its massive global growth and unprecedented popularity.

Perhaps this book's USP is that it was not written by motoring journalists, but by successful investigative writers who have dug forensically and inquisitively into the machinations of a quirky and unique sport they are not particularly familiar with, which makes their cold eye review and occasional naivety of F1 more pithy, interesting and readable!

Arranged in 16 chapters with evocative titles including: Loopholes, Spygate, The Piranha Club and Abu Dhabi 2021, this 290-page softback is very easy to read in convenient chunks, complete with lots of new information and inside stories. For example: I knew that Nigel Mansell's protracted 1993 contract negotiations with Williams stalled over numbers of Mars Bars! 

Chapter 4 is titled Supremo, and F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone gets a fascinating 16-page business biopic. The penultimate chapter is Abu Dhabi 2021 and recalls events during the last 5 laps of that grand prix when the FIA race director's gross incompetence - Michael Masi take a bow - resulted in Lewis Hamilton failing to secure his eighth world championship, despite dominating the race. 

Other riveting chapters include those on Schumi, Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and CVC Capital's sale of F1 to current owners Liberty Media.With a jacket price of £10.99 The Formula was originally published in the USA by Mariner Books, then later in 2024, published in the UK by Monoray and is available from Amazon or The Works, where I got my copy for £3.00, but despite its modest price, this well-written and researched book is great value and an absorbing and very enjoyable read 

Ken Davies ©