The Formula cover art

The Formula

How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World's Fastest-Growing Sport

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The Formula

By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
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About this listen

 ** Shortlisted for Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Writing Award, 2025 **

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

ONE OF THE FINANCIAL TIMES' BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 2024

'HANDS DOWN THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT F1.' -Sam Walker, author of The Captain Class
'MODERN F1 IS THE SPORTS STORY OF THIS ERA AND NO ONE COULD TELL IT BETTER' -Kevin Clark, ESPN
'THE FASTEST READ YOU WILL EVER PICK UP' -A.J. Baime, author of Go Like Hell

F1 is now the fastest growing sport in the world; the full story of its unbelievable rise is a riveting saga only hinted at by the likes of Drive to Survive. In this book - the first, definitive account of how F1 came to achieve total global fandom - Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg take us inside a world full of racing obsessives, glamorous settings, petrolheads, engineering geniuses, dashing racers and bitter rivalries.

The story of F1's world dominance is one of near-constant transformation and experimentation. This is a sport where the only way to win championships is to land a series of technical moon shots - and then do it all over again. With fast cars, big money, beautiful people, and glamorous locations from Monaco to Melbourne, The Formula tells the full, epic story of the sport. Starting in 1950s Britain, where six years of wartime engineering laid the foundations for a new type of motorcar racing; to the first global star partnership of Senna and Ecclestone; Spygate; Crashgate and its transition into an entertainment juggernaut. Bringing unique insight and access to F1's most storied teams and personalities - from Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton to Christian Horner and Daniel Ricciardo -The Formula offers a riveting portrait of the drivers, corporations, cars, rivalries, and audacious gambles that have shaped the sport for half a century.

The end result is a high-octane history of how modern F1 racing came to be - the first book to tell the story of the outrageous successes and spectacular crashes that led F1 to this extraordinary yet precarious moment. More than just a sports story, it is the tale of a commercial empire, one built in the 20th century, rendered almost obsolete in the early 21st, and re-emerged world-dominant today; a disrupter that claimed its place in the crowded sports marketplace through cash, personality, and a new understanding of what a sport needs to be in the age of wall-to-wall entertainment.©2024 Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers Motor Sports Sports Racing Money

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This title has certainly gone under the radar compared to other F1 related books. This book gives a comprehensive narrative of the major events and key moments in the sports' history (primarily from its political perspective e.g. Ecclestone, Mosley etc.) Whether you're new to the sport, a passive fan, or an expert, this book is highly accessible,. On the other hand, towards the last 4 or 5 chapters the writers overemphasise the Liberty takeover of F1 and the huge new appeal it has in America, which got very tedious towards the end. Nevertheless, all the content here has been very well researched, and doesn't sanitise or rewrite key quotes etc.
Some reviews seem to suggest that the narrator was bad, however, besides the odd mispronunciation I think he did a fine job and is very easy to warm to after the first few minutes.

Overall 9/10. Credit well spent!

A MUST READ for all F1 fans 9/10

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very good fore people that like f1 and it shows the other side of f1

gooe fore all fans

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As an F1 fan of many years I loved this book. Although I remember most of the numerous events mentioned, it shed new insight I wasn’t aware of and at no time became dull or boring. A great book for any f1 fan, be it a fanatic or casual. Read this, you won’t be disappointed.

Brilliant book

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Very interesting, insights into the sport that even this avid fan had never heard before.

The only complaint I have is that the narrator hadn't taken the time to learn how to pronounce driver and place names, instead going with an Americanised version of several of them.

Great story, we'll worth a listen

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I am a big fan of F1 and this book did not disappoint. A very well researched and insightful look at the history of F1, some of the key players and the recent changes in how the sport is presented. Highly recommended to any F1 fan new and old.

Generally the performance was very good. However, by the end the fact that Qarie couldn't pronounce names correctly and kept saying Grands Prix instead of Grand Prix was driving me crazy.

Interesting Insight

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As a fan it told me little I didn’t already know until the last few chapters. However, it was an enjoyable listen that I finished in three days.

Great Review of Formula One

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I knew very little about F1 and was no Petrol Head. This book was on a Summer reading list and I thought I’d give it a go.
It’s succinct, well read and a fascinating story.

Gripping

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You don't have to like F1 to be intrigued by its success. This is the best book on both the business of racing and it also the engineering innovation, human bravery and fierce competition that lies at the heart of the sport. The best book on F1 I have read (And I have a shelf full of them). One for the fan, the business school and the beach, an outstanding achievement.

Excellent

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This is a super engaging fascinating read about a sport which I have not really taken much notice of. I thought it would be a little boring given I don’t follow F1 but right from the first moment it really is a spectacular story of culture and business and entrepreneurial renewal. Excellently narrated and overall tone is both informative but also engaging and humorous.

Superb story about business and culture

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a full history of F1 but from the management and media side. A kind of biography of the sport itself.

kept me riveted!

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