Formula 1 75 Years: At Speed With The World’s Greatest Motorsport

If Formula 1 were a man, he’d be silver-haired and sharp-suited, sipping espresso in the paddock while quietly recalling the days before carbon fiber and crypto sponsors. At 75, the world’s greatest motorsport hasn’t slowed down, and neither has the storytelling in Formula 1 75 Years, a new book from veteran racing journalists Stuart Codling and James Roberts.

This isn’t just a history book. It’s a time machine.

Each decade of F1, from its early post-war roots to today’s hybrid-era juggernaut, is captured with clarity and reverence. The layout is crisp, modern, and utterly photogenic. Think of it as a curated museum of speed, with James Mann’s rich photography doing most of the talking while Codling and Roberts add just the right voiceover.

The format breaks the sport into digestible chapters, each focusing on a particular era, with smart sidebars highlighting regulation changes, safety innovations, political power shifts, and of course, the drivers who shaped it all. You’ll find profiles on every world champion, yet the book never veers into stat-sheet territory. This is storytelling with style.

Formula 1 75 Years: The Good Stuff

Let’s be clear, this is a gorgeous book. Whether you’re a casual fan or a Sunday-morning diehard, the visuals alone are worth the cover price. But beyond the glossy spreads, the text is tight, informative, and strikes a balance between reverence and readability. Codling and Roberts know the sport inside and out, but they never talk down to the reader or drown the pages in jargon.

It’s the kind of book you can leave out on your coffee table and feel no shame when someone picks it up. In fact, you’ll hope they do, just so you can talk about Lauda’s comeback, Senna’s genius, or Verstappen’s throttle foot.

Formula 1 75 Years: The Shortcomings

Now, if you’re looking for a deep dive into aero design, tire degradation, or the politics of the Concorde Agreement, this isn’t that book. Formula 1 75 Years isn’t about the nuts and bolts. It’s about the moments, the men, and the machines that made the sport iconic. And while longtime fans will appreciate the editorial polish, they may not discover many surprises.

Still, it never feels like fluff. It feels like a celebration.

This is a greatest hits album for Formula 1, but one that’s been remastered for a new generation. It won’t teach you how to tune a turbocharger, but it will remind you why you fell in love with racing in the first place.

Formula 1: 75 Years is equal parts tribute and time capsule, a gift for fans, a gateway for newcomers, and a classy addition to any motorsport library. It is available on Amazon for $50.

Rating: 9/10
Beautiful, balanced, and built for the bookshelf. A must for the F1 faithful.