Inside stories from the world of Formula One” reviewed · RaceFans

When Formula 1 drivers credit ‘the guys and girls’ back at the base for their latest triumph, it’s easy to assume this is merely shorthand for those who screw the chassis together.

But of course modern F1 teams involve far more people than that. The 100 or so staff which attends grands prix are the visible portion of the iceberg above the water’s surface – up to 20 times as many of them remain back at base.

A successful F1 operation doesn’t just require two cars per year to be designed, built and serviced – though that alone is a fearsomely complex operation. Sponsors must be found and kept happy, professional and social media must be supplied, new talent scouted, bills paid and much more.

This side of F1 may seem rather dry until you realise that each person involved in it approaches their work with much the same competitive mindset as those at the wheel. If there is an advantage to be had, they want it for their team, whether that is devising a winning race strategy or luring a sponsor from a rival.

In recent years more of those names beyond the drivers, team bosses and top technical staff have become more readily known by fans, due to growing coverage of the sport and the rise of social media. F1 Racing Confidential presents a cross-section of staff from across several top teams, from racing drivers to marketeers.

Among the book’s most famous subjects are Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who was interviewed before he became the subject of an internal investigation at Red Bull, and whose words are inevitably seen in a different light while his future hangs in the balance. His Mercedes rival Toto Wolff also appears, plus McLaren ace Lando Norris.

But F1 Racing Confidential’s real appeal lies in those we know less about. Its author, Guardian Formula 1 correspondent Giles Richards, has found fascinating stories among those who, if not obscure, are less well-known beyond the most committed fans: The chief financial officer who has seen the competitive area of his work revolutionised by the budget cap; The strategist who almost lost her life after being hit by a car shortly before she began university; The Olympic athlete turned race engineer.

If the book has a weakness it’s that the reader is left to draw their own associations between its series of unconnected interviews. That said, there are recurring themes, above all the importance of collaboration how as F1 teams have grown far beyond 1,000 employees.

Even enthusiastic…