Book review: Inside Mercedes F1 by Matt Whyman

How will Mercedes F1 fare now in the post-Hamilton era? From what we’ve seen so far in Melbourne and Shanghai, it’s in good hands with George and Kimi (who’s been excellent). In the last few months leading up to Xmas 2024, there was a minor surge of new F1 book titles released. Matt Whyman’s “Inside Mercedes F1” published last year was stuck in my reading pile over the 2024 post season break. After watching Season 7 of Drive to Survive, I finally got around to reading this book and must say that its definitely worth spending time to read over a few sitting sessions.

The author, Matt Whyman was given official access to embed himself with the Mercedes F1 team during the 2023 and early 2024 seasons. While Drive to Survive focuses on the “reality” dramas of the drivers and team principals, “Inside Mercedes F1” follows a similar narrative but with team leaders from difference departments – in some ways  its a bit like the book “F1 Racing Confidential” but in the third person.

There are 16 chapters across 320+ pages, including:

• Chapter 3 – Chief Mechanic Matt Keane
• Chapter 4: Night Run – hanging out with Mick Schumacher at night in the simulator to help Lewis and George in qualifying the next day for Silverstone.
• Chapter 6 – James Allison
• Chapter 7 – In the Mercedes garage with trackside electronics during free practice, qualifying and the race 2023 Singapore Grand Prix
• Chapter 8 – remote race strategy team back at Brackley during the 2023 Japanese GP
• Chapter 10 – with Aleix Casanovas, George Russell’s performance coach and Marus Dudley, George’s race engineer at the 2023 Brazilian GP
• Chapter 13 – with Toto Wolff after Lewis has handed in his resignation in February 2024.
• Chapter 15 – with Lewis Hamilton during the 2024 Australian GP.

The book includes lots of thumbnail colour photos in 2 mid sections of the book each over 8 pages to complement the people appearing in the different chapters.

Although not being a Mercedes F1 fan, I still found this book engrossing to read. It’s very much fly on the wall style book offering unique behind the scenes look at the Mercedes F1 team during a vulnerable period post-2021 where they are not up to their usual competitive standards and engineering-wise struggled with the 2022 ground effects era.

Wow Factor/Money shot: Lots of little known insights like George Russell’s in-lap memory button reminder.

Suitable for:  Mercedes F1, George Russell and mature F1 fans

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