Book Review: Lights Out Full Throttle by Johnny Herbert and Damon Hill
Positives
Negatives
Despite wrapping up back to back championships Max, Checo and Red Bull can’t get a break from controversy. Yet, you could argue that controversy is a key ingredient in F1 that keeps it spicy that generates endless fan discussion and debate among pundits. Two well known media pundits on British Sky F1 are 90’s drivers Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert. Written around time just before the first COVID wave paused the 2020 F1 season, their book “Lights Out Full Throttle” is an entertaining dialogue and exchange of views between these two across a wide variety of F1 topics.
The topics covered by Hill and Herbert are extensive across 21 chapters discussing:
- Monaco
- Team Orders
- F1 and the environment
- Lewis Hamilton
- Entering F1 from poorer backgrounds
- Silverstone
- Ferrari and Williams
- Safety
- Bernie Ecclestone
- Fitness
- Driving on the limit
- Has F1 lost its soul?
- Favourite F1 drivers
- Lack of overtaking in F1
- F1 geniuses
- Good, Bad & Ugly circuits
- Knowing when to retire
- How much driver input happens these days
- Fame
- Future of F1
As both drivers are British, there is a natural bias in their story telling to British F1 fans and Anglo humour.
At 300+ pages, with so many varied topics – this book will keep readers occupied over several reading sessions. Even in 2022, the content is still reasonably fresh even with the new 2022 season regs and Max vs Lewis last year.
Wow factor/Money shot: Unfortunately, there are no photos.
Suitable for: General F1 fans can enjoy the book, but 90’s and British F1 fans will probably enjoy it more.
