New Book review: On the Grid by Luke Smith

In-between Miami GP and next weekend’s European leg at Imola seems like a good time to get stuck into a new F1 book on my reading list.

Looking at the nondescript cover of Luke Smith’s new book “On The Grid”, I have to admit I didn’t have high (or even any basic) expectations. Added to this, the book is purely text with no photos. To compensate, the book is surprisingly well written, has a lot of heart and manages to weave more arcane aspects of F1 history with personal interviews and insights of 2024 F1 drivers and team personnel, that modern Drive to Survive F1 fans enjoy.

The author having been Autosport journalist and editor of Crash.net has developed access to drivers and F1 teams that he’s been able include this book – George Russell, Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, Gunther Steiner, Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly.

There are 10 chapters that explore different aspects of F1 including:

• 2023 season opener at Bahrain tracking Lance Stroll’s miraculous hand surgery recovery story.
• The junior career journey of F1 drivers from more humble family backgrounds vs sons of billionaires (Stroll, Latifi, Mazepin).
• F1’s engineering backstory to Melbourne’s famous croissant bakery Lune.
• History of champagne spraying on F1 podium.
• Driver fatalities – Antoine Hubert
• Track designs – COTA history and Herman Tilke engineering
• DEI – Susie Wolff/F1 Academy and Mercedes black livery change
• Sustainability – F1 logistics challenges and post-F1 Sebastian Vettel.
• If you’re looking for hardcore technical engineering insights, there are other books you’ll have to read – this book is going to appeal more to fans that are more interested in the human and social issues side of the sport.

Given there’s no photos in the book, its probably just as easy to read the ebook or Kindle copy rather than the physical version.

[Ed note: Due to the review rating algorithm including the visual score (i.e. no photos), the overall rating appears lower than what it should be.]

Wow factor/Money shot:  No photographs in this book, so the wow factor relies on little known history and driver insights – the chapter on F1 podium celebrations makes good reading.

Suitable for: Current era F1 and Drive to Survive fans interested in personal stories and social agenda of F1.