Anatomy Of Speed

Anatomy of Speed, by Terry Jackson. Apple, £12.99.

A near miss, this one. It aims to detail the hardware in both F1 and Indycar, and clearly sets out similarities and differences, also looking at NASCAR (and don’t those machines look crude in comparison). Some fine cut-away drawings augment many photo details, and the layout is attractive to read. But it is weak on technical facts: dampers are wrongly explained, Lotus is credited with the rear-engined revolution, active and adaptive suspensions are confused, a Williams on the kerb is described as “miscalculation”, a slipstreaming car doesn’t use fewer revs, a wing-mounting “lesson” is diametrically incorrect, the Lotus 88 is described as unbeatable though it never raced, and the significance of its revolutionary twin chassis goes unmentioned. A low-priced intro to the oily bits, but have several pinches of salt to hand. G C