Formula 1 Yearbook

Formula 1 Yearbook. Vine House Books, £25

Almost as big as a Palawan offering, this yearbook is packed with pictures. The team-by-team section carries attractive renderings of each car, and does not pull punches, stating for example that “Katayama no longer deserves an F1 drive”, and that the autograph facility at Silverstone was “scandalous”. A section on “atmosphere” illustrates plenty of non-race moments in the paddock, and there are interviews with drivers, mechanics, engine builders and circuit owners, as well as a seasonal assessment and race reviews. What elevates this from the norm are the “extras” gossipy asides about sponsors, team arguments and parties, and pictures which show back scenes, off-duty moments and the surrounding country, not just cars on tarmac. Oddly, some text from the French edition creeps carelessly in, but the English is generally much sparkler than in most translations. GC