Formula One: The Pinnacle

When the realities of funding a racing career in Lotus Cortinas and Van Diemens became apparent, Tony Dodgins opted for the typewriter. He won the Sir William Lyons award for young motoring journalists in 1979 after interviewing Frank Williams at Silverstone the day before Williams won its first grand prix. Tony joined Autosport in 1985 and became their grand prix editor. He has also been the grand prix editor for Motoring News, F1 Racing magazine (now GP Racing), On Track, and has been a regular columnist for Autosport Japan for more than 20 years. He is the editor of the renowned Autocourse yearbook, which has been published since the World Championship began in 1950. After BBC radio work, Tony became the Channel 4 race analyst working on F1 coverage alongside commentator Ben Edwards and now Alex Jacques. Originally from Altrincham, Simon Arron grew up near Oulton Park, writing and photographing club races for the local newspaper and subsequently Motoring News, until he was taken on as a full-time reporter in 1982. He has written about and photographed motor sport ever since, covering events at more than 100 venues across six continents, from Phillip Island in Australia to Le Mans, Indianapolis, Kyalami, Interlagos, Suzuka and Curaçao. He has edited several publications, including Motor Sport, Motoring News and the long-running motorsport yearbook, Autocourse. He still finds time to photograph at his beloved Oulton Park and is Motor Sport’s ‘Editor at Large’.Guenther Steiner is a motorsport engineer and team manager who is the current team principal of the Haas Formula One Team, and the previous managing director of Jaguar Racing and technical operations director of its subsequent incarnation, Red Bull Racing. He has led the Haas F1 team since its inception, debuting in F1 in the 2016 season, and since then has also gone on to appear in the hit Netflix show Drive to Survive.

• Chapter 1 SportingThe World Championship Begins‘Garagistes’: Britain overtakes ItalyWorld Championship for ConstructorsNational Racing ColoursGrids: Lining up 2 x 2F1 TimingReturn of RefuellingTwo-Car TeamsThe Evolution of QualifyingSpare CarsThe End of Tyre WarsPoints FinishesWhen F1 Survived CovidSprint QualifyingChapter 2 CircuitsMonaco Grand PrixSpa-FrancorchampsMonzaSilverstoneNürburgring NordschleifeHermann TilkeF1 Night RacesChapter 3 TechnicalThe Demise of Front-Engined CarsCustomer Engines: Coventry ClimaxMonocoque ConstructionEngine ChangesThe Cosworth DFVSkyscraper WingsSlick TyresGround Effect CarsTelemetryThe Turbo EraCarbon FibreTeam RadioActive and Reactive SuspensionSteering Wheel EvolutionDriver AidsReintroduction of Grooved TyresWind Tunnels to CFDThe Rise of SimulatorsDrag Reduction SystemThe Hybrid Engine EraChapter 4 ControversiesDriver StrikeBenetton’s Fuel FiascoAdelaide and JerezTeam OrdersUS Grand Prix FuroreSpygateCrashgateHamilton vs. VerstappenChapter 5 SafetyGPDA: The drivers find their voicePermanent BarriersSeat BeltsFire ProtectionSid Watkins Becomes Chief MedicSafety CarsThe HaloChapter 6 PersonalitiesEnzo FerrariJuan Manuel FangioColin ChapmanJackie StewartJim ClarkBernie EcclestoneRon DennisNiki LaudaMax MosleyFrank Williams and Patrick HeadAlain ProstAyrton SennaMichael SchumacherRoss BrawnJean TodtLewis HamiltonChapter 7 CommercialStretching the SeasonTitle SponsorsFOCA vs.FISA: The battle for F1F1 Tobacco BanManufacturers ExitTeams Threaten a Breakaway SeriesLiberty Media Buy F1Netflix: D riv e to S urv iv eBudget CapBudget Cap

“Compiled and written by the excellent Simon Arron and Tony Dodgins, ‘F1: The Pinnacle’ is structured around pivotal events throughout F1’s history each largely captured through a lushly illustrated double-page spread and some well-chosen text.  The curation of said ‘pivotal events’ is what sets ‘The Pinnacle’ apart – Arron and Dodgin’s deep insider knowledge means that those highlighted go beyond the clichés and received narrative. This is both refreshing and comforting. Benefiting from not being an official F1 publication, the book is able to dive into rarely charted coffee-table topics – controversies, commercials and Herman ‘the hairpin’ Tilke.  The illustrations themselves are superb – with lots of pictures that I hadn’t come across before, together with several classic images.”