"The Formula One World Championship is the pinnacle of auto racing."
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Formula One Famous Failures by Matthew Teaters Trafford Publishing
book review by L.A. Webb
Since 1950, drivers from across the globe have yearned to compete in the most compelling and prestigious auto racing series, Formula One. Millions are spent on sleek, aerodynamically designed cars all in the hopes of gaining 0.04 seconds on the closest competitor. That smidgen of a second can lead to a pole position or sitting in the grandstands.
Headlines are made around the world as Formula One drivers take to race tracks on nearly every continent. It's a brutal season, but if everything goes as planned, fame is gained and fortunes are made. It's a big "if." There are numerous heart-wrenching failures and tragedies.
It's those famous, and often infamous, failures that readers are now able to explore in Teaters book. Fact-based essays showcase the failures and tragedies from the 1950 season through the 2000 season. Each essay focuses on a driver or car, complete with chassis details, engine specs, and the best result (often a DNF). From Bugatti to Lotus and Ferrari, readers will learn what led to the failure and how some teams were able to rise from the ashes and compete again.
The late Teaters had a passion for Formula One racing. He wasn't just a casual fan. He passionately followed and researched the sport inside and out, even writing an online Formula One column. His book isn't just for hard core Formula One fans, but for any automobile aficionado who enjoys learning more about those sleek machines and the men who are brave enough to climb behind the wheel.