Product DescriptionA top Grand Prix mechanic’s firsthand account of the personalities and performances that make or break a Formula One racing team, featuring 60 color photos.
What Others Say
A very worthy read for the F1 buff
I really enjoyed The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One.
I've read a lot of books on F1, and as Matchett mentions in his book, most center around the drivers and the race action. There's very little very good material that allows one to explore what happens with the rest of the team, especially, the mechanics, those men taking care of the car.
I found The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One to be an excellent read. Matchett is a rounded individual and quite a well developed personality. These qualities empowered him to write with a very insightful point of view. With a point of view that successfully reaches the heart and minds of non-technical readers.
I highly recommend The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One for all those with a deep interest in the sport. I'll no longer be looking ... Read More
Adds depth to his commentaries
My appreciation for his comments during F1 racing on SpeedTV has expanded. His attention to detail, his race team experience and his humility as reveiled in this little book makes him much more than a talking head.
I recommend the book to those who watch auto racing and those who are starting their adult life, but don't have a plan.
How insightful
I flew through The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One. I couldnt get enough. The perfect balance between technical descriptions and storyline kept me glued to the book. If you have a remote interest in racing of any kind this is a must read.
An entertaining F1 read
Finally, a book about life in F1 that looks at the mechanics and operations side of this business. Enjoyable story telling, without the reader being led down overly technical back alleys of the sport. Having enjoyed Steve's commentary for years on SpeedTV, I'm hoping for a sequel to this work that might cover the next 10 years of Steve's career from 1997 to the present.
Bit of a disappointment
The title of The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One should have been, "I passed gas and there lay a book" as The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One slowly trudges along as Steve talks about his progression into F1. I've followed F1 since '86 watched all the races, read many a magazine and many books from the sports greats, and The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One was by far the worst. Several chapters are used to talk about how he got a book deal, and how he was interviewed as a mechanic by British radio which came across as rather boring. I also found it aggravating reading Steve talk about the do's and don'ts of the sports rules as he comes across as a nerdy engineer. His insight on the Benetton team was largely a biased 'we were right, they are wrong' scenario. I couldn't wait to finish the book so I could toss it aside and ... Read More
