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With December starting tomorrow, it’s no longer too early to mention the ‘C’ word – and anyway, it’s always the right time to be thinking about what books one might like should someone be kind enough to ask.
For motorsport fans of a certain age Colin Chapman is a revered figure. The man behind the Lotus brand that rivalled Ferrari for style and success on road and track, an innovator and pioneer and creator of some achingly gorgeous and evocative cars.
Plenty has been written about him over time, but Karl Ludvigsen has taken a cue from the man himself and used an innovative for his latest tome: ‘Colin Chapman: Inside the Innovator’.
By breaking down Chapman’s complex world into individual facets, from transmissions to man management, it succeeds in getting to grips with the depth and breadth of the abilities of this extraordinary man.
There’s a superb selection of sketches and technical drawings to explain the lateral thinking and some great candid photos from inside the Lotus world.
Ludvigsen has paid no heed to Chapman’s ‘just add lightness’ mantra. This is a detailed and thorough piece of work that students of the subject will pore over. A must for anyone whose every wondered how a twin chassis works and if the 88 would have been competitive if it had been allowed.
In complete contrast is Sam’s Scrapbook: My Motorsport Memories, which chronicles the racing career of Sam Posey.
This is a lovingly-created piece of work that combines personal and professional photos with contemporary news clippings and beautifully-written anecdotes from the man himself.
No time and words are wasted, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in substance, it’s just that Sam knows how to tell a story.
Posey probably isn’t as well known among a European audience as he should be, but this book is really the perfect introduction to a charismatic and endearing racer.
Now the dust has settled on Formula E’s first season as a fully-fledged world championship, it’s a good time to look back at the story of how Formula E came into being, how it defied naysayers and critics to attract some of the world’s biggest OEMs, and how it prevailed in the face of financial Armageddon.
It’s handy then that The Race’s Formula E correspondent Sam Smith has done just that.
The depth of the research in Formula E: Racing for the Future is extraordinary. Many of the stories from the series’ genesis have never previously been told, such as how its precursor the FormulaLec car spent time in the Brawn windtunnel, while the images that have been unearthed to support these tales are a little gem of a time capsule.
Formula E has been a divisive series since before its launch, and some motorsport fans remain completely immune to its charms. Others, who recognise the quality of teams and drivers on display and respect the need for a more sustainable form of motorsport, will be able to indulge in this Formula E completist’s dream.
For The Race Members’ Club, Formula E: Racing for the Future’s publisher Evro has created a £10 off offer. To find out more, click here.
