Formula Fast: Your Ultimate Guide to Formula One Racing! by Matt Ralphs

I bet there are, at least, a few Formula One fans out there. When we lived in Germany, it seemed everyone was always watching the races and talking about it...but some of that had to do with the success of Michael Schumacher, I'm assuming. Today's read covers exactly this racing topic, and since I haven't seen many books about the Formula One for middle grade readers, I had to pick this one up. I'm hoping it holds tons of excitement just like the sport and offers interesting facts along the way.

Let's see how tense and speedy this read is!

FORMULA FAST

Your Ultimate Guide to Formula One Racing!

by Matt Ralphs

Illustrated by Dragan Kordic

Phaidon Press

Middle Grade Nonfiction  /  Sports

64 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING FEBRUARY 4th!!!

The ultimate illustrated guide to Formula One racing, the world’s fastest sport: from superhuman drivers to legendary tracks to cutting-edge cars.

Packed with facts, stats, and impactful illustrations, this ultimate guide to Formula One answers all the questions car-obsessed kids want to know: How do you become a superstar driver? Which is the most challenging race track? What is the record for the quickest pit stop? (Hint: it’s less than two seconds.)

Young speed-seekers will discover fascinating details about incredible cars, iconic tracks, superhuman drivers, and behind-the-scenes action. Learn about the latest developments in car technology, what drivers wear and how they train, and, of course, the biggest names in racing history – from Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to legendary greats like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, plus unsung heroes such as Desiré Wilson.

Featuring a stunning silver-foiled cover, a historical timeline of Formula One cars, and a helpful glossary of key terms, Formula Fast is the ultimate gift for any aspiring gearhead.

GOODREADS     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Speed fanatics and race car junkies are going to get their thrills as these pages expose all sorts of technical, historic, and excitement goodness.

This book centers around the Formula One race and takes readers on a deep dive into the sport. From the history of the race to facts about the cars, each page delivers details to enlighten and raise awareness of everything this sport encompasses. The illustrations are bright, bold, and clear to not only support the information with visual assistance but also deliver energy and excitement, too. The information hits quick and precise with direct facts, which are easy to understand and interesting as well.

While there is a bit of general information in these pages surrounding the history of the race, most time is spent on making it clear how much technology, security, work, and more goes into each event and takes place behind the scenes. From the pit crew with each member and their job to layouts of the tracks at highlighted races to the workout that drivers need to do to keep neck, back, and shoulder muscles strong, these pages divulge how much is involved in this sport. Then, there's the technical end...and I especially appreciated this aspect...which explains the various tires involved, controls the drivers have, how specialized even the seats are, and so much more. In other words, readers will quickly realize that the driver is only a small part of the entire process. Plus, it exposes the large amount of professions involved in forming one race...in other words, future career ideas, too.

The text is easy to read, and although there is quite a bit of information packed into these pages, it comes across smoothly and doesn't overwhelm. Much of this is thanks to the short paragraph style and how carefully the themes are laid out with the illustrations. It makes the information easy to consume and revisit as desired. At the end of the book, there's a satisfying glossary for many of the terms to round things off.

These pages not only raise excitement and awareness for the sport, they also deepen the respect for everything involved.

And here they are...

Matt Ralphs is an author and editor. His children’s non-fiction credits include Spooky Celebrations Around the World, Beasts from the Deep, Transported, Automotive and Around the World in 80 Inventions. He has lots of interests, especially Formula One and fast cars and counts himself lucky that he gets to write books about them.

Dragan Kordic is a Croatian illustrator and designer. His work ranges from illustrations for publishing and public spaces to visuals for startups, corporate clients, and advertising. He is inspired by nature, travel, and books. He lives in Rijeka, Croatia, with his wife and daughter.