While all forms of auto racing will have rivalries between certain drivers, the driver rivalries in Formula 1 racing usually produce the sport’s fiercest. From the sport’s inception during the 1950’s to today, these rivals have produced some of the most exciting racing that the sport has seen. They are captured in this book by racing journalist Tony Didgins.

It should be noted that this book is one that should not only be read by race fans, but also praised for its illustrations. The photos of the cars and drivers, from Juan Manuel Fangio (winner of five F1 championships in seven years) to the current champion Lewis Hamilton, are even better than the writing of Didgins, which is brief in volume but rich in history.

Didgins covers the best rivalries in the sport in chronological order and some drivers are portrayed multiple times, such as Nikki Lauda, who was a rival of James Hunt and later Alain Prost. Prost himself later was part of the most exciting rivalry in the sport’s history as he and Ayrton Senna had some of the best races, especially in the early 1990’s before Senna’s death. Micheal Schumacher and Hamilton are also mentioned in two different rivalries which is appropriate considering that these two are often mentioned in discussions on who is the greatest F1 driver of all time.

The actual chapters on each rivalry doesn’t give capsules of each driver’s life – instead it talks about their accomplishments and what they did at the time of the rivalry. For example, Lauda’s two chapters just describe first his rise to success then his races against Hunt in that chapter, then picks up when he returns to racing after a three-year absence and develops a strong rivalry with Prost. Same type of description for Prost and his duels with Lauda and Senna.

If nothing else, this book deserves high praise for the great photography throughout. No matter one’s interest in F1 racing, from casual to fanatical, there is something for everyone in this book.

I wish to thank Ivy Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

This book is a must-read for all fans of the sport, whether you have been following F1 for decades or are a new fan drawn by the intensity of recent seasons. You get to learn or relive old rivalries accompanied by some great photos throughout.

Formula One: The Rivalries by Tony Dodgins

4.5 ⭐️

I am a big F1 fan and when I saw this book was available for review I had to give it a read. It is a great delve into some iconic rivalries in the sport. I don’t know about you but I love the drama of F1 and the people side of it just as much as I love the antics on track.

This book is a must-read for all fans of the sport, whether you have been following F1 for decades or are a new fan drawn by the intensity of recent seasons. You get to learn or relive old rivalries accompanied by some great photos throughout.

Some of the rivalries covered in the book.
Hakkinen vs Schumacher
Hill vs Schumacher
Alonso vs Schumacher
Pironi vs Villeneuve
Mansell vs Piquet
Prost vs Lauda
Prost vs Senna
Hunt vs Lauda
Hamilton vs Rosberg
Hamilton vs Massa
Hamilton vs Verstappen
Vettel vs Webber
And many more

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.