Thank you HarperVia and NetGalley for the DRC of On The Grid! All opinions in this review are my own.

If you are a fan of Drive to Survive, you have to read this book! While some of the storylines are covered in previous Drive to Survive seasons, I still learned more than what the show could cover. I also like that it is written like the show because On The Grid focuses on the people and their stories beyond just the racing. I think the author did a great job of showing the physical toll that travelling during the season has on the people who work in Formula 1 and that he discussed the environmental impacts of the sport. Overall, if you are a fan of Formula 1, Drive to Survive, or are new to the sport, you have to check out this book!

4.5 stars

Formula 1 has only 20 drivers in its elite ranks, but behind each one is an army of professionals devoted to the sport. In On the Grid, F1 journalist Luke Smith brings to life the behind-the-scenes stories that don’t make it to viewers’ screens. I love these deep dives into worlds about which I am not familiar, and this one is outstanding. He covers the gender gap in F1, the fan base, carbon emissions, climate change, the growing popularity of the sport, and more. For fans of Drive to Survive and sports stories.

What a fun book! Also, this cover is money! Luke Smith brings a masterfully researched and compelling dive into the world of Formula One. Smith blends insights into driver and team principal backgrounds and tackles tough and essential topics such as sustainability and diversity within the sport. I found the narrative style to be engaging and enjoyed the educational components of the book. This book is great for new and old fans alike!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7203518596

I was so honored to early review this book and thoroughly enjoyed it! I love learning not so common stories around the sport of F1 and how it connects to people in all walks of life. This was a wonderful book that I’m so glad I read!

Thanks to NetGalley for this one! This was just a great look into modern F1 & the present challenges. I enjoyed the look into the different facets and components of F1, and the stories told. Would recommend to anyone interested in F1 or those who already love it.

3.5 stars rounded up for me! As someone who is a fairly new F1 fan (thanks to my kids), I was excited to be given the chance to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the opportunity.
While I am a pretty avid reader of non-fiction, On The Grid is written in a fairly unique style where Luke Smith tends to blend facts with interviews and conversations so it reads more of a story then simply a book full of F1 facts.

There is so much more to F1 than the cars and drivers, the pit crews and even the lavish lifestyles, exclusive wild parties and mega yachts. It is a rather intimate machine of many individuals who are the best of what they offer and there are many more individuals who have their hand in making F1 so fascinating than you could ever imagine.

As mentioned in the synopsis, there is a legendary bakery in Melbourne whose croissants exist only because of F1 technology but I also learned that mechanical engineers from Mercedes helped suffering hospitals with a lack of ventilators and CPAP machines during the COVID pandemic using the F1 mentality of "this is good, but how do we make it better?"

Every single individual outside of the principals and drivers plays a huge part of the team, even if their part seems to be miniscule. Not only do the drivers obviously need to be precise but the team needs to work in perfect unison and Luke Smith gives us a behind the scene view into the extraordinary sport of F1 racing.