F1 Fanatic

Built in 1907, Brooklands was the first purpose built banked racing circuit. Although it never held a round of the F1 World Championship, it holds an important place in motor racing history.

Timed to coincide with its centenary this new book from Haynes covers not just the decades of motor racing that took place at the track, but also its aviation history.

It’s quite appropriate, then, that a book about a great British venue that fell into disuse has a picture of Concorde on the front of it.

“The official centenary history” has clearly benefited from exhaustive research and is utterly comprehensive. The author has incorporated biographies of relevant people along with the details of motorcycle and car races.

Originally built as a racing circuit, Brooklands was also used to develop aircraft as the First World War approached, and so thee is plenty here to interest aviation enthusiasts. It’s not something I have a particularly keen interested in but even I found the pages of curiously shaped old aircraft engrossing.

There’s also plenty of background detail on why the circuit fell into disuse, and what became of it afterwards. If you read the brief account of Brooklands in Autodrome, this fills in a lot more of the detail.

Reading it I did occasionally feel like I needed more context and explanation, rather than a list of events and evidence.

But for fans of motor racing history this is a great purchase.

Haynes
2007
978184423296

F1Fanatic rating

Related links

• “Autodrome” (Sam Collins & Gavin Ireland 2007)
• F1 Fanatic’s Most Recommended – The best F1 books, videos and more
• Read more F1 book reviews

Tags: f1 / formula one / formula 1 / grand prix / motor sport

It also benefits from hundreds of sepia-tinged photographs on ever page, charting the development of racing at the track.