Looking Back At an Old Page-Turner From a By Gone Era

F1 Racing, The World’s Best Selling magazine, is the fans’ portal into the world of F1. Each month you can purchase a copy of the publication and read race reviews, interviews of everyone from team principals to drivers, columns by Alan Henry, Peter Windsor, Murray Walker, and so much more. It is an interesting and fact-filled publication which also provides the fans with stunning photographs taken at tests and races.

F1 Racing is also the only F1-specific magazine, but a few years back such was not the case.

For some time Formula One was publishing their own magazine. The two publications were significantly different and if one were to compare the two the comparison would be similar to comparing Time magazine to the Economist.

F1 Racing, the equivalent to Time magazine: It is quite good, it presents a thorough picture of the current status of the sport, and touches upon important issues of the past, present, and future. It features phenomenal writers such as Alan Henry, Peter Windsor, Murray Walker, and purchasing a copy each month is a pleasure. 

F1—The Official Formula One Magazine, the equivalent of the Economist in the world of F1 publication, was very thorough. It featured the writing of Jason Barlow, Zoe Crosher, Sarah Edworthy, and many others. The names may be foreign to many because they are not seen on television, like Peter Windsor, but each of the person’s CV is extensive.

The magazine touched upon issues of the past, the present, the future, like F1 Racing. The two were very similar, however differed as much as night and day.

The Official Formula One Magazine was printed on superior paper and in doing so the photographs selected in the “Focus” section looked richer. The race coverage sections were not printed on glossy paper, and thus one had the distinct feeling of reading a different section without reading the content. 

The content was also where the two publications differed immensely. While F1 Racing focuses on racing alone, the other publication touched upon F1 racing and its culture.

After buying an issue of F1 the reader could be sure he or she would read about anything from a review of top five fancy travel bags to details on where to eat, drink, stay, or shop in a city hosting the Grand Prix. Issues of F1 would feature a page or two in regards to fancy watches, F1-inspired art, lap tops, digital cameras, mini fridges, everyday accessories influenced by F1, aftershave, skin care, most rare of the motorcycles such as Ducati and Petronas, and so much more.

The Official Formula One Magazine did not stop there, the June 2003 issue featured an article about David Coulthard’s new venture (in 2003), the Columbus Hotel, an impressive property that looks as good in real life as it did in the pages of the magazine.

The writing was matched by the photography; the photographs of the products reviewed as well the photographs accompanying each of the articles could take the reader’s breath away.

The Official Formula One Magazine also featured a side diagram of each track for an upcoming event. The side diagram presented the reader with a three dimensional impression of the track and was far easier to follow than a birds-eye photograph. The track may have not been reviewed by an F1 driver, but it came with a description of the important chicanes or turns, as well as information on “the key turn.” 

The F1 fan was presented with a thorough event guide, information on last year’s strategy, and finally the race results of past three years. 

While the photographs, diagrams, reviews, and articles gave the magazine a distinct character and superior quality, the magazine also presented its subscriber with the diagram of the various technological modifications from race to race. The illustrations were very detailed and featured a description of the reason a specific team may have adopted this new upgrade and how it may affect the overall performance.

The feature in the magazine was almost the cherry on top of the cake, and while it was an interesting feature in the article it would find no place in the 2009 edition, should the publication still be in print.

The magazine was interesting to read and look through, and each issue featured a crossword puzzle as well as a trivia game called “F1 Mastermind.” 

The Formula One Official Magazine, like the Pay-Per View channel, was unfortunately scrapped by Formula One Management. While some people look back with a sense of nostalgia on the publication, even fewer probably remember the magazine. And as F1 moves forward the fate of the magazine is being shared by BAR, Super Aguri, Honda, and BMW-Sauber shortly.