Book Review: Working the Wheel by Martin Brundle

In many ways writing a sports book is very much a case of getting the burning issue out. Dealing with what is happening in Formula One, or Football or whatever the sport, right now. This second. Look in the local WH Smiths or Waterstones and you will see at least four different books charting the rise of Lewis Hamilton.

Yet, Working the Wheel is a different read altogether. Martin Brundle has never won a Grand Prix, despite his great experience and obvious ability as a racing driver.

Throughout the book, the author mentions again and again, heart wrenching moments of frustration and agony in events in which that elusive first Grand Prix win was snatched away suddenly, or simply wandered away in other circumstances. There are many other tales in the book which make up the semi-autobiographical nature of the work.

Yet Working the Wheel is not simply a Formula One autobiography. Brundle sets out to capture the essence of a collection of the best racing circuits in the world. Not only is there a basic description of the layout of the tracks, both in their past and present incarnations, but there are also many anecdotes about events that have occurred here over the years.

For instance, he mentions at Imola how the death of Ayrton Senna affected the drivers who continued to race on after his accident, different than the crowd watching.

What we have is a complete insight into these racing circuits and a superb look into the everyday life of a Grand Prix driver in the 80s and the 90s. An amusing story is related about Brundle's massive accident at Monaco driving for Tyrrell for instance. There are also many tales involving odd characters who hang about the cities of the world's racing tracks and some of the curious journeys in and out of the speedways.

All the circuits you would expect are here. More modern circuits are missing obviously because at large, this book is a product of sights, sounds and experiences of Martin Brundle throughout his time in the racing world.

This explains then, why Le Mans is in the book, where Formula One cars don't race but the author has driven many times and the Sepang circuit in Malaysia is not.

There are some truly bad books about Formula One, with massive glossy pictures, poor writing, and very little information. Working the Wheel is a delight of a book and an essential read for any Formula One, or even car enthusiast. It comes highly recommended.