Within the book category family, there are many subtopics. Fiction, non fiction,sci-fi and drama, for example. For On The Grid, the category is non-fiction. However, it changes when the stories are specific and certain stories which are not known to the general fans.
On The Grid covers many stories such as Lance Stroll’s bike accident to Esteban Ocon’s dedication from himself and his family in order to hit the pinnacle of motorsport as well as the diversity issues which many categories such as F1 Academy and Mission 44 aim to eliminate with the teams’ and drivers’ enviornmental impact.
The Context To The Story:
There are many plots within Formula One; McLaren vs Ferrari at the end of 2024, Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s domination in 2023 and the huge championship battle at the end of 2021. The subplots, however, have gone under the radar in the eyes of the motorsport family which is a shame. Thankfully, Smith dives into these storylines such as Lance Stroll’s bike accident ahead of the 2023 season and Esteban Ocon’s fascinating story in order to make it to the top step of the podium. Both of these stories, a subset of the collectives available in the book, show the determination of 2 drivers whos reputations have been thrown into question within the last few seasons.
Memories Of Those Who Have Passed
Its fair to say that Formula 1 is an incredible sport, form of entertainment or just an escape from those realities of life. Unfortunately, however, with that thrill and entertainment contains a loss. Smith addresses the hard and sad passing of Antoine Hubert and Jules Bianchi, the two most recent Formula One drivers who have lost their lives doing the sport they love. Explaining this situation to young viewers or veterens of the sport is never an easy task. Smith tackles this by talking to two drivers which have been heavily impact by these two talented drivers’ passing; Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc respectfully. The impact this has had on the overall book is, ironically, positive in the way it can encourage these drivers to not only talk about the memories but of how these drivers can be remembered, especially to Charles who ultimately owes his Formula One career to his godfather.
The Inequality Battle:
One section which was fantastic to see was the feature of F1 Academy and Lewis Hamilton’s fight against racism. First on the F1 Academy conversation and the talks Smith had with Suzie Wolff, CEO of F1 Academy, and Jamie Chadwick, 3 time W Series Champion, really brought to light the impact F1 Academy is having on the female representation in motorsport, not only for racing but also the further career opportunities such as STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). I never actually realised this but I am so glad that I did.
Final Conclusions:
This book has been a real treat to gain more and a deeper knowledge of Formula One and gain a deeper understanding and meaning of not only the pinnacle of motorsport but also the people behind the scenes and understanding the true story of Formula One. While I have not covered everything detailed in this book, it is definately worthy of a read!
