1
of
1
On the Grid
The Inside Track on Formula One
Brief Description
I’ve always vowed the moment the grid stops being the best part of my race weekend, it’s time to stop working in F1. It’s everything about the sport distilled: the sounds, the smells, the tension, the glamor, the people. This is the story of life in...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3400
$3999
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY
Found a better price? Request a price match
On the Grid
$3400
$3999
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Perfect for fans of Drive to Survive, On the Grid is a love song to Formula One by acclaimed journalist Luke Smith.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
I’ve always vowed the moment the grid stops being the best part of my race weekend, it’s time to stop working in F1. It’s everything about the sport distilled: the sounds, the smells, the tension, the glamor, the people. This is the story of life in F1.
Luke Smith has spent over ten years reporting on Formula 1 from all over the world. The grid is his playground, the track his literal running track. In On the Grid he takes us behind the scenes of the past, present and future of Formula 1, telling its story through the eyes of the people who create it—not just the superstar drivers and larger-than-life team principals, but also the pit crew, the engineers, strategists, PR gurus, the fans and more.
There's plenty of thrilling drama, cutting-edge technology and glamour, but Smith also shows us the critical mid-race decisions, how that 50-pence screw in the wrong place could cause a £15m car to break down, how F1 has influenced not just the cars we drive but our fridges, life-saving medical equipment and even croissants.
On the Grid brings to life what the sport is really like, revealing the extraordinary minds and characters that give it such colour and intrigue, while also tracing the origins of the sport's traditions and impact beyond the track. For both long-time fans and newcomers, it's the definitive, access-all-areas account of the people, personalities and culture that make F1 stand alone in world sport.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781398532472
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 13 February 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd
Edition: Export/Airside
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 19.0mm
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Luke Smith is a Formula 1 and motorsport journalist based in Bexhill-on-Sea. He is currently a Senior Writer covering Formula 1 for The Athletic and his work regularly features in the New York Times as he follows the sport's travelling circus. Prior to The Athletic, Luke spent ten years reporting on Formula 1 for Autosport and NBC Sports, among other media outlets. He regularly makes both television and radio appearances as a Formula 1 pundit. Luke does not have a driving licence.
Also by Luke Smith
View all-
Smart Money Strategy
Be your own financial planner and create a winning strategy to achieve your money goals Do you want to learn and apply the strategies that experts use to grow and protect wealth? In Smart Money Strategy, popular financial planner Luke Smith comprehensively reveals the principles, methods, and tactics that real financial planners use with their clients. Every person’s—and every family’s—financial...Paperback$3600Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
The Story of Porsche
The Story of Porsche is a compact and beautifully designed review of the iconic car manufacturer. From the alluring curves to the powerful engineering, Porsche has been synonymous with both luxury and race car manufacturing for more than 90 years. In The Story of Porsche, every component of the legendary brand's success is studied and celebrated, from turbulent beginnings to...Hardback$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Story of Classic Cars Gift Set
Containing the stories of four iconic car manufacturers, this collectable box holds a stunning set of books paying tribute to automotive excellence. Exploring four world-renowned manufacturers who have made car production into an art form, each of these four little books follows the story of a brand from its creation, moving through its development history, the key models that define...Set$12000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
More from Formula One
-
Formula One 2026
The world's bestselling Grand Prix handbook is back for the new season. This is the definitive guide to Formula One 2026 — a complete examination of all the teams, drivers, and tracks featured in the packed Grand Prix calendar. Also including a full review of the 2025 season and a breakdown of the new rules and regulations for 2026, this...Paperback$3800Elsewhere:$4499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Driven
From the moment her parents first sat her in a go-kart, Susie Wolff felt it – the thrill of speed, the spark of something bigger. A little girl who dared to dream to one day race in Formula One. As a teenager, the posters in her bedroom were not of boy bands or movie stars, but of F1 racing heroes....Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
UNO: Formula 1
Fans of UNO and Formula 1 racing will love this deck featuring legendary F1 drivers bringing the speed, precision and high-octane excitement of the track right into players' hands. Gameplay mirrors classic UNO where players race to match colours and numbers, but watch out for the special "Overtake" rule. This rule requires a higher-value card to stay ahead, or risk...$1299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
8% offUNO: Elite Formula 1 Booster Set
Add the cards from the UNO Elite Formula 1 2025 Core Edition Booster Set to an UNO Elite Formula 1 card game to get the race going! Each set includes three Game Booster Packs, each with 10 Elite Action Cards for a total of 30. Which ones will you get? Each Elite Action Card comes with its own special power...$1100Usually:$1199Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
6% offHot Wheels: Formula 1 Sprint Race Circuit
Emulate the thrilling excitement of a Formula 1® race with the Hot Wheels Racing Formula 1® Sprint Race Circuit Track Set. It includes three 1:64 scale die-cast Formula 1® cars with decos matching fan-favourite teams such as McLaren Formula 1 Team, BWT Alpine F1® Team and Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team, and two ways to play. For race...4 years or older$8000Usually:$8499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
5% offHot Wheels: Formula 1 Grid Start
Bring the thrilling excitement of F1 racing home with side-by-side tracks and realistic details modeled on real-life Grand Prix races! Load two officially licensed F1 cars into the launcher, push up the lever on the start tower, and focus on the countdown. Hit the launch button and race to the end where a checkered flag declares a winner. The set...3 years or older$5700Usually:$5999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Hot Wheels: Formula 1 Grand Prix Circuit
Recreate the thrilling racing excitement of the Formula 1® Grand Prix Circuit with this track set from Hot Wheels. In race mode, the lap counter tracks the cars as they whip through the three-lane booster and speed around dynamic turns and elevation changes, just like on real city streets. Kids can engage the interactive DRS diverter that allows vehicles to...5 years or older$13499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Formula One: The Controversies
Formula One: The Controversies dives deep into the most dramatic and polarizing moments in F1 history, exploring the rivalries, scandals, and high-stakes decisions that have defined the sport. From controversial rule changes and shocking crashes to team politics and driver rivalries, this book uncovers the backstories behind F1's most heated moments. It reveals how power struggles, technology wars, and ethical...Hardback$8500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
19% offFormula One Quiz Book
The Formula One Quiz Book celebrates 75 years of the world's greatest motor sporting series. In May 2025, it will be 75 years since cars assembled at Silverstone for Formula 1's first official event, the Grand Prix d'Europe. Seventy-five years later, the 2025 season will be one of F1's greatest, with Lando Norris and McLaren challenging Red Bull's domination, a...Paperback$3000Usually:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Formula 1 Cars
A visual and fact-filled feast for every true F1 fan. Formula 1 Cars is a stunning Formula One book with amazing photography showcasing 50 iconic F1 cars from 1950 to the modern day. It highlights engineering innovations, their impact on the automotive industry, historic races, drivers, pioneering engineers, and the teams who put them on the racing track. Maurice Hamilton...Hardback$6400Elsewhere:$8000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Seven Tenths Of A Second
Lessons in Leadership from a World Championship Winning F1 Team Boss McLaren Racing hadn't won a championship in twenty-six years—until Zak Brown joined the team. A professional racer for ten years, Zak Brown is a CEO who knows how to bring the competitive mindset of a life in motorsport to building successful businesses and teams. Under his leadership, McLaren Racing...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
World Formula One Records 2026
This fantastic collection of F1 facts, stats and stories is back for a great new edition! World Formula One Records 2026 offers lively, fun and fascinating facts, stats, stories and trivia from the high-octane world of F1. Featuring the best teams, star drivers and most famous circuits, the book also has all-time records, from 1950 onwards. This new edition has...Hardback$4199Elsewhere:$5000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday
More from Sports
View all-
Formula One 2026
The world's bestselling Grand Prix handbook is back for the new season. This is the definitive guide to Formula One 2026 — a complete examination of all the teams, drivers, and tracks featured in the packed Grand Prix calendar. Also including a full review of the 2025 season and a breakdown of the new rules and regulations for 2026, this...Paperback$3800Elsewhere:$4499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Legends and Soles
The brilliant autobiography from the ‘saviour of Nike’ If you’re a sneaker head, you know him as the saviour of Nike. If you’ve watched Air, you saw Matt Damon’s portrayal of the man who discovered Michael Jordan and how he revolutionised the payment structure of endorsements for athletes. Legends and Soles tells Sonny’s story – his blind-sided firing by Nike...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Surviving to Drive
A hugely entertaining access-all-areas account of a year inside Formula 1, from Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner, star of Drive to Survive, one of the most successful Netflix series of all time. THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Gripping to read. Funny, real, exciting. It's a brilliant book.' - Chris Evans 'Fearless and candid... A gleeful guide to...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Good, the Bad & the Rugby – Unleashed
The long-awaited book from rugby stars Alex Payne, James Haskell and Mike Tindall. Rugby megastars James Haskell, Mike Tindall, and Alex Payne get together to discuss the highs and lows of their podcast, friendship, and rugby. Among the key questions answered: What happened when Mike took their shambles of a podcast inside the walls of Windsor Castle to meet the...Hardback$5500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Gloves Off
The unflinching autobiography from the two-time world heavyweight champion and British People's Champion, Tyson Fury, now out in paperback, Gloves Off is an enthralling journey into the life of one of boxing's most charismatic and controversial figures. From his humble beginnings to his meteoric rise and dramatic falls, Fury’s story is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. In this...Paperback$2800Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Salt Path
The Salt Path is a deeply moving and profoundly inspiring true story that captures the essence of human resilience and the profound impact of nature on our well-being. This compelling narrative, a Sunday Times bestseller and shortlisted for the prestigious Wainwright Prize, recounts the life-changing journey of Raynor and Moth Winn—a couple who, facing monumental life challenges, find solace and...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Salt Path
The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
States of Play
The International Bestseller & Winner of the Football Book of the Year Award A Times Sports Book of the Year A Telegraph Book of the Year An Irish Times Book of the Year An Irish Independent Book of the Year 'Important, perfectly timed and hugely necessary.' The Guardian 'A monumental piece of investigative journalism.' Irish Times 'A must-read on how...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Pre-orderThe Swimmer of Auschwitz
'Propulsive... Readers will be hooked' - Publishers Weekly Based on the extraordinary true story of Alfred Nakache, subject of the Oscar-nominated short film Papillon. Alfred Nakache, a Jewish child from Constantine, never imagined that he would one day swim for France at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, nor that he would achieve a world record, as he did...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableOut 11 Aug 2026Pre-order -
The Formula
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'HANDS DOWN THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT F1.' - Sam Walker, author of The Captain Class 'MODERN F1 IS THE SPORTS STORY OF THIS ERA AND NO ONE COULD TELL IT BETTER' - Kevin Clark, ESPN 'THE FASTEST READ YOU WILL EVER PICK UP' - A.J. Baime, author of Go Like Hell F1 is...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Breath
Discover the transformative power of breathing in Breath by esteemed journalist James Nestor. This revolutionary book delves into the science and history of one of the most fundamental human activities - breathing. From the bustling streets of São Paulo to the serene temples of India, Nestor embarks on a global journey to uncover the secrets of ancient breathing techniques such...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Forever Forward
With a foreword by McLaren CEO Zak Brown and written with inside access, this is the real-time, unfolding story of one of F1's greatest ever teams, as they rise back up from oblivion. Few names in motorsports carry the same authority as McLaren, and with their remarkable victory in the 2024 constructors championship, they are now returning to form in...Hardback$4000Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
