There's no replacement for the real thing, and that goes double for F1. But the best Formula 1 coffee table books are more than just pretty ways to signal your love for the sport. They’re an all-access paddock pass and a time machine. They offer up rarely-seen snapshots and stories, forgotten lore and clarifying context. They let you get a little closer to a moment you remember — or offer a chance to witness what you missed.
Magnus Greaves understands this. The founder and publisher of print-only magazine RACEWKND set out to preserve in amber what it’s like to attend a modern grand prix with his recent, limited-edition coffee table book, “Sand, Sunsets, and Speed.” In supersaturated photo spreads, the book captures the first-ever Miami Grand Prix by juxtaposing the on-track experience with a sexy, chaotic, very Miami scene. “What really inspired us was that there’s so much wacky stuff going on there,” he says. “Even if you were at the race and in the grandstand, you wouldn’t see most of this. We wanted to peel back the layers and share it with everybody.”
"Sand, Sunsets, and Speed" isn't alone in that goal. The six other beautiful coffee table books below — be they glossy photographic tributes or tomes packed with historical details — are perfect reminders of all the ways you can fall in love with the sport of Formula 1.
Sand, Sunsets & Speed
For RACEWKND publisher Marcus Greaves, 2023's inaugural Miami Grand Prix represented a once-in-a-lifetime moment coalescing Drive to Survive’s sudden popularity and F1's plans to take over the America's shores. “Sand, Sunset & Speed” bottles that magic so well that you can almost smell the coconut-scented sunscreen when you crack open the book's hot pink cover for the first time. Yes, it includes plenty of action shots of cars zooming around the track (built, of course, in the parking lot of Hard Rock stadium). But it’s Frederick Broden’s filmic images of sun-soaked hedonism—of the city, the fans, the concerts, the pool parties—that make you feel like the race could have just as easily happened in the 1970s. An intro by Miami resident and F1 superfan DJ Tiesto sets the mood, as does the high-viz, cloth-wrapped case. Only 1,000 will be printed.
Published 2024 by RaceWKND; $100 at racewknd.co
Formula 1: The Impossible Collection
Assouline and Brad Spurgeon’s celebration of F1 is as stunning as the Ferrari F1-90 on the cover. Behind that image are 228 pages of history, told through 100 photographs—each chosen by long-time motorsports journalist Spurgeon. From a post-race shot of Lewis Hamilton after having broken Schumacher’s all-time win record at Portimao in 2020 to powerful images of the sport’s stars —machine and human — in action, the book captures era-defining moments in every decade of the sport. Make no mistake: “Formula 1: The Impossible Collection,” like all of Assouline’s offerings, is also something of a trophy itself. The 19.7-pound book ships in a clamshell case with a metal plaque, is “lightly scented with an exclusive made rubber-infused essence,” and comes with a pair of white gloves. Mostly as a sign to others to keep their grubby mitts off.
Published 2021 by Assouline; $1200 at assouline.com
Art of the Race V16
You may not realize it, but you know Darren Heath's work; he's the photographer behind some of the most arresting and unexpected images captured in Formula 1 's recent history. From 2014 to 2019, he collaborated with Art of Publishing on five individual volumes, each focused on images from a single racing season. This edition, Heath’s third, chronicles the 2016 season, which culminated in Nico Rosberg beating out teammate Lewis Hamilton by five points to win the driver’s championship on the final day of racing (only to retire after taking the title). Like each of the volumes, it's a time capsule packed with Heath’s incredible imagery, all of which still resonates long after the racing has ended.
Published 2017 by Art of Publishing; £22 at artofpublishing.net
Formula 1 Circuits: Maps and Statistics From Every Grand Prix Track
Yes, sure, the Internet is strewn with tons of F1 data and facts, but nowhere on the web will you find that information so perfectly packaged and easy to access as you will with "Formula 1 Circuits." Tracks are listed in chronological order from the first time each hosted a grand prix, starting with Monza (1922) and ending with Miami. (Blame the 2023 publishing date for Las Vegas' absence.) The book reads like a history of the sport told through twists and curves, bolstered by insights from racing journalist and commentator Maurice Hamilton. Of the books here, this might be the one that earns a permanent place on your coffee table, if only so you can pick it up every Sunday for a quick scout before Crofty says "It's lights out!"
Published 2023 by Sandman Books; $50 at amazon.com and sandmanbooks.com
Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1
Will Buxton may have seen his celebrity status built on Drive To Survive, but as he the meme-king himself told Motorsport, he started off as a journalist. He returns to the written word with this illustrated history of F1, designed to help new fans get up to speed, as it were. “Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1” gives need-to-know briefs on the sport’s iconic characters, moments, and tracks alongside vibrant illustrations. Yes, it's aimed more at new fans than folks who wistfully remember Leyton House. If it’s not for you, it’s for your friend who’s just caught the bug, or the kid in your life who’s suddenly asking questions about tire strategy.
Published 2024 by Penguin Random House; $30 at amazon.com and bookshop.org
Formula 1 in Camera, 1970-79 (Updated, paperback)
The first of Paul Parker’s “Formula 1 in Camera” series offers a time-machine paddock pass to a glorious, chaotic decade in F1’s history. Stacked with behind-the-scenes images from legendary Formula 1 photographer Rainer Schlegelmilch, the book chronicles the sport’s rapid evolution toward globally-renowned drivers, big-money corporate sponsorships, and radical technology (we hardly knew ye, Tyrell P34). When you’re done, you can start right in on Parker’s two-volume “sequel” covering 1960-69.
Published 2003 by Behemoth Publishing; $80 at amazon.com
McLaren Formula 1 Car by Car: Every Race Car Since 1966
For the papaya-obsessed, Motorsport Network journalist Stuart Codling serves up a completist’s trove: damn near every stat and feature of every McLaren car to ever race in Formula 1. Published this past summer and presented in chronological order, with photos and narratives of each car, the book serves as a visual history of the sport seen through the history of one of its most iconic manufacturers. Really, though, it’s about ogling some stunning hardware. And if your allegiances run red, Codling’s "Ferrari Formula 1: Car by Car" (published in 2021) will make your rosso corsa heart skip a beat.
Published 2024 by Motorbooks; $60 at amazon.com
F1 Mavericks: The Men and Machines that Revolutionized Formula 1 Racing
Today, Formula 1 teams live at the forefront of speed thanks to nine-figure budgets and an understanding of aerodynamics that looks suspiciously like witchcraft. But as "F1 Mavericks" reminds us, the technological breakthroughs we take for granted today have been built on the once-crazy ideas of brilliant engineers, and the equally crazy drivers willing to put those hunches to the test. Taking a look at the period from 1960 to 1982, the book gives as much weight to the brains — Colin Chapman, Gordon Murray, Mauro Forghieri — as it does the brawn behind the wheel, all while translating the era’s advances in aerodynamics, engine tech, tires, and beyond into a language that doesn’t require an MIT degree to appreciate.
Published 2019 by Motorbooks; $50 at amazon.com
