The Pits : The Real World of Formula 1 Paperback – January 31, 2005

A friend warned me that he'd heard this book wasn't much good. I wasn't smart enough to listen. Be smarter than me -- save your money. The blurb on the back cover says "The Pits is an incendiary and revelatory behind-the-scenes account of the truth about Formula One". Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Except that it's a bald lie. The author seems to be a rather cute looking Brit television "talking head". She traveled around to the F1 races in 2003, picked up some superficial twaddle, and now presumes to know deep truths about F1. She has a section about each race, but spends about one paragraph on what actually happened in the race. The rest is about her opinion of her hotel's decor, or various smug discourses. Half a dozen pages of her Melbourne section are about some little group of protestors, going into great detail about their objections to the government money spent on changes (they don't like) to Albert Park. Are F1 drivers really atheletes; is F1 really a sport or a business; why aren't there female F1 drivers; and her really long snit about sexism throughout F1. Endless pages about these and other equally deep and socially relevant topics. Nothing at all "indendiary" or "revelatory", unless you didn't know that Bernie and Max run F1. If you're not an F1 fan, why would you even consider this book? If you are a fan, this book is simply worthless. If you're as dumb as me and buy it anyway, you'll be kicking yourself later.

Informative

I usually purchase Grand Prix books from the 1930's & 50's, I like the writing, I like the perspective and knowledge. In "The Pits" i find none. It is, on the surface a recollecting of the 2003 F1 season. In reality, it is the author's opinion of the sport and ALL it's shortcomings.Every chapter is, apparently, devoted to one race of the 2003 season. In reality a short paragraph summarizing that particular race and the vast majority of the chapter focuses on one or two aspects of F1 our author feels is unseemly, opportunistic and even predatory.The authors complaints cover a lot of ground, driver personalities, F1's stark difference of wealth and poverty as compared to San Paulo. Brazil, dress, attitudes in general, family relations and so on... "The Pits" is described as incendiary and revelatory, I found it trite and tedious.An outsider's view from the inside and not seeing the forest for the trees, picking out the obvious and not understanding the sport one bit.Avoid it, no value in the least

Who was this book written for? I loved F1 back in the days of Professor Prost. Since then it's gone steadily downhill and become a procession of high speed hearses. I can't remember the last time I even watched a race. When I want to see racing I watch bikes. Nevertheless I have a vestigial interest in fast cars and that's why I bought the book.The book is entertaining. That's important to me. My usual read is "good" fiction of Man Booker or Pulitzer standard. Ms Turner didn't disappoint. She writes beautiful English filled with interesting observations and a very dry wit. She could have been writing about the mating habits of the coral polyp and I'd still have loved it.But the average F1 fan doesn't read for the quality of the writing, in fact a real F1 fan probably wouldn't want a book when you can buy videos or glossy coffee table books with lots of lovely pics. F1 is a visual spectacle and everything about it is designed to look good. Imagine listening to radio commentary on a race...not the same thing.Because I'm a chauvinist male pervert I was disappointed at the lack of candid info on the drivers' surely quite interesting sex lives. Do they get as much action as we imagine they do? I presume that if Ms Turner didn't self-censor that bit then her publisher must have, to avoid law suits. But she didn't have to name names. F1 is about sex as well as sexism and the omission hurts the book.It's now seven seasons later and tobacco is no longer part of F1. That whole chapter is out of date, or is it? Doesn't it show up the mentality and morals of Bernie and Max?The book wasn't a waste of money. I enjoyed every bit.

As someone who has been following F1 for 33 years, much of the information here isn't new to me but I did enjoy the detail.

Well obviously this book has upset a few F1 devotees, so, it has fulfilled its promise of being incendiary at least!I don't know how much revelations some people expected this book to detail, because I guess the underlying purpose of F1 is pretty transparent - race cars around tracks in 15 or so countries every year to generate a handsome profit via tobacco sponsorship et al.The great thing about this book is that it isn't self-indulgent, just a polemic on the world of F1, lamenting what could be a much better spectacle and display of talent. True, anybody who is privy to the operations of F1 and is aware of how all aspects of it work won't find much, if any, detail of this book a shock.Regardless of whether you are a seasoned F1 fan or completely ignorant of the sport, I recommend this book due to the rare detailed insider's view of the extraordinary world of formula 1(ie. from a critical viewpoint - if you want all the 'one big happy family' version, try murray walker's biography), which happens to be written in an articulate yet engaging manner.

I'm surprised by some of the very positive reviews of this book. I was very disappointed. I was hoping for some interesting behind the scenes insights into F1 but it's just a 200+ page diatribe that rehashes a number of tired, old arguments (tobacco advertising? female F1 drivers? "Pit Girls"? How controversial!). It's overwhelmingly negative so one wonders why Ms Turner stuck quite so long working with an activity (she's very clear that it's not a "sport") that she apparently loathes? Can't just have been the girly crushes on Jensen Button and Fernando Alonso? Wasted opportunity.

Great book, by a great writer. Back to back in record time. Good photo's too. A must read for any petrol head

Arrived before stated ETA. Item as described (great read). Good seller. Cheers.

An easy , quick read if you have a spare afternoon.Although not the most imaginative layout for a book , going through the season chronologically , she does put her views across quite well. But it is a very negative view ofthe world of F1 . Yes we all dolike to moan about previous jobs we have had in the past but as you get half way through the book you feal it is a rant . Its like when a friendcomes round and starts complaining about his/her, job/boss. You make a cup of tea and listen and you agree or feal sympathetic to them but after 45min plus of this you wish they would shut up and go away .I would of been a better book if she shows the positive side of F1 and have more of a grip of what the real world is like . i.e. She complained that when a pretty girl walked into a garage she would get staired at and wolf whistled . So this only happens in F1??? If a girl walks into a bar/pub by herself all the men are going to look and some of them enjoy it.