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Life in the Fast Lane: The Story of the Benetton Grand Prix Year
 
 

Life in the Fast Lane: The Story of the Benetton Grand Prix Year [Kindle Edition]

Steve Matchett
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Product Description

Steve Matchett was the rear jack man in the Benetton pit lane team, and was himself engulfed in the terrible fire at Hockenheim. In Life in the Fast Lane he reveals the full, inside story of the 1994 season, including the death of Ayrton Senna, the Hockenheim fire, and disqualifications as the Benetton and Williams teams battled for the Drivers' Championship. The final showdown came in Adelaide, the last race of the season, with the controversial accident when Schumacher of Benetton and Hill of Williams collided. Matchett's story of the frantic and unending behind-the-scenes activity in the effort to be the fastest and best in the world is a fascinating account of the high-pressure world of Formula One motor racing.

About the Author

Grand Prix mechanic turned author, columnist, editor and television broadcaster, Steve Matchett is an exceptionally rare commodity - a commentator of genuine insight; a man that has prepared world championship-winning machinery with his own hands. Standing alongside Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher, Matchett worked the pit lanes of the world's most challenging sport throughout all of Benetton's glory years. He is currently a contributor to F1 Racing magazine and technical analyst to North America's SPEED Channel, a key member of their broadcasting team. He is the author of Life in the Fast Lane, The Mechanic's Tale and The Chariot Makers, all of which have been highly praised.

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 3142 KB
  • Print Length: 251 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: B00169GJ0O
  • Publisher: Orion (19 May 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B004ZKVFFK
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #49,789 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I found this book fascinating, because it allowed me to find out so much information about the inner workings of a successful F1 team. This book is written from a mechanic's point of view, it therefor shows how much work is done between race meetings. It is a pity that Steve did not give more details about the actual transporting of the cars from race to race. I recommend this book to anyone who loves the "team " sport of Formula One.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
A very good book! 30 Oct 2001
Format:Paperback
A really very nice look on the "insides" of the Formula 1 world, from a fresh and original point of view. Very well written, lots of interesting anecdotes, insights, and inside information that you will never find in your typical "review" and biography type of books.
*Very* enjoyable and highly recommended! But don't forget to check the author's later (excellent, if not even better!) book "The Mechanic's Tail".
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Having a husband who works for a Formula One team, I know a little bit about what goes on during the season, and for the most part, Matchett's book really captures the excitement, and the technical challenges of the racing season. He has a clear, fluent writing style, with flashes of dry humour, and on the whole, the book is very interesting and well observed. The mechanics in any Formula One team are always close to the action, observing the main players, and the cars, at close quarters. One can't take away from the importance, and the undoubted danger of the job, so aptly demonstrated by the horrific pit fire at Hockenheim. But Matchett's narrative style is self-conscious at times, and what disappointed me about this book was the over-emphasis placed on the role of the mechanics, at the expense of the other members of the team. Where were the engineers, the deisgners, the R&D boffins? In the end, the message of this book seemed to be "Forget the other guys, in the end it's us and the drivers who make the team a success." At best, the self-importance of the writer is just amusing, at worst it's insulting to those in the know. Having said that, 1994 was a uniquely eventful year for F1, and this book provides a raft of detailed observation which makes it well worth a read.
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