Grid to Glory: 75 Milestone Formula One Moments

by Alex Jacques

'A fast-flowing, edge-of-your-seat read.' – Nate Saunders

'An engaging and absorbing behind-the-scenes pass to the key moments in the sport’s illustrious history.' - Lawrence Barretto

A celebratory look at the world of Formula One, featuring the incredible stories that made this magnificent sport what it is today, both well-known and never-before-told.

Over 75 chapters, Alex Jacques tells the story of Formula One’s rise, fall and recovery through the extraordinary moments that shaped the world’s most dramatic sport. Covering the teams, the drivers, the bosses and the pit crews, Alex Jacques truly takes us trackside to feel the energy and hear from the personalities we love to watch.

With stories ranging from the huge personalities that make up the sport – and the hijinks they wreak at every turn – to a simple misreading of regulations that led to the creation of a monster car, to Lewis Hamilton's shock move to Ferrari and Romain Grosjean's death-defying Man on Fire crash, Grid to Glory brings together some of the most iconic moments in the sport’s history, making it a classic F1 title.

Colourfully written and encompassing every aspect of the unique composition of elite motorsport – glamour, rivalry, death, strategy, technology, business and controversy – this book will appeal to old and new fans of the sport, as its mix of known and never-before-told stories provide context to some of the most talked-about incidents in sporting history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Racing, History, Sports

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 9, 2025

Reviews

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick sprint through the history of F1. By its nature, short chapters leave some detail out when you might want to know more, and there isn't room to fit in all the moments that fans will remember. But a good read for newcomers and for fans wishing to remember some classic moments.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

As for the 75 milestones contained within, there's no doubt that Alex Jacques knows his history. He's plucked interesting anecdotes from throughout the history of Formula 1 and even enhanced my understanding of some I was familiar with already.

What dinged this down to three stars to me was the writing. I'm not sure if there was much editing done because there are a lot of semicolons. Like multiple per paragraph. One example: "Jean-Marie Balestre, intervened; pole position would stay away from the racing line again." Why the comma?

I'm also afraid that by releasing this with only a portion of 2025's season established, some of the facts within are already slightly outdated. Oh Alex, you huffed so much hopium...

[jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

“in 2017, charles leclerc lost his father, and in his final days he told his father a white lie. that he’d made it to formula one, that he’d signed the contract. it wasn’t true then, but his driving has made it true now, and look what he’s done with the opportunity. the grandstands that he saw built as a kid growing up now rise for him, and for the first time in 93 years this fabled race is won by one of their own. charles leclerc wins the monaco grand prix!” — brilliant book by the man that gave us that incredible piece of commentary

[sashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Jacques' infectiously enthusiastic, passionate and poetic commentating style really shines through in his writing. He has such a special skill for really capturing the emotion of every moment, making these historical races feel like it's happening right then as you're reading it.

Just like I'll always remember his commentary when Charles Leclerc won his first Monaco Grand Prix word-for-word, this book has been truly memorable in a way that I haven't found a lot of accounts of F1 lore to be. It does a really great job of unifying all the dramatic highs and lows of F1, and telling stories that have almost been lost to time for younger fans, where you really see the impact that all these big names have actually had both on each other and on the sport.

F1 has seen a lot tragedy and death, and this is the first time I really felt the emotional toll of those defining moments; his chapters on Villeneuve/Pironi, Senna's death, and Charles and Jules even had me crying.

Would really recommend this to any F1 fan, whether you already know the history or not. This is a retelling through the lens of someone with genuine love and respect (and, most importantly, wheel knowledge), which you don't see often enough.

[Ben Waterworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight into some great moments in the history of F1. Really easy to read and get a sense of some amazing moments and learn about some moments I wasn’t overly familiar with. A great way to digest the history of the sport in a collection of short bite sized moments that give you a create collection of moments from 1950 right thought to 2025.

[Keir Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a great read for a new fan, as it contains a patchwork of interesting moments throughout the history of F1. For an obsessive fan of 30 years though, there wasn't much new - although still a nice refresher.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great bitesize chapters covering some of the most iconic moments in the sport, Alex Jacques provides a thorough breakdown of how these pivotal events in F1’s rich history shaped the iconic sport we watch today!

[Kellie Frazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is my first year watching F1 so was a really helpful insight to the history of the sport

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definite book to read (or get) for an avid F1 fan! It is good insight to things you don't normally hear about and especially so the stories from before I started to watch F1, especially early days and how actions then helped modify the sport that we love to watch.

[muffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is the greatest thing that happened to humankind since sliced bread

[Steven Batty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for F1 fans old and new.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to some the most iconic and important moments in F1 history