'Charles Leclerc' and 'Lando Norris' biographies reviewed · RaceFans

‘Charles Leclerc’ and ‘Lando Norris’ biographies reviewed · RaceFans

August 20, 2023

in Racing

Reading Time: 3 mins read

New biographies of McLaren star Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc are two of a slew of F1 driver profiles launched this summer time (watch this area for forthcoming evaluations), many being revealed by Icon Books.

Whereas it’s simple to roll your eyes, in actuality this signifies the renewed curiosity in F1 because of Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’. Not for the reason that heady days of the mid-to-late nineties have there been so many contemporaneous F1 books (particularly driver profiles) launched.

So what of those Norris and Leclerc biographies, then? Whereas neither are prone to tip into all-time prime ten F1 guide lists, each authors, Ben Hunt (Norris) and Adam Hay-Nicholls (Leclerc), do a high-quality job with the fabric obtainable, producing extremely readable and interesting biographies.

Whereas not an official biography, Hunt clearly has extra direct entry to Norris’s internal circle. His administration group are included within the listing of interviewees, as is former McLaren communications supervisor Charlotte Sefton who labored intently with Norris throughout his early days on the group. It’s unlikely that both would have offered materials with out not less than tacit approval from Norris himself.

In the meantime Hay-Nicholls has to rely slightly bit extra on third-hand sources and interviews accomplished throughout Leclerc’s time in F1. Nevertheless, he deserves a Pulitzer nomination for stretching ‘working class’ to its absolute limits on a number of events. Sure, Leclerc needed to safe administration and Ferrari backing to climb up the single-seater ladder on his strategy to Components 1, however Nigel Mansell promoting his home this isn’t.

The portraits that emerge are typically sympathetic, but in addition with deep currents. These are younger males fulfilling their dream, turning into international model ambassadors and amassing immense fan bases all whereas at a really younger age.

My foremost criticism is similar throughout each books: each drivers’ time in junior formulae is rattled by way of shortly, with notable coyness (extra so from Hunt) in regards to the prices and funding concerned to make a severe run on the ranges earlier than F1. Each Norris and Leclerc’s commencement to the world championship degree was lengthy seen as inevitable and I’d have preferred a bit extra element on how each ready for his or her destinies.

For younger drivers who’re early of their careers, there may be solely a lot {that a} biography can say or do, significantly with out first-hand entry to their topics. Nevertheless, each Hunt and Hay-Nicholls have lean and immensely readable writing types which implies neither guide ever drags, whereas there are sufficient nuggets to maintain the hardcore .

As seashore reads for F1 followers new and previous, each books are fulfilling primers on two of the latest technology of the game’s world class skills.

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