Controversies, Norris, Newey and more: Five new motorsport books reviewed

Need a spring break read? Here’s our verdict on five new offerings on Ferrari, Lando Norris, Adrian Newey, F1 controversies and the golden era of Super Touring cars.

Forza Ferrari by Nate Saunders

It is 18 years since Ferrari last won a world championship, making this their longest title-less spell, even outstripping the run ended by Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine and Mika Salo in 1999. So in “Forza Ferrari”, Nate Saunders tackles the question all tifosi must be asking: when are they likely to win a title again?

So it’s to be expected that the book is light on the Enzo Ferrari decades (dig out Richard Williams’ biography of the ingegnere for a fine account of that period) and focuses on the team’s recent lean spell. The missed opportunities of 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2018 understandably figure heavily and the text is enhanced by insights from the likes of ex-Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and former team principal Stefano Domenicali. But Ferrari fans hoping it will live up to its optimistic front-cover billing “how F1’s most famous team can win again” may feel it falls slightly short.

Lando Norris: Road to World Champion by Nate Saunders

Saunders’ second offering in this round-up is one for fans of the reigning world champion. And, it must be said, chiefly those who didn’t catch every round of all last season.

The “road to world champion” described in the book starts not when Norris began karting, graduated to motor racing or even joined McLaren, but the first race of last season. It’s a straightforward retelling of the 2025 championship which is aimed more at the new F1 follower than the typical RaceFans reader. But if you know a young Norris fan it would make a perfect birthday present.

Adrian Newey: An illustrated biography of F1’s greatest designer by Frank Hopkinson

The 2026 season has not begun the way Adrian Newey hoped following the huge interest in the star designer’s move to Aston Martin. Since his autobiography came out in 2017 his Red Bull cars have won scores more grands prix and taken Max Verstappen to a quartet of titles. But that book remains the best read on the best F1 designer of his age despite the arrival of this new biography.

Billed as an “illustrated” biography it certainly isn’t short of photographs but is sadly lacking in the kind of annotated technical descriptions a book like this needs. Those hoping for insight into what made his designs so effective will also find the text wanting, as it is too preoccupied with the details of races and on-track controversies. Hopefully Newey can find time to produce an updated volume of his autobiography, though given Aston Martin’s performance this year he clearly has enough on his plate at the moment.

F1 Controversies by Tony Dodgins

If it’s controversy you’re interested in, long-time F1 scribe Tony Dodgins has you well covered with the largest book in this selection. He covers F1’s most lurid moments with an eye for detail, supplemented by many terrific photographs.

One remarkable error leaps out, however, not least because it appears twice, once on the rear cover. The defining image of one of F1’s greatest controversies, Crashgate, is of Nelson Piquet Jnr backing his Renault into a barrier at turn 17, yet here a picture of Giancarlo Fisichella crashing his Force India has bizarrely been chosen instead. An unfortunate blunder in a book that’s otherwise easy to recommend: the coffee table format doesn’t really suit the subject but it certainly allows the (mostly) brilliant selection of pictures to stand out.

Super Touring by Ben Evans

As long-time RaceFans readers will know, Ben Evans is an occasional contributor of articles and book reviews, so I won’t pretend to be impartial about this, his second book. The subject matter is a favourite for me, too.

He has done his usual thorough job on the text which features several original interviews with drivers who piloted Super Touring cars during their nineties peak. It is a blast of pure nostalgia for anyone who remembers the era as fondly as I do.

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