How to Build a Car

A brilliant book that not only does as it says on the tin but opens the reader into the life of the author. It is a very nice balance between technical knowledge and personal experience from the man who is normally a very humble and quiet person in real life. So this book allows the reader to learn more about why and how the greatest designer in f1 history lived and worked.

The technical drawings included also are very appealing and interesting to read and try to understand how they worked. And that is possibly the only downside of this book; the author does at points describe very technical and advanced mechanical skills that your average reader would struggle to comprehend. Even at points I myself struggled to understand.

A very technical book about designing fast cars, focusing towards F1 cars gradually, as it follows Newey's career. Many bits get way too detailed and technical for a fan to follow. Nevertheless, the anecdotes and the gossip are fun to read.

Best book I have read on F1 to date.

If you are a fan of Formula One, this is a must read. Great insights and stories which some of which I was never even aware of. Really interesting, slightly technical in parts, still a really enjoyable story from start to finish.

A tremendously fun book. Few people understand both the science and the magic of the world's top auto race championship in the way Newey does, all the while remaining remarkably down to earth and human. I enjoyed every second of it.

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did, but when he got into the weeds with technical aspects, my eyes started glazing over.

Why did I pick this book?
How to Build a Car was recommended by many of my recommendation sources. When a recently discovered YouTube channel, focused on engineering, suggested the book I decided it was time to check it out.
I'm an Industrial Designer, so the engineering aspect of the book really peaked my interest. The Formula 1 aspect did not particularly speak to me and I had never heard of Newey before.

What the book is about
This is the autobiography of Adrian Newey, apparently the best Formula 1 racecar designer ever. He chronicles his life, starting with early years, studies and then his many years in the racing industry.

My review
It's the largest (in size as well as in volume) book I've read in a while. Not a book you can easily take with you reading in the train.
Luckily, and surprisingly, it was super easy to read and I got through it in no time, not having to take it with me to finish it. Newey has a way of writing which is kinda similar to actual story telling, including getting off track and having to “But, let's get back to the story” interruptions.

Unfortunately that is the most positive I have to say about this book. I was pleasantly surprised it read so well, but I was disappointed the book dives so little into the real engineering aspects. I had hoped to get a deeper understanding of aerodynamics, the systems engineering that goes into a sports car, how to manage such an extended team, etc, etc.
However, we only get a description in the way of; ‘I designed a better car the next year and then this and this and this is what happened at the races.' I learned nothing, only that apparently Newey has had many accomplishments and he wants to see that reflected in his salary, and if his cars did not finish first it was due to reliability issues with the engine..

Was disappointed and would not recommend to anyone expecting to learn something from this book. Would however recommend anyone already interested for Formula 1 and people who could use a different perspective on the F1 world, which is not from the driver's perspective.

Ghost writer Andrew Holmes does a spectacular job at capturing Adrian Newey's cheekiness in both life and on the drawing board.

Honestly, I only wanted the nerdy behind the scenes technical details of Newey's career. That's here with extravagant detail and explanations that give context for the last three decades of F1 car design. Yet what surprised me was how engaging the personal details of Newey's story were. It's interesting that Newey never shies away from admitting workaholic commitment to his profession and yet from youth to present day, so much of this book conveys a witty and competitive spirit animating his entire life.

A great book for F1 fans and especially for anyone interested in the evolution of design process and thinking in pursuit of lap time.

En muy pocas oportunidades uno tiene la posibilidad de que un genio de la talla de Adrian Newey abra las puertas de su mente y nos de un tour sobre su forma de pensar, abordar problemas, visualizar diseños Davincescos y el arduo trabajo necesario para llevar semejante nivel de abstracción al mundo real.

Sumada a semejante perspectiva, el relato acompaña con multitud de anécdotas privadas, algunas interesantes y muchas definitivamente bochornosas como para dejar en claro que este genio es tan mortal como cualquiera de nosotros.

Material bibliográfico indispensable para fanáticos de la F1, ingenieros y entusiastas de la técnica en general.