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

Formula One

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

bunny-sports.com

20 August 2023

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

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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 critiques), many being printed by Icon Books.

Whereas it’s simple to roll your eyes, in actuality this signifies the renewed curiosity in F1 on account 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 high ten F1 ebook lists, each authors, Ben Hunt (Norris) and Adam Hay-Nicholls (Leclerc), do a high-quality job with the fabric obtainable, producing extremely readable and fascinating biographies.

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

In the meantime Hay-Nicholls has to rely a little bit 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 method to Formulation 1, however Nigel Mansell promoting his home this isn’t.

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

My major criticism is identical throughout each books: each drivers’ time in junior formulae is rattled by way of rapidly, 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 stage was lengthy seen as inevitable and I might have favored a bit extra element on how each ready for his or her destinies.

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

As seashore reads for F1 followers new and outdated, each books are pleasant primers on two of the latest technology of the game’s world class abilities.

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