Synopses & Reviews
The 1980s was a momentous decade in Formula 1 and this all-colour book, featuring magnificent images by the renowned German photographer Rainer Schlegelmilch, captures the extraordinary drama of that period. Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell all made their debuts in this decade and became, with Nelson Piquet, the stars of the era - they were arch rivals equipped, at one stage, with the most powerful racing engines of all time. McLaren and Williams first established themselves as regular winners in this period, and these teams, with Ferrari, remain big players today. This was a decade when Formula 1 was transformed by political upheaval, technical innovation and extended TV coverage, all of which laid the foundations for today's globally popular sport.
- Visually lavish year-by-year coverage of ten Formula 1 seasons, presenting photographs, factual information and statistics for each year.
- Rainer Schlegelmilch, who first photographed Formula 1 in 1962 and remains active today, is one of the best motor racing photographers ever.
- All images are in color, with the emphasis on photographs that enthusiasts will not have seen before, the more obscure cars and drivers sharing space with the familiar and famous.
- The story of each race is told through photographs and an accompanying commentary.
- Data for each year comprises team/car/driver details, plus complete World Championship rankings for drivers and constructors.
- The whole work is smartly designed and presented.
- In series with titles covering the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, as well as sister books on sports car racing in the same period.
Synopsis
Following the success of its sister volume, which covered the 1970s, this book features another classic era as Formula 1 - attracting growing interest via TV - became a mainstream sport. The 1980s saw the emergence of McLaren and Williams as the dominant teams. Normally aspirated engines gave way to more powerful turbocharged units, before the regulations changed in 1989 to favor non-turbo motors again. The defining drivers were Gilles Villeneuve, Alan Jones, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. The 1980s saw the demise of the privateer entrants as technology and costs escalated.
About the Author
A past editor of Autosport, the world's top motorsports weekly, Quentin Spurring has a long-held passion for the Le Mans 24 Hours – he has reported from the race 26 times – and is the ideal author for this series of officially endorsed books. As well as his four previous books in this Le Mans series, he has written books about Jim Clark, Gilles Villeneuve and Ronnie Peterson, and his book Grand Prix: Images of the First 100 Years, from David Bull Publishing, won an award from the American Publishers Association (APA). He has been the European Motorsport Correspondent of the US publication, AutoWeek, since 1982.