Product Description

Originally published in 1999, this is the inside story of Formula One racing. A Grand Prix mechanic gives his views of the key personalities and performances that make or break a racing team.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36457 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Steve Matchett's philosophical account of life behind the scenes of Formula One is a gem of a book which will keep the reader enthralled from beginning to end.

In The Mechanic's Tale, a follow-up to his previous offering Life in the Fast Lane, the former Benetton mechanic produces an account of his 10 eventful years in the sport.

From his days as an apprentice, to working with the high-tech Ferrari and BMW road cars and then making the switch to the demanding world of F1 supercars, the author remains level-headed and analytical about his experiences.

The book is an endearing and revealing tale of a young and determined F1 team going from the development of a fast and reliable car to the heady days of a double world championship victory and then back to the drawing board.

The author details the fickle and harsh side of the sport, recounts his conversations with and experiences of some of F1's most famous faces, but never loses touch with the reality of the outside world.

Some may criticise the book as slightly indulgent, but it is well-written and thoroughly entertaining, with a picture section that invokes memories of star drivers such as Brazilian greats Nelson Piquet and the late Ayrton Senna. Such a glowing appraisal is not given out lightly, but this book, offering a unique insight into one of F1's most exciting and eventful decades, truly deserves it.--Joanne Wells

Customer Reviews

Every bit as good as "Life in the Fast Lane"
Steve Matchett returns with a book that in some ways expands on his earlier "Life In The Fast Lane" -- but whereas that was a race-by-race account of the turbulent 1994 season, this is a more relaxed account of his entire career as a mechanic, from apprenticeship in the late 70s via Ferrari and BMW dealerships through his F1 career with Benetton in the '90s. Sounds like it's of minority interest? Wrong. This is one of the best "insider" accounts of F1 I've ever read. Matchett is intelligent, perceptive, and writes with wit and economy about the characters, the deals, the technology and the atmosphere of F1. Since this is less "chronological" than his previous book there is more room for Matchett to reflect on what F1 has meant to him, and how working in it has affected him.

A unique and fascinating work.

A fascinating insight into F1's other side
The aspect of this book that really struck me was Matchett's ability to combine elements of a personal autobiography with an enthralling account of those first (and last) championship years for Benetton. I enjoyed reading about his ascension through the ranks of the team (he makes it sound all too easy!) but also about everything else he experienced that makes F1 such a special business to work in.

It was particularly interesting to read the book after having read 'The Death of Ayrton Senna' (Richard Williams), comparing the two different viewpoints of the Great F1 Witch-hunt of 1994, and Benetton's involvement in it. But, but offsetting the serious parts of the book are some wonderful comic moments (such as Nelson Piquet's ability to, ahem, break wind on cue).

I would say you don't have to be an F1 fan to enjoy this book (although it helps to have a little bit of technical knowledge, since Matchett's descriptions aren't always perfectly clear) but if you are an F1 fan, I guarantee you'll enjoy it. If you've ever watched a pit stop and thought, "I wonder why..." or "I wonder who..." this is the book for you.

Quite unique: a genuine original, and impossible to emulate
Steve Matchett's second book, The Mechanic's Tale, is a quite extraordinary work, in essence the memoires of a Grand Prix mechanic throughout his ten year career with the Benetton Formula One team. That an engineer has written such a fascinating and interesting account of his life inside the somewhat secretive world of Grand Prix racing is unique in itself, but what makes this book so outstanding is the authors original approach to the subject and his natural flair for writing: his style is witty, rhetorical and very readable. "Every so often in the endless stream of biogrophies churned out by the Formula One book industry," says Motoring News, "something different comes along. This is it." Matchett touches on all aspects of this prestgious job, describing the incredible effort that the team are expected to give, the dangers and high stress of the pit-stops, the myriad of famous drivers he has worked with, and how Benetton and Schumacher stormed the world championships - amid great controversy - in 1994 and 1995. But The Mechanic's Tale is more than a collection of derring-do racing escapades; through his occasional digressions Matchett takes the reader on many colourful diversions, including an ill-fated ballooning trip, his views on the future of computer technology and his slightly surreal comparisons between Formula One and Orwell's 1984. All of that, combined with his attemps to make reason of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwoky make this book anything but predictable.