Unconventional, flamboyant, ground-breaking, colourful, controversial — the Benetton Formula 1 team was all of those things. Defying perceptions as the rebels of Formula 1, Benetton achieved great success, particularly in the two glorious seasons of 1994 and 1995 when the team swept aside the big names — Williams, McLaren and Ferrari — to claim back-to-back World Championship titles for up-and-coming Michael Schumacher. This book tells the entire 1986–2001 history of the Benetton team for the first time with insightful contributions from many of the key participants, including Flavio Briatore, Alessandro Benetton, Pat Symonds and Rory Byrne.
- Beginnings: after three seasons in F1 as a sponsor, Benetton purchases ailing Toleman and creates its own BMW-powered team for 1986, taking a first win that year with Gerhard Berger.
- Growing in stature: with Flavio Briatore arriving to run the team and using Ford engines, Benetton edges towards consistently strong performances, including two consecutive wins for Nelson Piquet at the end of 1990.
- The key driver: the inspired signing of Michael Schumacher takes Benetton closer to glory during a 1992–93 high-tech period that sees the Williams team reign supreme.
- The breakthrough year: Following tragedy, black flags, disqualifications, a pitlane inferno and political maneuvring, the tumultuous 1994 season ends with Schumacher sealing the World Championship title for Benetton after a controversial clash with rival Damon Hill.
- The best year: Transferring to Renault engines, Benetton dominates in 1995, Schumacher taking a second consecutive crown thanks to nine wins and Johnny Herbert supporting to help deliver the constructors’ title too.
- The hangover: After Schumacher’s departure to Ferrari and the loss of factory Renault engines, Benetton struggles to maintain its status in 1996–97 with Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi, achieving just one win in those two seasons.
- Farewell: A prolonged period of decline concludes with Renault’s purchase of the team at the end of 2001.
With a lavish array of images accompanying the authoritative text,
Benetton: Rebels of Formula 1 will delight all Formula 1 enthusiasts.
Ken Tyrrell’s famous Formula 1 racing team will forever be associated with Jackie Stewart and the three World Championship titles they won together. But the Tyrrell story is far bigger than that, embracing nearly 40 action-packed years, from initial forays as an entrant in Formula Junior in 1960 to eventual demise in 1998. Along the way, the team with its larger-than-life proprietor was always universally respected in the world’s Formula 1 paddocks, often as the plucky underdog. In compiling this comprehensive history, the author has interviewed dozens of surviving team members — including most of the drivers and many mechanics — to gather their memories and present an energetic, touching, compelling and above all entertaining narrative.
- Ken Tyrrell’s career as a racing driver in the 1950s, moving on to become an entrant of Formula Junior and Formula 3 single-seaters in the early years of the following decade.
- Establishing himself in Formula 2 with his star driver, Jackie Stewart, and also claiming the European title in that category with Jacky Ickx in 1967.
- Onwards to Formula 1 in 1968, linking up with French constructor Matra, then remarkably winning the 1969 World Championship with Jackie Stewart.
- Achieving almost immediate success as a constructor in a golden era that brought two more Formula 1 titles for Jackie Stewart, in 1971 and 1973, but ended in tragedy with the death of François Cevert.
- The extraordinary six-wheeler: Tyrrell sprung one of Formula 1’s biggest surprises with a radical design that won a race but ultimately proved to be a blind alley.
- Falling down the grid as turbos took over, although Tyrrell achieved final victories in glitzy city races in America, in Las Vegas (1982) and Detroit (1983) — and brief notoriety for technical chicanery in 1984.
- Extended twilight: amidst occasional flashes of excellence, notably from Jean Alesi in 1990, the Tyrrell team’s latter years were difficult as Formula 1 also-rans, and ended in 1998 after takeover by BAR.
Published in the 50th anniversary year of Tyrrell’s last championship title, this book will be treasured by all racing enthusiasts.
