If you've ever wondered what goes into designing championship-winning Formula 1 cars, Adrian Newey's 'How To Build A Car' is like getting a backstage pass to the most exclusive engineering show on earth. As someone who devoured this book during long flights (yes, it's that gripping), here's why it deserves a spot on your shelf.

The Good: Newey’s storytelling is unexpectedly charming. You'd expect dry technical jargon from an F1 legend, but instead, you get witty anecdotes—like turning Christian Horner’s lawn into a motorcycle stunt zone or candid confessions about clashes with Ron Dennis. The sketches? Pure gold. They’re not just illustrations; they’re relics from battles fought with wind tunnels and rulebooks.

The Great: Even non-engineers will geek out. The book demystifies F1’s evolution from slide rules to supercomputers without drowning you in equations. His tribute to Ayrton Senna? Heart-wrenching. You feel the weight of those lost races and rivalries.

The Could-Be-Better: Some sections tease with technical depth but leave you craving more (an appendix with gearbox math would’ve been chef’s kiss). And while it covers up to 2017, post-2018 tech feels like a cliffhanger—hopefully there’s a sequel!

Final Lap: Whether you're an F1 fanatic, engineering nerd, or just love underdog stories (yes, even geniuses have struggles), this book crosses the finish line with flying colors. Pro tip: Read it with a coffee—you’ll be too amped up to sleep anyway.