A new book from the late Pete Biro takes us through the glory days of F1 racing. Our Book Garage series showcases what every enthusiast should add to their library. 

Formula 1, which started out decades ago as the least restrictive form of racing on the planet has, over the years, become buried under a rule book as thick and dense as a paving slab. It was not always this way, and F1 Mavericks: The Men and Machines that Revolutionized Formula 1 Racing by Pete Biro and George Levy recounts some of the personalities that shook up the F1 world over the years.

The name Pete Biro rattled around in my brain long enough that I finally had to go look it up. Right, I said, that Pete Biro. Pete was one of the stalwart racing photographers for years, and the force behind this book. Sadly, this book turns into somewhat of a memorial, being published in August of this year and Mr. Biro passing away in December of 2018. What he left behind is a very nice bit of documentation of what changed and when in F1 racing.
Shaking Things Up

He starts with probably the biggest revolution in racing, the creation of the so-called “rear-engine funny cars” of F1. It was in 1958 that someone (John Cooper, actually) put the engine behind the driver and unleashed a trove of performance benefits. To say this upset the natural order of things is like saying Knute Rockne shook up college football. By the time it was all over – and it was over a scant three years later by 19...