WORKING THE WHEEL by Martin Brundle with Maurice Hamilton.

Book Review by Riccardo Monza.

Martin Brundle has been a recognizable voice on television for many years now, captivating and entertained audiences with his co-comentatary and grid-walks before the start. But before all those mic to camera pieces, he was once a driver dialed in like the rest, who had little concern for TV interviews. ‘Working The Wheel’ is Brundle’s account of driving a selection of his favourite racetracks and the reality of what goes on in and around each venue.

A total of eighteen circuits from around the globe are covered. Many well known circuits that are still on the F1 calendar are included, such as Silverstone, Suzuka and Monza. Whereas others that aren’t used anymore like Adelaide and Detroit, get a mention too. Brundle’s other love of sports cars shows up in his account of legendary Le Mans. A simple track diagram with corner names opens each chapter, then a description of the circuit’s location, what it’s like to drive round the track -nailing this corner and braking for that hairpin etc, before giving his account of a memorable race be it glorious or shambolic.

There are eight pages of photos within the 304 pages. Some pictures are personal to the author with champagne being sprayed or his car taking a corner at an exciting angle, whilst others are there to give insight into the character of a particular circuit, such as the spectacular high-rise paddock hotel at Detroit. The book’s hardback edition came off the press in 2004, with the paperback in its slipstream a year later.

Rio De Janeiro was the location of Brundle’s first race in Formula 1. A place that had a grubby feel to it apparently, due to filthy garages and a pong from a rubbish tip or sewage farm nearby. Despite the smell, Brundle drove his Tyrrell brilliantly to finish fifth, only for the governing body to later throw the team out of the championship for a technical breach! As readers, we get a good story but without the stink, thankfully!

There were many near misses in Brundle’s F1 career to score a victory, and he explains his heart breaking retirement from the 1992 Canadian Grand Prix, whilst in second place and insight of the leader. The tale unfolds how Ayrton Senna (who’d retired at the same corner also) had his brain very much switched on and reported back to his pit -via his helmet radio, details of the opposing team’s tyre wear after a close inspection of a sulking Brundle’s stricken car! Ayrton was very much respected by Martin since their days together battling in Formula 3, so always took inspiration from his often unusual antics.

Crashes are part of a racing driver’s life and Brundle had one or two whoppers in his time. Several pages are written in great detail, about his mega shunt in Melbourne 1996. Even though there was only one wheel left on the tumbling car, his instinct was to still try to steer it (work the wheel) during the accident! His calmness in returning to the cockpit of his spare car only minutes later, shows a real character to shrug things off and get on with the job in hand.

‘Working The Wheel’ is Brundle’s ‘picture of what it is really like to work on and around circuits as a professional driver’, told like it is, in a no nonsense way. In fact, just how we like it!

Published by Ebury Press. RRP: £6.99 – and it’s available on Amazon here: Martin Brundle: Working the Wheel