There's no replacement for the real thing, and that goes double for F1. But the best Formula 1 coffee table books are more than just pretty ways to signal your love for the sport. They’re an all-access paddock pass and a time machine. They offer up rarely-seen snapshots and stories, forgotten lore and clarifying context. They let you get a little closer to a moment you remember — or offer a chance to witness what you missed.
Magnus Greaves understands this. The founder and publisher of print-only magazine RACEWKND set out to preserve in amber what it’s like to attend a modern grand prix with his recent, limited-edition coffee table book, “Sand, Sunsets, and Speed.” In supersaturated photo spreads, the book captures the first-ever Miami Grand Prix by juxtaposing the on-track experience with a sexy, chaotic, very Miami scene. “What really inspired us was that there’s so much wacky stuff going on there,” he says. “Even if you were at the race and in the grandstand, you wouldn’t see most of this. We wanted to peel back the layers and share it with everybody.”
"Sand, Sunsets, and Speed" isn't alone in that goal. The six other beautiful coffee table books below — be they glossy photographic tributes or tomes packed with historical details — are perfect reminders of all the ways you can fall in love with the sport of Formula 1.
