F1 Mavericks

F1 Mavericks is the story of the grandest, most influential, and most fondly remembered era in Formula 1 racing as seen through the lens of master motorsports photographer, Pete Biro.

Take a lap through one of Formula 1's most exciting and influential eras with F1 Mavericks, featuring the photos of veteran motorsports photographer, Pete Biro.

The period from 1960 to 1982 saw the greatest technological changes in the history of Formula 1 racing: the transition from front engines to rear engines, narrow-threaded tires, massive racing slicks, zero downforce, and neck-shredding ground effects—and, of course, a staggering increase in performance and reduction in lap times. In short, the period saw the creation of the modern Formula 1 car.

This is also the time when legendary names who defined F1 were out in full force: Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Dan Gurney, Sir Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Bruce McLaren, Jody Scheckter. We’ll see and meet all of them. But F1 Mavericks also focuses on the designers and engineers behind the cars—men like Colin Chapman, Sir Patrick Head, Maurice Philippe, Franco Rochhi, Gordon Murray, and many others. We’ll hear directly from many of them, including a foreword from 1978 F1 World Champion, Mario Andretti.

Every chapter is a photographic account of key races throughout the period, supplemented with sidebars featuring key designers and technologies, like wings, ground effects, slick tires, turbochargers, and the Brabham “fan” suction car. F1 Mavericks is an international story, and includes loads of information on designs from Japan (Honda), Britain (McLaren, Tyrrell, Cooper, BRM) Italy (Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo), France (Matra, Ligier, Renault), Germany (Porsche, BMW) and the United States (Eagle, Shadow, Penske, Parnelli).

Strap yourself in for the story of the greatest era in Formula 1 racing - it's all here in F1 Mavericks.

About the Author and the Photographer

Author George Levy is a longtime automotive journalist and marketer with a strong focus on motorsports. He is the former editor of Autoweek magazine and sits on the board of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Photographer Pete Biro began shooting motorsports in the 1950s, contributing to magazines such as Road & Track and Car and Driver. As his career progressed, his work found greater fame on the pages of outlets such as Time, LIFE, and Sports Illustrated. He followed the Can-Am series throughout its 1966 to 1974 glory years, becoming good friends with its top drivers, team owners, and engineers.