Book reviews, November 2002, November 2002

Four seasons at Ferrari – The Lauda years

By Alan Henry

ISBN 1 85983 318 7

Published by Breedon Books, £19.99

Few are better placed to tell the tale of Niki Lauda’s successful but turbulent spell at Ferrari than longtime Motor Sport contributor Alan Henry. The veteran F1 journalist was on the scene in the 1970s and knows the three-time champion well.

Henry retells the story, with Alain Prost’s help, of two title wins, that remarkable fightback from his fiery Nürburgring shunt and the subsequent falling out with the Italian team.

Intertwining Lauda’s early career with the decline in Ferrari’s fortunes at the start of the decade, he charts how the Austrian charger and chief engineer Mauro Forghieri came up with the transverse-‘box 312T which gave Ferrari its first drivers’ title since 1964. He also offers new insight into the breakdown between team and driver. GW