It is always a treat when a book turns out to be about more than expected and this was the case with "Racing Green." Expecting a book on the technical aspects of cars and their switching to electrical power instead of internal combustion, it did have that but so much more that was very interesting. Here is my review of this book.
Title/Author: “Racing
Green: How Motorsport Science Can Save the World” by Kit Chapman
Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review: Auto racing would not be the
first sport one would think would be a leader in promoting environmental and scientific
awareness but this book by Kit Chapman proves that thought to be false. The science that goes into building race
cars, aerodynamics, fuel and energy efficiency and safety are all quite complex
and yet can also be used to help preserve the environment, mitigate climate
change, advance health care technology and yes, improve the driving experience
of regular travelers and commuters.
Of course, given the title, one would expect that the book
would address climate change and the use of electric cars to combat that. Chapman starts this discussion with that
(after providing the reader with a brief history of auto racing) by telling the
story of the Formula E racing circuit.
Similar to F1 only in the types of courses they run, Formula E not only
uses solely electric cars but they are considered to be the cutting edge for
chassis design, energy efficiency and other such advances in the sport. Other circuits, even NASCAR, have taken
notice. The other interesting aspect
discussed about Formula E is how many scientists and engineers work in the industry
as their talents are put to use in many different fields.
Speaking of different fields, the book does not concentrate
solely on auto racing. One of the more
interesting topics covered by Dr. Chapman in his explanation of how auto racing
science helps other areas includes healthcare.
He explains how some of the same technology that makes race car engines
more efficient, whether electric or internal combustion, helped make
ventilators that were used on patients during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic
more efficient as well.
Chapman explores a variety of topics and interviews people
of both genders in a wide variety of specialties to make the book
complete. It does get very technical and
detailed at times, so unless a reader is well versed in the topics, it will
take careful reading to fully understand those passages. It does help that for the most part, the
language is such that one doesn’t have to be an expert to at least gain a rudimentary
understanding of the science and he uses many excellent everyday examples.
The writing about the sport itself, primarily F1 racing, is
done quite well. This may come across as
macabre, but this reviewer believed the best writing was done about two famous
crashes in F1. The first, which shook a
young Chapman to the core, was the 1994 crash that killed one of the greatest
drivers of all time in any form of racing, Aryton Senna. The other one was the near death of Romain
Grosjean in the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, when many of the advances in safety
that Chapman writes about were used to save Grosjean’s life when his care was
engulfed in flames. Both times Chapman
explained the dangers the drivers faced and it was a good illustration of the
tremendous advancements made in safety.
This is the rare sports book that will appeal mostly to
non-sports fans as those with interest or careers in science or engineering
will appreciate the connections between auto racing and other areas using those
concepts. Race fans, especially F1 fans,
will also enjoy not only seeing this connection but also get a good glimpse at
the future of the sport.
I wish to thank Bloomsbury USA for providing a copy of the
book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Link: Racing Green:
How Motorsport Science Can Save the World: Kit Chapman: Bloomsbury Sigma