Book Review: Aussie Grit – My Formula 1 Journey by Mark Webber

Title: Aussie Grit: My Formula 1 Journey
Author: Mark Webber
Format: ARC
Links: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

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Blurb: Mark Webber was at the centre of one of the most captivating chapters in the history of Formula One. In 2010, while racing for Red Bull, he and his team mate Sebastian Vettel went head to head for the World Championship. There could only be one winner.

In his trademark straight-talking, no-nonsense style Mark reveals his amazing life on and off the Formula One race track. From his first taste of karting to his F1 debut in 2002, scoring Minardi’s first points in three years at the Australian Grand Prix, through to his first win with Red Bull at the 2009 German Grand Prix and the year he should have been crowned World Champion. Mark Webber’s journey to the top of Formula One was every bit as determined and committed as his racing. Aussie Grit is his searingly honest story.

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Review: I’ve been so into non-fiction lately and as well as my love for Formula 1, I thought it would be a good time to make a start on my F1 reading library with Mark Webber’s autobiography – Aussie Grit. Now, Mark Webber is a driver that I didn’t originally know an awful lot about. Aside from his infamous rivalry with ex team-mate, Sebastian Vettel, I pretty much knew bollock all-else about his life so I went into this book with a completely open mind and all I can say is, if you like Formula 1, whether you watched Mark race or not, read it.

Mark Webber is such an endearing character to watch both on and off the track. He’s straight and to the point, doesn’t beat around the bush and his no-nonsense attitude all comes across in his book. The way it’s written, the “webberisms” and despite being ghost-written, you can feel Mark in every page. As autobiographies go, it wasn’t all too serious. He talks about his racing career, home life and relationships but all with the sense of “this was this, that was that, nothing more to it”. Like I said, very straight to the point fella. I liked it.

If you like F1 in any way, shape or form, then this would be a fantastic read. Despite finding it a little hard to follow near the beginning when Mark spoke about his journey to F1 (I won’t lie, I don’t know an awful lot about other racing categories), as soon as he reached F1, I was completely hooked and fascinated by all the “behind the scenes” stuff we, as viewers, don’t usually see or hear. There is so much, so damn much that goes on between a racing team, the personnel and the drivers and not all of it’s pretty. Some parts of this book shocked me and I gotta say how much I feel for Mark throughout parts of his career. But obviously that’s open to opinion, depending on what driver was your favourite.

I’m not lying when I say it made me laugh, cry and smile. He talks about some very real things, some of which we can all relate to because let’s face it, we can’t all relate to a F1 racing career and I loved hearing about Mark the racer and also Mark the person under the helmet. If you loved Mark before, you’ll love him even more after reading this. An absolutely fantastic autobiography; entertaining, eye-opening and brutally honest. An absolute must-read for F1 fans.

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*I received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This has no way affected my opinion of the book and all views are my own.