Book Review – Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One by Ross Brawn and Adam Parr

Described as the “most compelling, comprehensive and revealing insights into what it takes to get to the top in Formula One that has ever been published” by Ross Brawn and Adam Parr, Total Competition gives readers a fascinating insight into the world of Formula 1 strategy through the eyes of one of the greatest minds in the sport: Ross Brawn 

If you are looking for the step by step guide on how to win in Formula 1, this book may not be the exact answer that you’ve been looking for, but there are a lot of strategies you can use in daily life. 

Technical aspects of racing in Formula 1 don’t dominate this book, however, it does give a lot of insights into the inside world of the Formula 1 paddock, giving a great deal of attention to the strategies, politics, and relationships that surround the teams in the racing arena.

Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One is more than just a memoir of Ross Brawn’s time in pit lane, it is also part self-help book, part management book, and part tribute to Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ thanks to the style of co-author Adam Parr, who spent several seasons in the trenches with Williams

What We Love About Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One

Spoiler alert – this is not a tell-all book.

Total Competition looks more at how Ross Brawn successfully became one of the legends of F1 pondering more on the lessons he had learned in his career, his management techniques and philosophy, and discusses the strategies that he used in his time on the pit wall.

The exploration and observation of one of the most influential team managers, owners, and now racing organisers in the history of Formula One are given more emphasis, while Brawn also managed to insert some humility with his remarks that hard work and luck has contributed more to his success than his innate ability. 

Adam Parr has seemingly targeted non-race fan readers, making it appear that Total Competition is more than just a book for Formula One hardcore fans and enthusiasts, by presenting it as a management book. 

Parr shares ideas and lessons that can be applied in all areas of leadership, and explains why leaders, not only in the racing arena, must ensure that all resources are geared towards achieving a specific goal over and over again, not only to survive in the long run but also to reach the destination that you and your team had set – and that is, to win. 

The book covers not only the F1 aspect, but also business, entrepreneurial, and personal views. 

All in all, the book is well written, though some might find passages such as the ‘Q&A’ style a bit boring.

Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One has given its readers insights into F1, lessons of leadership in the professional & business arena, and it brings you a glimpse of the world of Formula One.

Where To Buy Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One

You can buy Total Competition from Amazon.
Sale
Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One
  • Brawn, Ross (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 336 Pages - 10/17/2017 (Publication Date) - Simon & Schuster UK (Publisher)

Total Competition: Lessons in Strategy from Formula One Product Details

Publisher: Simon & Schuster; UK ed. edition (November 3, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1471162354

ISBN-13: 978-1471162350

Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 1.1 x 6.5 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Written by

Jarrod Partridge

Jarrod Partridge is the Co-Founder of F1 Chronicle and an FIA accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following Formula 1. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered F1 races at circuits around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every race report, driver profile, and technical analysis he writes.

More articles by Jarrod Partridge →

Last update on 2023-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

More in News

How Many Grand Prix Were Held In India

‘We won’t be racing there in 2027’, F1 quash Indian Grand Prix speculation

Formula 1 has moved to quash any speculation surrounding a ...
Helmut Koinigg

Helmuth Koinigg Crash: The F1 Driver Killed at Watkins Glen in His Second Race

Helmuth Koinigg was killed on lap 10 of the 1974 ...
F1 Grand Prix Of Belgium

Verstappen ally Gianpiero Lambiase to join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer no later than 2028

Long-time Max Verstappen ally in his senior race engineer Gianpiero ...
Miami and Montreal Circuits

Miami and Montreal to host FIA Formula 2 Championship Rounds in 2026

FIA Formula 2 has announced that Miami and Montreal will ...
2268868294

2026 F1 winners and losers; who stands where during this enforced lull?

With an enforced lull in Formula 1 proceedings between now ...

Trending on F1 Chronicle