I just made the tea: Tales of 30 years inside Formula 1

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· Veloce Publishing Ltd
5.0
4 reviews
Ebook
332
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

 “Revealing and heart-wrenching” - The Times


Forewords by Murray Walker OBE
and Michael Schumacher


This is the ebook edition of Di Spires' unusual and revealing Formula 1 memoir. Di and her husband Stu travelled the world in Formula 1 for 30 years, running the team motorhome for a succession of different teams.

As well as Formula 1 people, she encountered personalities from every walk of life, from royalty to criminals on the run. Her stories range from the hilarious to the tragic and provide a unique perspective. This is a fast-paced read packed with surprising snippets and observations, with plenty of intimate insight into what the drivers are really like. 

The author’s Formula 1 roles included working for Lotus in the Senna era and Benetton in the Schumacher era. She worked with five World Champions and became ‘Mum’ to some of the biggest names in the pitlane. 

An engaging read that's full of amusing stories from the Formula 1 paddock over the past 30 years. Very much a people book, it's packed with interest and insight into the whole cast of Formula 1, from World Champions to mechanics. 

Ayrton Senna features large in her story she became close to the great Brazilian driver and his family. Other great drivers she worked with, and got to know well, include Michael Schumacher, Nelson Piquet and Elio de Angelis. 

A motor racing memoir with a difference. Described as 'revealing and heart-wrenching' by The Times.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
4 reviews
A Google user
August 21, 2017
Di & Stuart made a very brave decision to follow their passion and ended up at the heart of F1 & in the hearts of many people in it. This great sport, travel, adventure & human story is told in a very personal way which draws you into each of Di's vivid recollections. F1 has become so sterile & corporate that their family touch would be very wrongly disregarded as outdated & unprofessional. I wish Di & Stuart all the best. Thanks for a great insightful, funny & emotional book.
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Annie Whittenham
February 1, 2018
A fascinating insight into the early days of the hospitality motor homes in Formula One and the people working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep them running. With the behemoth corporate hospitality suites constructed in today's F1 I absolutely love this down to earth account of their more humble beginnings. Including anecdotes on some of the sport's most famous drivers & team leaders along with tales of life, love, humour & also sorrow this is a must read for F1 fans.
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About the author

 Di Spires, with her husband Stuart, worked in motorsport for 30 years running a succession of team motorhomes, including those of Lotus in the Senna era and Benetton in the Schumacher years. Before that she was a civil servant at the Department of Employment with a role in industrial relations, which involved time at British Leyland’s Longbridge plant dealing with the likes of Derek ‘Red Robbo’ Robinson.

Bernard Ferguson left his native Lancashire in the late 1960s, drawn to the Midlands by the lure of the motor industry. Following spells with Rootes, Chrysler, Peugeot and the infamous DeLorean organisation, he joined Cosworth where he worked for 23 years before retiring from his position of Director of Motorsport. He also served as the engine manufacturers’ representative on the Formula One Commission.

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