About the Holiday

If you’re a fan of Formula One racing, today may be one of your favorite holidays of the year as Formula One Pre-season Testing gets underway in Sakhir, Bahrain! This year teams have six days at the Bahrain International Circuit to watch their new cars prove their mettle on the track and view the competition ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 6. You can read more about this year’s F1 pre-season testing here. To learn more about the 2026 Formula One World Championship season, visit formula1.com.

Today also hosts a holiday that celebrates the innovative individuals behind such sports as Formula One as well as endless other industries, sciences, and arts—National Inventors’ Day! Honoring the birthday of Thomas Edison, the day recognizes the spirit of inventors from all backgrounds and experience who look at life a little differently and not only imagine “what if?” but make it happen. If you have a creative mind, spend some time today tinkering around with your idea!

Thank you to Phaidon Press for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Formula Fast: Your Ultimate Guide to Formula One Racing!

Written by Matt Ralphs | Illustrated by Dragan Kordić

There may be no more thrilling call to play than Formula One racing’s “It’s lights out and away we go!” Bolstering this iconic phrase are the suspense, competition, innovation, pride, and history that define one of the world’s best-loved sports. In their stunning, oversized book, Matt Ralphs and Dragan Kordić take kids to the race track through 26 fast-paced, two-page sections to learn all about Formula One and what makes it such a favorite of spectators of all ages. First up are some basics about the sport, including how the name “Formula One” was devised.

Then it’s off to a Grand Prix race weekend for a peek at practice, qualifying, sprint races and, finally, Sunday’s race. But what about the cars? Turn the page and kids get to see the inner workings of a race car then view and learn about nine of the most distinctive cars over time from the 1950 Alfa Romeo 158 to the sleek 1977-78 Renault RS0 (“the first Formula One car sporting a turbocharged engine”) to today’s hybrid cars like the Mercedes F1Wo5. Along the way, some truly legendary cars Young fans then discover seven legendary cars that have broken the mold with their improvements to “create pure racing magic.”

Other sections discuss safety innovations at the race track, inside vehicles, and in the gear drivers wear. Sometimes, it might be said that designers get too creative and produce cars that are just kind of well . . . “weird.” Readers can decide for themselves which of the five cars presented is the strangest, from a car that used an airplane engine to one that rolled on six wheels instead of four! A glimpse into the cockpit leads to a detailed look at the game-controller-like steering wheel, that “can be programmed to do hundreds of jobs.” Kids also learn about Grand Prix tracks and get a primer on the meaning of each flag.

Think the Kentucky Derby at about 2 minutes is fast? That’s nothing compared to a Formula One pit stop! In 2.5 seconds or less, a 20-person pit crew changes tires and makes repairs and gets cars back on the track! Readers will love joining the crew to learn about the specialist mechanics and what they do. Young speedsters will be interested in the career path for Formula One drivers, starting with kart racing as children and transitioning to faster races with more powerful cars as teens.

Another section discusses the positive steps being taken to include women in the sport, including “an all-female annual F1 Academy racing series” begun in 2023 and the F1 Academy championship—a fourteen-race season with fifteen female drivers representing five teams. Readers are then introduced to nine iconic drivers and six famous teams throughout F1’s history. Before the photo finish, fans also discover more about what it takes to put a racing team together and efforts by Formula One to be more inclusive in their hiring across all aspects of the sport. A Glossary follows the text.

Matt Ralphs immerses young readers in Formula One racing from its inception in 1950 through today with captivating and easy-to-understand writing that gives children the feeling of being taken on a personal tour to sit in the cars, cheer from the stands, meet the personalities, and engage in all aspects of F1 racing. Ralphs’ comprehensive overview of the sport soars on his amazing attention to every detail and is presented in well-paced, bite-sized, illustrated paragraphs that reward short or long reading sessions. Educators and students will also find the book a valuable resource with a breadth of topics that can spark interest in and research for a wide range of creative STEM/STEAM projects.

Readers can almost hear the roar of the engines and shouts of the crowds as cars race across pages in a blur of color, power, and speed in Dragan Kordić’s exhilarating illustrations. Each concept is accompanied by one of Kordić’s astonishing, realistic depictions of cars, drivers, and equipment, which allows readers to fully appreciate the complexities, materials, and work involved in Formula One racing. Children will be enthralled with their inside views of a cockpit, race tracks, and garage. Kordić’s portraits of the people involved with F1 from its earliest days to the present will impress readers with the lessons and successes of the past that has led to today’s Formula One popularity.

A must for any Formula One fan—both children and adults—Formula Fast: Your Ultimate Guide to Formula One Racing! will speed to the top of the favorites board in any home, classroom, or library collection. The book would make a much-loved gift for any child who loves F1 racing.

Ages 8 – 12+

Phaidon Press, 2026 | ISBN 978-1837291243

Matt Ralphs is an author and editor. His children’s non-fiction credits include Spooky Celebrations Around the World, Beasts from the Deep, Transported, Automative, and Around the World in 80 Inventions. He has lots of interests, especially Formula One and fast cars and counts himself lucky that he gets to write books about them. Visit him at mattralphswriter.com.

Dragan Kordić is a Croatian illustrator and designer. His work ranges from illustrations for publishing and public spaces to visuals for startups, corporate clients, and advertising. He is inspired by nature, travel, and books. He lives in Rijeka, Croatia, with his wife and daughter. Visit him at dragankordic.com.

Formula One Pre-Season Testing Activities

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-truck-racing-game-wood

Racing Game

Here’s a game that kids will race to make and play! With poster board, paper, and chalk or other art supplies, kids can place their track in a stadium, city, the country, the desert, or even in outer space! Once the scene is ready, get out your own toy cars or trucks to play with or use the printable car or truck game pieces included below. Use a traditional playing die or the included printable 8-sided playing die. The first player to the finish line wins—or shake it up a bit and make the last person to the line the winner.

The track can be laid out on the floor and taped in place or created on poster board or paper with the supplies below:

Supplies

Black poster board or tri-fold display board. I used a 12-inch by 4-foot section of a tri-fold board in my example. This allows you to fold up the board for easier storing.
White paper
Chalk, crayons, or colored pencils
Glue or tape
Scissors
Toy trucks or cars
Printable Cars Game Pieces | Trucks Game Pieces (optional)
Printable 8-sided Playing Die

Directions

Cut 30 4- or 5-inch by 1½-inch strips from the white paper (or more for a longer track)
Have kids lay out a track on the board using the white paper strips (each strip is one space) leaving room in between the rows for scenery
Glue or tape the strips in place
Draw scenery around the track OR cut trees, buildings, landmarks, or other scenery from paper and color. Glue or tape to board.
Print and assemble 8-sided playing die with tape (optional)
Give each player a toy truck or car. Alternately, print and cut out included Truck Game Pieces. (To make them sturdier, print on heavy paper or glue them to cardboard)
Choose a player to go first
Players take turns rolling the die and moving the appropriate number of spaces
The first (or last) player to the finish line is the winner