
How Not to Be a Professional Racing Driver
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.88
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Jason Plato
-
By:
-
Jason Plato
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
Two-time championship-winning and record-breaking racing driver Jason Plato is a living, breathing example of what you shouldn't do if you want to become a professional racing driver:
Do not:
- Almost kill Bernie Ecclestone
- Give Prince Charles the finger on the M42
- Choose fags and booze over the gym
- Steal a JCB in Monaco and end up in prison there - twice
- Make enemies with a 6' 6" rival who is a black belt in everything.
Since joining the Williams Touring Car team in 1997 it's no coincidence that he has had more race wins than Lewis Hamilton and Stirling Moss, competed in more races than Jenson Button and set the largest number of fastest laps ever. But it's also no coincidence that he once spent several days in prison in Monaco for stealing a JCB. He's a rule breaker who has had more than his fair share of near-death experiences, drunken escapades and more. Yet he's still racing.
There is nothing sensible, predictable or considered about Jason, but this is how he became a racing legend.
©2019 Jason Plato (P)2019 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
How to Build a Car
- By: Adrian Newey
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world's foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain's greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir. How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian's unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he's been involved.
-
-
Snooze fest
- By moo on 02-09-20
By: Adrian Newey
-
The Mechanic
- The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane
- By: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Narrated by: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Mechanic written and read by Marc 'Elvis' Priestley. In the high-octane atmosphere of the Formula One pit lane, the spotlight is most often on the superstar drivers. And yet, without the technical knowledge, competitive determination and outright obsession from his garage of mechanics, no driver could possibly hope to claim a spot on the podium.
-
-
Great insight.
- By Justin on 01-25-19
-
How to Be an F1 Driver
- By: Jenson Button
- Narrated by: Jack Hawkins, Jenson Button
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his 17 years as a Formula 1 driver, Jenson Button has picked up a thing or two about how to do the job properly. Sure, you need to be able to drive a car fast - and Jenson is on hand to pass on a few tricks of the trade here - but you also need to know the real rules for making it to the top. Like, how to tell a multiple F1 champion they need to check their blind spot. What the difference is between a helmet and a hat, and indeed a 'helmet-hat'. How to practise your champagne spray ahead of the big day.
-
-
Great Book - Great Narration
- By Ashley on 10-20-19
By: Jenson Button
-
Total Competition
- Lessons in Strategy from Formula One
- By: Ross Brawn, Adam Parr
- Narrated by: Adam Parr, Peter Noble
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Total Competition is the most compelling, comprehensive and revealing insight into what it takes to get to the top in Formula One that has ever been published. Across four decades, Ross Brawn was one of the most innovative and successful technical directors and then team principals in Formula One. Leading Benetton, Ferrari, Honda, Brawn and Mercedes, he worked with drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to make them world champions.
-
-
great insight
- By Marsha on 08-20-17
By: Ross Brawn, and others
-
Lights Out, Full Throttle
- The Good, the Bad and the Bernie of Formula One
- By: Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert
- Narrated by: Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on a lifetime of sniffing petrol fumes, Lights Out, Full Throttle stands large over the landscape of Formula One and takes the temperature of the good, the bad and the ugly of the petrolhead’s paradise. Johnny Herbert and Damon Hill between them competed in 261 Grands Prix, amassing 25 wins, 49 podium finishes, one World Championship, 458 championship points, a Le Mans win, two smashed ankles, a broken arm, wrist and leg, 60 broken ribs and two bruised egos.
-
-
Funny, yet good insight.
- By Lauri A Reznak on 06-17-21
By: Damon Hill, and others
-
Variable Valve Timings
- Memoirs of a Car Tragic
- By: Chris Harris
- Narrated by: Chris Harris
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chris Harris has driven more cars than most people could ever dream of. His vast knowledge is legendary. He calls it 'unhinged geekery'. But we call it infectious enthusiasm, adrenaline-fueled escapism and peerless journalistic rigour and integrity. And then there are his famous skills at the wheel, from city cars to rally cars, F1 to vintage, not forgetting the Guinness World Record 3.4km sideways in an electric car. And now for the first time, Harris is going all out with that unhinged geekery, and takes us down the road of his life-long adventure with the automobile
-
-
Long time fan
- By Matthew on 03-03-25
By: Chris Harris
-
How to Build a Car
- By: Adrian Newey
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world's foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain's greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir. How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian's unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he's been involved.
-
-
Snooze fest
- By moo on 02-09-20
By: Adrian Newey
-
The Mechanic
- The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane
- By: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Narrated by: Marc 'Elvis' Priestley
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Mechanic written and read by Marc 'Elvis' Priestley. In the high-octane atmosphere of the Formula One pit lane, the spotlight is most often on the superstar drivers. And yet, without the technical knowledge, competitive determination and outright obsession from his garage of mechanics, no driver could possibly hope to claim a spot on the podium.
-
-
Great insight.
- By Justin on 01-25-19
-
How to Be an F1 Driver
- By: Jenson Button
- Narrated by: Jack Hawkins, Jenson Button
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his 17 years as a Formula 1 driver, Jenson Button has picked up a thing or two about how to do the job properly. Sure, you need to be able to drive a car fast - and Jenson is on hand to pass on a few tricks of the trade here - but you also need to know the real rules for making it to the top. Like, how to tell a multiple F1 champion they need to check their blind spot. What the difference is between a helmet and a hat, and indeed a 'helmet-hat'. How to practise your champagne spray ahead of the big day.
-
-
Great Book - Great Narration
- By Ashley on 10-20-19
By: Jenson Button
-
Total Competition
- Lessons in Strategy from Formula One
- By: Ross Brawn, Adam Parr
- Narrated by: Adam Parr, Peter Noble
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Total Competition is the most compelling, comprehensive and revealing insight into what it takes to get to the top in Formula One that has ever been published. Across four decades, Ross Brawn was one of the most innovative and successful technical directors and then team principals in Formula One. Leading Benetton, Ferrari, Honda, Brawn and Mercedes, he worked with drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to make them world champions.
-
-
great insight
- By Marsha on 08-20-17
By: Ross Brawn, and others
-
Lights Out, Full Throttle
- The Good, the Bad and the Bernie of Formula One
- By: Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert
- Narrated by: Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on a lifetime of sniffing petrol fumes, Lights Out, Full Throttle stands large over the landscape of Formula One and takes the temperature of the good, the bad and the ugly of the petrolhead’s paradise. Johnny Herbert and Damon Hill between them competed in 261 Grands Prix, amassing 25 wins, 49 podium finishes, one World Championship, 458 championship points, a Le Mans win, two smashed ankles, a broken arm, wrist and leg, 60 broken ribs and two bruised egos.
-
-
Funny, yet good insight.
- By Lauri A Reznak on 06-17-21
By: Damon Hill, and others
-
Variable Valve Timings
- Memoirs of a Car Tragic
- By: Chris Harris
- Narrated by: Chris Harris
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chris Harris has driven more cars than most people could ever dream of. His vast knowledge is legendary. He calls it 'unhinged geekery'. But we call it infectious enthusiasm, adrenaline-fueled escapism and peerless journalistic rigour and integrity. And then there are his famous skills at the wheel, from city cars to rally cars, F1 to vintage, not forgetting the Guinness World Record 3.4km sideways in an electric car. And now for the first time, Harris is going all out with that unhinged geekery, and takes us down the road of his life-long adventure with the automobile
-
-
Long time fan
- By Matthew on 03-03-25
By: Chris Harris
-
Surviving to Drive
- A Year Inside Formula 1: An F1 Book
- By: Guenther Steiner
- Narrated by: Guenther Steiner
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Surviving to Drive, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner brings listeners inside his Formula 1 team for the entirety of the 2022 season, giving an unobstructed view of what really takes place behind the scenes. Through this unique lens, Steiner guides listeners on the thrilling rollercoaster of life at the heart of high-stakes motor racing.
-
-
Different perspective
- By Gary on 03-09-24
By: Guenther Steiner
-
Life in the Fast Lane
- The Definitive Text
- By: Steve Matchett
- Narrated by: Steve Matchett
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over the past two decades, Life in the Fast Lane has grown to become a true staple of Formula 1 literature. In essence a monthly diary of a Benetton grand prix mechanic, this essential book gives a behind-the-scenes account of daily life in the trenches of F1 during the tragic and turbulent 1994 season.
-
-
an f1 fan must read
- By scotch on 06-13-18
By: Steve Matchett
-
Aussie Grit
- My Formula One Journey
- By: Mark Webber
- Narrated by: Nicholas Osmond
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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 teammate, Sebastian Vettel, went head to head for the World Championship. There could be only one winner. Since retiring from Formula One, Mark has concentrated on endurance racing, including the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race.
-
-
this story change my perspective of Mark Webber.
- By Neb on 09-01-16
By: Mark Webber
-
The Carroll Shelby Story
- By: Carroll Shelby
- Narrated by: Chris Abernathy
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carroll Shelby wasn’t born to run. He was born to race - some of the fastest cars ever to tear up a speedway. The exciting new feature film Ford v Ferrari - starring Matt Damon as Shelby and Christian Bale as fellow racer Ken Miles - immortalizes the small-town Texas boy who won the notorious Le Mans 24-hour endurance challenge and changed the face of auto racing with the legendary Shelby Cobra. But there’s much more to his high-velocity, history-making story.
-
-
Interesting but not what I expected
- By Pablo Puente Jr on 01-01-20
By: Carroll Shelby
-
Driven
- The Men Who Made Formula One
- By: Kevin Eason
- Narrated by: Kevin Eason
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Driven: The Men Who Made Formula One tells how a small group of extraordinary men transformed Formula One from a niche sport played out on primitive tracks surrounded by hay bales and grass verges into a £1 billion circus performing in vast theatres of entertainment all over the world. Led by Bernie Ecclestone, the billionaire ringmaster, this clique started by scraping a living to go racing and ended up creating space-age cars and turning drivers from amateur gladiators into multimillion-pound superstars, like Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton, while the names of Ferrari, McLaren and Williams are now as familiar around the world as Manchester United or Real Madrid.
-
-
Proper F1
- By Amazon Customer on 02-20-24
By: Kevin Eason
-
Jenson Button: Life to the Limit
- My Autobiography
- By: Jenson Button
- Narrated by: Jack Hawkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The full-length, in-depth and intimate autobiography from Jenson Button, one of the greatest racing drivers of his generation. His 17 years in Formula One have seen him experience everything the sport has to offer, from nursing duff cars round the track to winning world championships and everything in between. Here, Jenson tells his full story for the first time in his own honest, intelligent and eloquent style.
-
-
Absolutely Amazing
- By Carlos C. on 05-23-18
By: Jenson Button
-
Beyond the Wand
- The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard
- By: Tom Felton
- Narrated by: Tom Felton
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tom Felton’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame in beloved films like The Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of the Draco Malfoy, the bleached blonde villain of the Harry Potter movies. For the next ten years, he was at the center of a huge pop culture phenomenon and yet, in between filming, he would go back to being a normal teenager trying to fit into a normal school. Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience.
-
-
So enjoyable
- By Lisa Suit on 10-22-22
By: Tom Felton
-
Survival of the Fastest
- Weed, Speed, and the 1980s Drug Scandal That Shocked the Sports World
- By: Randy Lanier, A.J. Baime - contributor
- Narrated by: Jonathan Beville
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the unbelievable, unforgettable, unparalleled story of an ordinary guy whose attempts to become famous doing the thing he wanted most—become a world class race car driver—devolved into a you-can’t-make-this-up tale of one of the biggest crime rings and drug scandals of the 1980s. Now, with the help of New York Times bestselling author A.J. Baime, Randy tells the whole truth for the first time ever, a gripping narrative unlike any other, a sports story for the ages, and shocking a true crime epic.
-
-
Surprising, Gripping, and so Human
- By B. Greene76 on 08-04-22
By: Randy Lanier, and others
-
Flat Out Flat Broke
- Formula One The Hard Way
- By: Perry McCarthy
- Narrated by: Perry McCarthy
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Perry McCarthy is simply unique; he is an ex-Formula One racing driver and was 'The Stig’ from the world-wide BBC Top Gear TV show. Highly popular in the world of motor racing, The Telegraph headlined him as ‘a new cult hero’, The Times called him ‘the world’s unluckiest racing driver and America’s Sunday Express described him as a ‘comedian locked inside a racing driver's body’.
By: Perry McCarthy
-
Racing to the Finish
- By: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Narrated by: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Gabe Wicks
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt, Jr., retired from professional stock car racing in 2017, he walked away from his career as a healthy man. But for years, he had worried that the worsening effects of multiple racing-related concussions would end not only his time on the track but his ability to live a full and happy life. Torn between a race-at-all-costs culture and the fear that something was terribly wrong, Earnhardt tried to pretend everything was fine, but the private notes about his escalating symptoms that he kept on his phone reveal a vicious cycle.
-
-
Dale only talks for 25 mins.
- By Teensy Red on 05-30-19
-
The Mechanic's Tale
- Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One
- By: Steve Matchett
- Narrated by: Steve Matchett
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Formula One Grand Prix mechanic Steve Matchett takes the listener on a compelling journey through his life in the pit-lane, from his beginnings as a young apprentice through his time at Ferrari and BMW to his later success with Benetton. He gives eye-witness views of the great drivers, including Michael Schumacher, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna. He also talks of key Benetton personalities and explains how the team was transformed into a strong, competitive organization, winning three World Championships.
-
-
Life outside the Pit-Lanes
- By Klim on 05-14-19
By: Steve Matchett
-
And on That Bombshell
- Inside the Madness and Genius of TOP GEAR
- By: Richard Porter
- Narrated by: Richard Porter, Ben Elliot
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 13 years, 22 series and 175 shows, Richard Porter was script editor of Top Gear, from the first faltering pilot episode in 2002 until the very last show presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May in 2015. Along the way they destroyed cars, sparked diplomatic incidents, set fire to caravans, almost killed one of the presenters, and somehow transformed Top Gear from a shabby BBC Two motoring show into an Emmy-winning, record-breaking, planet-straddling behemoth.
-
-
two pauses
- By Zack on 10-08-16
By: Richard Porter
What listeners say about How Not to Be a Professional Racing Driver
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MJ27
- 12-04-23
Hilarious with great inside stories!
I’ve listened to this book 3-4 times now. His recounting of all the ups and downs of his career and personal background are entertaining and insightful. I currently race internationally for a small team and can relate to his struggles. Fun listen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Matt Chapman
- 01-31-20
If you love racing and a good laugh
Admittedly, I did not know who Jason Plato was before downloading this book. I've never seen an episode of Fifth Gear and the British Touring Car series doesn't get any coverage stateside. I was headed to the Rolex 24 race in Daytona and wanted to get myself in the racing mood, so to speak. The reviews (which turned out to be true) pushed me over the edge.
This audiobook is delightfully entertaining. Jason's delivery is spot on, and he knows how to keep his audience engaged throughout. From party tricks with Michael Schumacher to run-ins with the Monaco police, there are many memorable stories that had me rolling on the floor laughing. 5/5 and don't tell me otherwise.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- B. Wenners
- 12-09-19
Wish it was longer
I'm already a racing fan. Knew the name but don't get to see JP here in the states much (damn TV). Loved the stories! And I also feel I know more British "slang" (no, it's not a foreign language JP is speaking) and general words. I came away from this book wanting more JP.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Shopper Number 9678
- 09-20-19
The funniest book about racing out there.
I had a lot of laughs listening to it, especially since it’s read by JP himself. Plato is an absolute legend on and, as I just learned, off track as well. What a trooper of a driver, drinker, and story teller. I was a big fan of him as a driver before, now I am just a fan of him. Legend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Naomi
- 10-30-21
Love it!!
Thoroughly enjoyed every single word.
Love the content
Love the detailed story.
Have been a huge fan for years so the behind the scenes explanations are very inviting and provide clarity and context.
And I love the accent and the language used.
Thank you
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Msladyalice
- 11-10-19
worth the listen for sure!
Love this book and even better being read my Plato himself! For anyone into racing this is a must
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 01-16-20
excellent story, from the beginning to the end
absolutely great stuff, excellent story, have since listened to it three times so far...what a life , cheers mate..💯🇬🇧😁
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JMR
- 08-13-22
Brilliant!
Loved every minute of it. Not a savory character all steps of the way but a pretty honest and funny story about raw talent, grit, and incredible lasting career and a VERY smart business man. I loved it
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Damian Wiercioch
- 03-31-22
Narration Good; Overall Bad
Overall the story revolves around Plato and his life versus the actual driving and racing. As the book moves forward with his personal storyline, it becomes more arrogant and eventually borderline cocky. Plato's narration truly snuggles and complements the overall theme of the book. From a voice actor's perspective, very good work.
Other books which share the genre with "How Not to Be a Professional Racing Driver" such as "When You Dead, You Dead" and "The Mechanic" include some form of technical information and insight in the world of professional racing. The reader will be hard pressed to find any such material in this book.
If you are interested in a telenovela-like story about a progressively more narcissistic driver, then this book is worth a shot.
If what you are after is a proper techincal, logistical and corporate insight of the world of professional racing, there is nothing here.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!