'The air is thick with sweat, engine fumes and the smell of heated tyre rubber as the sky turns orange, the sun over the Bahraini desert beginning to set... Then out go the lights on the grid. The wheels spin, the engines roar loud, the crowd even louder, and the cars speed away. But what happens on the track is only a tiny part of the story. Whether you’re a seasoned fan who hasn’t missed a grand prix in decades or a newcomer to F1, I want to show you why this is a sport – a way of life, even – like nothing else on the planet.'

Formula 1 might only have twenty drivers in its most elite competition, but each is supported by a world-class team of mechanics, engineers, strategists, party planners and much more. In On the Grid journalist Luke Smith takes us behind the scenes of the past, present and future of the sport, telling its story through the eyes of the people who create it, including the all-important fans.

We see thrilling drama, cutting-edge technology, the stress and the glamour. Smith takes us to the starting grid, full of engine fumes and sweat, to yacht parties in Monaco and to the pit lane for the critical mid-race decisions. We see how a fifty-pence screw in the wrong place could cause a £15m car to break down, how F1 has influenced not just the cars we drive but life-saving medical equipment and even croissants, how you create a Grand Prix track from scratch.

On the Grid shows us what it’s like to work in a high-pressure and inherently dangerous sport; showcases the personalities that give it such drama and intrigue; examines how the sport is addressing its critics around inclusivity and environmental impact. For both long-time fans and newcomers, what results is the definitive, access-all-areas account of what makes F1 stand alone in world sport.