Joe’s story

I am a professional writer, who has been focussed on Formula 1 racing since 1988. I have attended every race since then – which is a unique achievement in the sport these days. F1 is more of a lifestyle than a profession.

Like many other journalists I studied history, specialising in secret services. This proved to be useful when I researched and wrote a book called The Grand Prix Saboteurs”, the true but untold story of Grand Prix drivers between the wars who became British secret agents in the French Resistance. I have also written a book that has nothing to do with motorsport but is the story of Henry Kendall, a sea captain who lived a life of adventure. I have written various others, including the World Atlas of Motor Racing, way back in 1989.

I spent five years before getting into Formula 1 writing about other forms of motor racing around the world, while working for Autosport magazine in London. I left in 1993 to become a freelance.

The media world has changed a great deal since I started at Autosport in 1984 and I have tried to move with the times. I established an award-winning racing industry e-newsletter (now called JSBM) in 1995 and continue to produce it every week. It is read by many of the sport’s decision makers. In 2000 I launched http://www.grandprix.com, which became one of the most respected early websites in F1. I then helped to launch F1’s first e-magazine, called grandprix+, in 2007. It is read by subscribers all over the world and is still the fastest F1 magazine, being available around six hours after each race. I regularly podcast with the Missed Apex organisation and I host Audience events (real and virtual), which allows F1 fans to ask questions about the sport.

I’ve done a lot of other stuff along the way, including broadcasting, script and speech writing, making speeches, consulting with F1 teams, sponsors, TV companies, sporting authorities and even lecturing at places like the MIT Media Lab and Cranfield University. I was also a non-executive director of Caterham Cars for a time.

Since 1992 I have lived in France.