8 Steamy F1 Romance Books That’ll Keep Your Heart Racing After ‘F1: The Movie’
A few years ago, F1 might have seemed like a niche sport. Now, there are so many fandom pipelines into the “pinnacle of motorsport” that I would be shocked to learn you don’t have someone in the friend group waking up at odd hours almost every weekend from March to November and randomly breaks into monologues about tyre strategy.
Documentaries like Drive to Survive on Netflix have certainly helped the F1 fandom expand, and now there’s a major motion picture inspired by the sport starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris heading to theaters, which will undoubtedly bring more fans to the paddock.
And that is a great thing. F1 is addictive, fast-paced, and there’s something in it for every kind of fan to enjoy. The drivers are gorgeous and talented. There’s drama both on and off the track. There’s team politics, driver trades, championship points, and outrageous fashion to dig your claws into. If the arrival of F1: The Movie has you curious about Formula 1 racing, or if you’re already a big fan, and you want more content around this exciting sport, check out these romance novels that will definitely raise the track temperature.
Downforce
Hannah Lily
Hello, did anyone ask for a forced proximity and there’s only one bed at the inn trope? Sign right up for Downforce by Hannah Lily. The tension between F1 presenter Olivia Fraser and driver Jonah Scott is very real, but it comes off as toxic in front of the cameras. The work enemies are forced to go on a road trip across Europe together to try and change the narrative about their on-air feud, but long hours in the car and a few shared hotels have them changing their tune about each other. Will giving in to the budding romantic spark between them put everything they are trying to achieve on the line, though?
Team Orders
RJ Scott
Team Orders is another great read for those that have little to no knowledge about F1. RJ Scott really makes it easy to understand grid politics and procedures as she takes you through Noah and Archie’s tumultuous love story. Noah is a driving veteran who is struggling after his best friend is taken out of the season in a bad crash. Archie is a rookie taking Augusto’s spot and just wants to learn from his idol, Noah. Romance is not what either of them bargained for, but they find themselves falling for each other one secret moment at a time. It’s not as spicy as some of the other books on the list, but it will tug at the heartstrings and gets our recommendation for being such a great intro into the world of racing.
Double Apex
Josie Juniper
Calling all Ali Hazelwood fans! This one is for the women in STEM. Phaedra Morgan is one of the best race engineers on the grid. She knows numbers and strategy, but she is constantly butting heads with her driver Cosmin Ardelean. The two strike up a spicy deal to work out their tension in the bedroom in hopes of improving their trust and communication. But when their secret gets out, the gossip puts everything they’ve worked for—and their blossoming relationship—in jeopardy.
Pole Position
Rebecca J. Caffrey
Don’t let the cute cover here fool you. Pole Position comes in at a tantalizing four chili peppers and is definitely for the F1 fans who check the Ao3 tags before getting into a new obsession. Kian Walker is a four time World Drivers Champion and is going for a fifth in the hopes of finally breaking away from his father’s driving legacy. He’s focused and determined to win, until rookie Harper James comes strolling into the garage and throws everything Kian thought he knew about what he wanted and what his future will look like completely into chaos.
Off the Grid
K. Bromberg
No collection of F1 romances would be complete without a “bad boy driver and the boss’ daughter” trope. Enter K. Bromberg’s Off the Grid, the first book in the “Full Throttle” series. Camilla has sworn off F1, but her father is the owner of one of the most prolific teams on the grid and is determined to bring Camilla back into the family business. Camilla wants to keep her promise to her father, but a drunken celebratory night in bed with driver Spencer Riggs has her questioning her priorities and wondering if she puts her heart on the track, will Spencer cross the finish line to claim it?
Fast & Hard
Kat Ransom
Bad boy racecar drivers in need of a PR babysitter that can tame their wild hearts is a very popular trope in F1 romances. The first book in Kat Ransom’s “Fast” series follows this formula and is the first of its kind on our list. Fast & Hard is definitely on the wilder side when it comes to F1 plots, but it’ll definitely get your blood pumping and is a fun ride. (Yep, we know what we did there and regret nothing.)
Slipstream
Madge Maril
Madge Maril’s Slipstream is a more intermediate look at the sport of F1 and a slower burn than Throttled, but it’s worth the buildup. Lilah is a documentarian with no interest in F1, but has to learn on the fly when her boyfriend Marco blows up their relationship and puts their company at risk when he enters a deal with Ignition Energy Drink Racing Team. Lilah pivots to cover driver Arthur Bianco’s relegation to reserve driver and the pair ends up in a fake relationship in hopes of saving their careers and reputation. Can they have it all when real feelings start to get involved in an already very messy situation?
Throttled
Lauren Asher
Lauren Asher’s “Dirty Air” series is one of the most popular F1 romances on the market right now. Throttled is the first book in the series and focuses on the forbidden romance between hotshot driver Noah, who is unable to fight his attraction to his track rival’s sister, Maya. It starts as a casual fling, but the chemistry between these two can’t be fought. Maya is left torn between loyalty to her brother and the feelings she can no longer ignore. Asher does a decent job of explaining F1 for newbies, but you’re also getting a lot of spice for your time and that’s really important here at Swooon.
Which F1 romance book are you most excited to read? Let us know in the comments what paddock romance novels you think should be added to the list.
F1: The Movie, In Theaters, June 27
