I was in a book shop at the Rockingham circuit after the CART race in 2002 when I happened to glance at the guy next to me. I recognised him immediately, Jo Ramirez, 'mechanic to the gods'. At that point a couple of people came up to him 'Hi Joe, remember us?' etc. Ramirez said he did and chatted amiably with them for a couple of minutes and then after they had left returned to the books. Here I thought is a man who carries his fame lightly, no ego, no boasting, just an ordinary guy who has been lucky enough to have done an extraordinary job; and that is how he comes over in this book. From his childhood in Mexico to several world championships, Ramirez tells his story in a modest and down to earth fashion. He doesn’t skip out the hardship or the plain handwork, but nor does he moan or try to inflate his role. To have been able to earn a living in motor racing; to have worked for teams like Eagle, Tyrrell and Mclaren; and to have worked with men like Gurney, Stewart, Cevert, Fittipaldi, Prost, Senna and Häkkinen, is clearly something that he considers to have been a privilege. On occasion one can glimpse the frustrations that he must have felt, particularly when he was at the poor end of the F1 paddock. However, only when he recounts some of the incidents with Mclaren boss Ron Dennis does Ramirez show real anger. In fact, the strengths and weaknesses of Ron Dennis are graphically attested to. The book might be a bit livelier if Ramirez let rip more often, but that is a minor criticism of this excellent and entertaining book.
Haynes Publishing, 352 pages
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