Life in the Pitlane by Calum Nicholas

Netflix’s Drive to Survive was my gateway into Formula 1. The series introduced me to the thrill of the races and the characters behind the scenes. It’s what led me to review Grand Prix by Will Buxton last year, and now to Calum Nicholas’s debut, Life in the Pitlane. 

If Drive to Survive pulls back the curtain, Calum throws the garage door wide open. His stories of adrenaline-fuelled race weekends, late-night rebuilds and the split-second choreography of pitstops are electric. Pitstops are always one of the first things people ask Calum about and it’s easy to see why!

“A driver is going to drive down the pitlane at 60 km/h. They're going to stop the car in a painted box on the ground that’s almost exactly the same size as the car. That box is surrounded by 18 people, who are then going to jack the car up into the air, change all four wheels, adjust the angle of the front wing flap and then drop the car back onto the ground, allowing the driver to drive out of the other side of the box. If everything goes to plan, all of this could be achieved in under two seconds. It is amazing,” says Calum who was part of the team in 2019, turning Max Verstappen around in a world-record 1.88 seconds!

However, Life in the Pitlane isn’t just about speed, it’s also a powerful call to action. Calum tackles Formula 1’s historical lack of diversity with courage, sharing his experience as a Black man in a predominantly white, high-performance environment. He doesn’t shy away from the reality of implicit bias, and his reflections go beyond personal storytelling. He’s a strong advocate for change, making it clear that opportunity should never be limited by background, skin colour or social status. His message about equity, inclusion and representation is one the entire industry and its fans need to hear. 

For Formula 1 fans, Life in the Pitlane delivers everything you’d want; behind the scenes drama, tech insights and a real sense of the people who keep the sport moving at full throttle. However, it’s not just for motorsport lovers. It’s a meaningful story of grit, determination and pushing for progress in a sport built on speed, precision and relentless competition. Calum shows us what it looks like to hold the door open for others while never letting go of the dream!

Calum is now a Red Bull Racing ambassador. Follow Calum online.

Reviewer: Andrea Molloy

Piatkus