Flirty Fun with F1: The Best Racing Romance Books

1 day ago 4

a cropped cover of Pole Position, showing two men with Formula 1 cars, one smiling at the other as he walks away

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

R. Nassor may spend more time with books, tea, and ceramic mugs than recommended by professionals but it hasn’t failed her so far. Nassor has a MA in English Literature from Georgetown University, where she looked at the way medieval and early modern literature reappear in fantasy books today. She’s been writing about romance, fantasy, science fiction, and pop culture for quite a while, starting at Book Riot in 2020. She’s also written for Tor.com. You can follow her on Tiktok and contact her through her website.

View All posts by R. Nassor

Who doesn’t love difficult races and messy emotions? Formula 1 provides the perfect track for love. These racing romances are certainly a bit of flirty fun for anyone.

Beginning in 1950, the first world championship established Formula 1’s modern international racing standards. The highest-level competition for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars has provided decades of entertainment.

However, ever since Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive gave audiences a documentary look behind the scenes in 2019, audiences have been increasingly interested in the elite sport. The 2025 release of Netflix’s F1: The Academy also aims to document and promote a new generation of women in the sport. With F1’s ongoing campaign to expand its audience, it’s not surprising that racing romances followed soon after.

Racing romance books not only capture the mental and physical demands of F1 but also the interpersonal difficulties that result from such a rigorous schedule. In a sport where mistakes can be lethal, training and focus are paramount. Difficult or messy relationships can reasonably be seen as a distraction.

For readers interested in F1 racing romances, these books are perfect for fans of the sport and newbies alike. You are sure to have an excellent time.

All Access members, read on for racing romance book recommendations!

View All posts by R. Nassor

Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffery

Four-time Championship winner Kian Walker is a motorsport legend who succeeded despite his reckless father, who was an F1 star before him. These days, he is just trying to push off retirement allegations while providing for his twin sister’s care of their mother’s Alzheimer’s. Kian doesn’t need a rookie hotshot like Harper James as his new teammate. Harper is an openly gay partyer, who appears unrestrained in every area of his life off the track. Even as negative tension builds between their conflicting personalities, management demands they fake a friendship for the cameras. And as begrudging camaraderie develops into something romantic, Kian and Harper will have to decide the kind of life they want together.

Ride with Me by Simone Soltani

Arriving at her cousin’s Las Vegas bachelorette two weeks after being left at the altar and drunkenly posting about it on social media is not Stella Baldwin’s idea of a good time. But meeting and accidentally marrying F1 driver Thomas Maxwell-Brown might just be the answer to her problems. Bonus: Thomas could also use the good PR for his own career. This is a marriage of convenience between two millionaires with public personas. What could possibly go wrong?

Overdrive by Esha Patel

When Shantal gets the opportunity to test her racing simulator on Formula 1 drivers in Brazil, she immediately leaves her life in London behind. She didn’t expect to meet a handsome driver like Darien. Back home in Rio, Daren is excited to test a new racing simulator and racetrack. He would do anything to keep his F1 seat, but he can’t help but be distracted by Shantal’s warmth. Patel’s slow-burn F1 romance is sure to satisfy.

Crash Test by Amy James (July 25, 2025)

Travis Keeping’s road to the championship was well underway when his boyfriend, Jacob Nichols, crashed in Formula 2, putting him in critical condition. Their relationship was never public, and Jacob’s parents won’t let Travis near their son. With faltering performance and nothing to do but wait out Jacob’s recovery, Travis lives in hope that when Jacob wakes up, all will be right. But Jacob’s parents’ influence over their awakened son appears stronger than ever. It will take some excellent friends and a willingness to change if they want to give their relationship a real shot.

I hope these racing romances make your heart beat a bit faster. More F1 romances are on the horizon with Faster by Andie J Christopher set to release September 9, 2025.