Powered by Gibson - From F1 to Le Mans: The Story of Gibson Technology
By Mark Cole
Gibson Technology has grown into the most prolific winner at Le Mans and across global sports-prototype racing, but it can trace its roots all the way back to one man making electrical components on his kitchen table. This book from Porter Press International tells the full story of how a small British engineering company founded by Bill Gibson ended up taking on and beating major manufacturers such as Peugeot and Toyota.
Written by sports car authority Mark Cole and featuring a foreword by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, Powered by Gibson traces the history of Gibson Technology from its early years as Zytek – supplying electronic control boxes to Formula 1 and Group C teams – to its present-day success as an engine supplier for the LMP2 class of endurance racing.
Gibson Technology may not be a household name, but it has played a vital role in powering Ayrton Senna’s Formula 1 Toleman, the TWR Jaguars that claimed the World Sports Car Championship, BMW’s British Touring Car Championship winners, and the LMP2 car that almost took a sensational outright victory in the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours. It is truly one of motor racing’s great unsung heroes.
- The full history of Gibson Technology, told via in-depth interviews with all the key players – from Bill Gibson and John Manchester to Trevor Foster and Tim Holloway.
- Revealing profiles of successful Gibson-powered privateer teams such as United Autosports and Jota.
- Superb photography of great races around the world, plus behind-the-scenes images from the company’s own archive.
- Extensive appendix detailing all of the Gibson-powered sports car entries and victories from 2002 onwards.
- How the company became a pioneer of cutting-edge electric and hybrid powertrains thanks to its work with Lotus, Audi, Aston Martin, Smart and Panoz.
Specification
240mm x 280mm | Jacketed Hardback |128 pages | Over 150 images | Price: £40 |
ISBN: 978-1-913089-65-8
Publisher: Porter Press International | Author: Mark Cole
The Author
After almost 45 years covering the Le Mans 24 Hours both as a journalist and a commentator, Mark Cole has witnessed massive change in sports car racing, from Group C to Hypercar. Press manager at Silverstone when Group C started, and then FIA WSC media attaché, he joined Eurosport TV in 1991 and spent more than 30 years behind the microphone at Le Mans and around the world covering endurance racing. Drawing on his experiences, Mark has written books for Porter Press International on John Fitzpatrick’s Group C Porsches, on the McLaren F1 GTR and on Ford GT40s. He has also contributed to books on the factory Porsche 956s, and now comes this history of Gibson’s major role in sports car racing.