Fiction for a 15-year-old petrolhead

[spiderlight]

DS is 15 and a very able but reluctant reader. He's absolutely obsessed with cars (particularly F1 and touring car racing at the moment) and also very interested in planes and aviation. He's read and enjoyed all of Chris Ryan's teen series, but other than that he only really reads Haynes Manuals and F1 magazines. I'd like to get him reading more fiction before his English Language GCSE, though. He only likes books that are grounded in reality - no fantasy or futuristic sci-fi/dystopia type stuff (tried Alex Rider, Maze Runner, Hunger Games but couldn't get into any of them). Any recommendations?

Does he like history? DS is very similar but enjoys Sharpe. Military history based fiction, lots of battles!

He actually has just discovered Dune as well having seen the film.

But also non fiction about how to build a car, run an f1 team!

I have a 13 year old f1 fan, very able reader but very reluctant.
Recently enjoyed biographies of f1 drivers, also likes the manuals, quiz books and history of f1 to. There does seem to be a limited stock of suitable books though. I'd be interested to know if others have found anything suitable.

Yes, mine has a lot of big old hardback coffee-table-type books about F1, which he likes because of the diagrams of old tracks, but there's not much out there in terms of fiction chapter books. I'm trying to get him to read different styles because he's very descriptive in his writing, but if it's not about cars or planes, he's just not interested. He did quite enjoy a few of the Biggles books, surprisingly!

@PatriciaHolm - he would probably enjoy them if he got over himself, but DH is a university lecturer in military history, and DS would crawl over hot coals before he'd read anything DH might deem interesting! 🙄😆 He did enjoy 'My Tank is Fight!' but a big part of its appeal was my horror at the grammar in the title.

My boys enjoyed “The Stig plays a dangerous game” by Jon Clayton & Tim Lawler, and subsequent books in the Stig series of children’s novels… loosely based on the Top Gear character, but with lots of car chases and computer game storylines.

my two are a little younger at 11 and 12, but I imagine it would still be suitable for an older teen from the little bits I read if cars are his thing!

Thank you, @BassAce - I'll have a look at them.

Was also going to suggest this series. I bought one for my v capable 7 year old F1 fan to try to encourage fiction reading and I think they're a little advanced for him in writing style so probably idea entry into fiction for teenager

Montezumas Ferrari