Author's Note

I have been covering Formula 1 since the mid-1990s, but this project has granted me access unlike anything in my career. Alexander, Ferrari, and everyone in Alexander’s orbit not only accepted my presence but made me feel welcome. Less a fly on the wall and more a familiar piece of furniture. I will be eternally grateful for their willingness to let me into their homes, routines, and lives. Without their openness, this book simply would not exist.

For over a year, I shadowed Alexander, attempting to keep pace with the relentless demands the world places on him and, perhaps more significantly, those he places on himself. During this time, I accumulated hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews, capturing perspectives from those closest to him. Everything presented in these pages is authentic to the experiences shared with me, typically corroborated by multiple viewpoints.

What follows is my attempt to weave these beautifully intertwined threads of lives, moments, and relationships into a narrative worthy of their complexity. Simply reproducing interview transcripts would never do justice to this story. As such, I have occasionally taken artistic liberties with chronology like combining separate weekends into one cohesive scene or reconstructing events I didn’t personally witness using detailed accounts from multiple sources.

I ask readers to accept these narrative techniques for what they are: a literary approach that allows for a more immersive experience that remains true to the emotional reality of Alexander’s journey. These choices have been made with the utmost journalistic integrity and respect for everyone who contributed their stories.

This is not merely the tale of a racing driver who reached the pinnacle of his sport; it is the story of a young man who lost everything and found himself through the pursuit of excellence. It is my privilege to share it with you.

— Richard Thompson

London, October 2025