Powered by Gibson

From F1 to Le Mans: The Story of Gibson Technology

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 new 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.

KEY POINTS
- 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.