RaceWknd

The RaceWknd magazine is an independent print title for Formula 1 fans, born during lockdown, crowdfunded on Kickstarter, and treated more like a collectible object than a newsstand publication.

The Concept

The Formula 1 magazine was founded by publisher Magnus Greaves and creative director Tom Brown, and put together with editor Emily Chavous, Formula 1 correspondent Paul Weaver and photographers Darren Heath and Fredrik Broden. The idea was to build a title that treats grand prix racing the way art magazines treat art, long form writing paired with large scale photography, printed on paper that rewards the reader for slowing down. It is the kind of publication that lives on the coffee table long after the race weekend is over.

Inside the Pages

The typography does not take a back seat. Tom Brown dusted off Compacta, Letraset's display sans from 1963, and pushes it to its limits. Compacta appears in big and bigger sizes, with some glyphs scaled to fill an entire page, or two facing pages. The version used is a Compacta Bold digitization with pronounced ink traps, probably ITC's or Monotype's. Originally added to keep spots clear where diagonals meet, these notches take on a new role at this scale, giving the pages a techy, contemporary feel. Occasional italicized letters inside words add to that current look, almost like drivers revving up and accelerating past their neighboring glyphs. The result is a Formula 1 print magazine where race photography by Darren Heath and Fredrik Broden shares equal weight with editorial design.

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