PUMP UP THE VOLUME

Music and motor sport have been close allies since the dawn of driving. From jazz to The Chain and superstar DJs, Will Farmer charts the soundtrack to wheeled racing

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Las Vegas welcomed Formula 1 for a fifth time in November, promising a weekend of speed and entertainment befitting the spectacle of Sin City.

The vast Sphere arena illuminated sector two during the race, having previously been awash with fans enjoying star-studded concerts included in the cost of admission - a perk for those not fully satisfied by the 220mph cars on the Strip.

Popular music artists have long been a staple of Formula 1, including at heritage circuits such as Silverstone, Spa and Monaco, where prestige alone has not always guaranteed sold-out grandstands. Despite contributing significantly to the race-day atmosphere, the crossroads of music and motor sport remain a largely uncharted area of study.

My work as a composer for television (while moonlighting as a doctoral researcher in musicology) provides the perfect opportunity to map the history of this under-reported subject. Exploring over a century’s worth of press clippings, race reports and archival materials has illuminated a vibrant history, at the same time satisfying my own fascination with motor racing past and present. While Las Vegas’s trackside extravagance may irk purists, motor sport’s earliest races were far closer to today's entertainment-laden experiences than to unadulterated competitive events.

The first motor races of the mid-1890s, though hugely popular with French spectators, were chaotic affairs. Unlike modern circuit racing, events ran from one destination to another, covering hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. As early as the inaugural Paris-Rouen race of 1894, contemporary newspapers reported that the route came to life with village fêtes as spectators occupied themselves with food, drink and music during the long waits for drivers to pass by. Given that villagers would not know when the cars would arrive, there was significantly more time spent on merriment than race-watching.