During 1977 George Harrison went to a lot of Formula One races instead of writing any songs. Harrison had been talking to Niki Lauda after the Watkins Glen Race, and became inspired to write a song “that Niki-Jody-Emerson and the gang could enjoy”. Harrison got the title of the song from Jackie Stewart’s book, and then wrote the chorus. He wrote the rest of the song in a way that did not limit it to only motor cars, the only car-related word being machinery. However, when sound effects from the 1978 British Grand Prix were added to the song, it was clearly associated to motor cars. The song was dedicated to “the Entire Formula One Circus” and in memory of Ronnie Peterson. The single was released by Harrison to assist the fundraising for the “Gunnar Nilsson Cancer Fund”, a fund started after the death of the Swedish driver Gunnar Nilsson in 1978, caused by cancer.
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