5 books like The Death of Ayrton Senna

By Richard Williams,

Here are 5 books that The Death of Ayrton Senna fans have personally recommended if you like The Death of Ayrton Senna. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Book cover of Gilles Villeneuve: The Life of the Legendary Racing Driver

Jonathan Noble Author Of Formula One Racing For Dummies

From my list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching Formula 1 as a fan, and have been lucky enough to turn my passion into my career as a journalist. I’ve covered F1 races since the early 1990’s, travelling around the world and getting to know many of its biggest stars. One of my proudest moments was winning a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for my contribution to motorsport journalism. Even though F1 has changed over the years – especially becoming a lot more commercial – I think the fundamentals remain: it's of the very best drivers in the very best cars going at it wheel-to-wheel in that all out quest for victory. That’s why I love it.

Jonathan's book list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends

Jonathan Noble Why did Jonathan love this book?

The late Gilles Villeneuve may not have been Formula 1’s most successful driver, indeed he never won a world championship, but that did not stop him earning legendary status for his antics being the wheel.

Labelled ‘the craziest devil’ by some of his rivals, Villeneuve was a driver who fans loved because he was always pushing to the maximum and could only operate at the limit – which made him spectacular. I only got to hear about Villeneuve after he died, but I found there was no better book to shed light on what he was like as a driver and as man than Donaldson’s brilliant biography.

By Gerald Donaldson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Gilles Villeneuve as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gilles Villeneuve became a legend in his own time, a driver whose skill and daring personified the ideals of Grand Prix racing, the pinnacle of motor sport.
With his flamboyantly aggressive, press-on-regardless style in his scarlet Ferrari, he captured the imagination of a vast international audience as no other driver has in recent times.


Book cover of How to Build a Car

Jonathan Noble Author Of Formula One Racing For Dummies

From my list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching Formula 1 as a fan, and have been lucky enough to turn my passion into my career as a journalist. I’ve covered F1 races since the early 1990’s, travelling around the world and getting to know many of its biggest stars. One of my proudest moments was winning a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for my contribution to motorsport journalism. Even though F1 has changed over the years – especially becoming a lot more commercial – I think the fundamentals remain: it's of the very best drivers in the very best cars going at it wheel-to-wheel in that all out quest for victory. That’s why I love it.

Jonathan's book list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends

Jonathan Noble Why did Jonathan love this book?

Adrian Newey is perhaps Formula 1’s most famous car designer, and certainly its most successful in the modern era.

For those that love tech, his autobiography charts all his title successes with top teams like Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull. But I especially like this book for the way that it shed light on his personality and some crazy antics.

One of my favourite stories was of him getting expelled from public school after turning up the music at a concert so loud that it cracked some prized 11th-century stained-glass windows!

By Adrian Newey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Build a Car as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Adrian has a unique gift for understanding drivers and racing cars. He is ultra competitive but never forgets to have fun. An immensely likeable man.' Damon Hill

The world's foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain's greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir.

How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian's unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he's been involved.

A true engineering genius, even in adolescence Adrian's thoughts naturally…


Book cover of Bedside Wheels

Jonathan Noble Author Of Formula One Racing For Dummies

From my list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching Formula 1 as a fan, and have been lucky enough to turn my passion into my career as a journalist. I’ve covered F1 races since the early 1990’s, travelling around the world and getting to know many of its biggest stars. One of my proudest moments was winning a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for my contribution to motorsport journalism. Even though F1 has changed over the years – especially becoming a lot more commercial – I think the fundamentals remain: it's of the very best drivers in the very best cars going at it wheel-to-wheel in that all out quest for victory. That’s why I love it.

Jonathan's book list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends

Jonathan Noble Why did Jonathan love this book?

The status of Formula 1 legends is not just reserved for drivers, because there have been other big personalities involved in grand prix racing who became household names too.

One of those was commentator Murray Walker, who became the voice of F1 on both television and radio. I grew up listening to Walker on the BBC, so it was little wonder that this mini-autobiography Bedside Wheels became such a big hit for me.

In it he recounted some of his funniest moments covering the sport, as well as offers insight into just why he became famous for his commentary gaffes – which he insists throughout are not gaffes, but predictions that are immediately proved wrong!

By Murray Walker, John Jensen (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bedside Wheels as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Power and Glory: The History of Grand Prix Motor Racing

Jonathan Noble Author Of Formula One Racing For Dummies

From my list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching Formula 1 as a fan, and have been lucky enough to turn my passion into my career as a journalist. I’ve covered F1 races since the early 1990’s, travelling around the world and getting to know many of its biggest stars. One of my proudest moments was winning a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for my contribution to motorsport journalism. Even though F1 has changed over the years – especially becoming a lot more commercial – I think the fundamentals remain: it's of the very best drivers in the very best cars going at it wheel-to-wheel in that all out quest for victory. That’s why I love it.

Jonathan's book list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends

Jonathan Noble Why did Jonathan love this book?

Formula 1 may now be a multi-billion dollar industry that is watched by millions around the world every other weekend, but it was not always like that.

The origins of the sport go back to the start of the 20th century, and I’ve always put history book Power and Glory (which comes in two volumes) as perhaps the best exploration of those early years.

Through his detailed research, and the use of impressive archive photos, William Court’s hefty volumes offer some great insight into the legends of the past where grand prix motor racing was almost unrecognisable from how it is today.

By William Court,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Power and Glory as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Histroy of Grand Prix Motor Racing from 1906 to 1951 by William Court Foreword by Laurence Pomeroy...


Book cover of A Beautiful Constraint: How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, and Why It's Everyone's Business

Chris Shipley Author Of The Empathy Advantage: Leading the Empowered Workforce

From my list on giving first-time managers the confidence to lead.

Why am I passionate about this?

I found myself leading a newsroom in my mid-20s. No one took me aside and told me how to lead a group of ambitious reporters, most of whom were half-again my age. Maybe that’s the same for you. There are lots of leadership books, and it’s easy to go astray (A fellow editor quoted Machiavelli a lot; it didn’t work out well for him). Instead, I found good guidance in authors who advised me to be authentic, think differently, and lead with compassion. Many years have since passed, and I’ve had the privilege to lead great teams and mentor many young leaders. We always start with being more human.

Chris' book list on giving first-time managers the confidence to lead

Chris Shipley Why did Chris love this book?

No matter what field you are in or the mission of your team, leadership is about navigating constraints, identifying obstacles, solving problems, and searching for breakthrough innovation.

It can be frustrating, and it can be, well, beautiful, especially when overcoming those constraints delivers new growth for you and your team and new value for your organization. Packed with stories and smart strategies, this book will help you see problems for what they are - opportunities, and give you the tools and the courage to face them straight on.

By Adam Morgan, Mark Barden,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Beautiful Constraint as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An inspiring yet practical guide for transforming limitations into opportunities A Beautiful Constraint: How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages And Why It's Everyone's Business Now is a book about everyday, practical inventiveness, designed for the constrained times in which we live. It describes how to take the kinds of issues that all of us face today lack of time, money, resources, attention, know-how and see in them the opportunity for transformation of oneself and one's organization's fortunes. The ideas in the book are based on the authors' extensive work as business consultants, and are brought to life in 35…


2 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in legends, television, and entrepreneurs?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about legends, television, and entrepreneurs.

Legends Explore 29 books about legends
Television Explore 56 books about television
Entrepreneurs Explore 286 books about entrepreneurs