By Mark Glendenning, Australia
Atlas F1 Columnist
AYRTON SENNA'S PRINCIPLES OF RACE DRIVING
By Ayrton Senna.
Published by Hazleton.
Well, I guess if anyone was qualified to write a book about the fundamentals of doing good things behind the wheel of a Formula One car, it was the sublimely talented Brazilian, Ayrton Senna.
According to the foreword, the main reason that the book came about (aside, presumably, from the fact that the publishers probably approached him waving wads of cash all over the place), was "the lack, in bookshops all over the world, of valid textbooks on the technique of driving on the track... the publishers and myself have aimed for a technical book, with good illustrations, with the objective of giving good advice and guiding all those who are hoping to enter the world of motor racing."
To be honest, as a driving manual, this book is only mildly successful. That's not to say it's not interesting though. 'Ayrton Senna's Principles of Race Driving' breaks the processes involved in being a successful Grand Prix driver into 24 different chapters that cover everything from spinning to testing to psychology, with Ayrton discussing how he approached each concept, and how he went about exploiting the full potential of each to maximize his advantage on the track.
In other words, the book offers the reader a bit of a window into how Ayrton approached his racing. This is by far the most appealing aspect of 'Principles of Race Driving'. Although Ayrton (in the book, at least), tended to break drivers down into two categories - champions, and everyone else - there is nevertheless a drastic difference in the way that Senna went about his racing compared to, say, Prost. Even using the term 'champions' literally and looking at the three championship winners currently racing – Schumacher, Hakkinen, and Villeneuve – it doesn't take much to see that each approaches his driving completely differently. So when Senna talked about a 'champions' approach to, say, preparing oneself mentally for a qualifying session, what he was in fact doing was telling us something about how he did it.
Whether it's of any use to you if you're trying to break into racing is another matter, but for the armchair fan it's a fascinating glimpse of an aspect of the sport that is rarely recorded. I got a bit of a kick out of this passage for example, though I'm not sure what Sarah Fisher would make of it:
To an extent, it comes down to how far you have already advanced, and how far you want to go. The basic problem is that books, essentially, are not going to make you fast. Some can help you grasp the fundamentals, and a few, such as Carroll Smith's 'Drive to Win', are full of useful stuff that can help flatten the learning curve out a little bit in certain areas, but ultimately, you either have it or you don't. (Given that I got pasted in a go-kart a few weeks ago by my younger brother, I'd say that I definitely haven't got it).
The basic problem with this book in particular is that an awful lot of Senna's advice, as sounds as it undoubtedly is, simply could not be put into practice. The following passage, which deals with aerodynamics, might help illustrate what I mean:
That the book is based on Formula One means that it is essentially defeating its own purpose. The title, 'Principles of Race Driving' is indeed very apt, for all Senna does is guide the reader through the various facets of driving as he sees them. It's interesting reading, but when compared with some of the other books out there, it doesn't offer a great deal that the up-and-coming driver could apply to their own efforts. If you want a general rundown of the basics of cornering, slipstreaming, tyre choices, and that kind of stuff then you'll probably enjoy this, but if you're trying to actually improve your driving, your money could be better spent elsewhere.
"But if the importance of being physically well prepared is obvious, mental preparation may seem less decisive. But that is not so, because before being a racing driver, you have to become a man. If that does not happen, it does not matter how much talent you might have, you will never reach the top, because for one reason or another the results which might seem within reach will continue to elude you." (p. 105).
So if you're a Senna fan, then there's a bit of stuff in here that might interest you. But what about the budding racers that the book is targeted at? Hmm. Well that's another thing altogether.
"The working, principle is very simple, but there are so many variables that a driver cannot hope to master the subject and has to rely on the aerodynamicist in the team," (p. 116).
I would guess that if a driver is in a situation where they have a team aerodynamicist, they probably won't be needing a book like this one.