Life of the autocratic Ferrari lovingly recreated

Finding a new and engrossing subject worthy of book-publication is as challenging as seeking another second a lap with a tired old car.

We should not, therefore, be surprised that this year's offerings include a biography of Enzo Ferrari, a look at motor racing's men of power and influence (including Ferrari) down the years, a history of Le Mans and a reflection on Jaguar's exploits at the 24-hour classic.

Richard Williams' Enzo Ferrari (Yellow Jersey Press, £18) tells a familiar story, yet like a precious classic car, it is painstakingly and lovingly restored. The autocratic creator of racing's most famous and revered marque is neither deified nor vilified. He is portrayed as the inspired, ruthless, mischievous, vulnerable man that he was. The aficionados will say there is nothing in this book that they did not know. However, Formula One attracts a continuous flow of new customers and a younger generation intent on exploring the sport's past could do worse than start here.

Timothy Collings provides a refresher course on the men who have traded in money, politics and intrigue, and shaped the structure of the Formula One phenomenon. The Piranha Club (Virgin Books, £20) relies heavily on previously published material but, like Williams' work, may be informative for the not-so-dedicated follower of grand prix racing.

The toil of digging for buried treasure has never deterred Christopher Hilton and he unearths a few more gems in his latest book. This time he delves Inside the Mind of the Grand Prix Driver (Haynes Publishing, £19.99).

Hilton explores the mental forces of those who made it in Formula One and those who did not, such as the engaging, yet ill-starred Perry McCarthy. Many of the interviewees endeavour to throw light on the psyche of the late Ayrton Senna. We hear how he could be selfish and vindictive, but generous and compassionate.

John Watson, the Northern Irishman, who was joint runner-up in the 1982 world championship, makes some of the more eloquent and pungent contributions. He has no doubt that Senna, like Michael Schumacher today, intimidated his opponents.

Watson says: "In terms of overtaking, I don't think Senna was, in fact, a natural or the best, but he was a bloody good intimidator. In my view, someone like [Nigel] Mansell was a better racer, whereas, as soon as people saw the McLaren and then put the yellow helmet and the car together – Senna coming! – they got out of the way.''

Senna was killed at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. But, as Watson explains, the perils are essential intoxicants, "exhilarating and wonderful".

He says: "It's like walking on a tightrope – no, walking on the edge of the tightrope, not walking in the centre of it. The nearer the edge you get, the more tense the excitement is – and the greater the danger is. The two things go hand in hand. People who lead safe, boring lives have never lived.''

Michele Alboreto, a former Ferrari driver, told Hilton of his running feud with Senna. The Italian, incensed that the Brazilian had forced him off the road, vowed vengeance and retaliated with aggressive, highly dangerous tactics.

Senna protested: "Sooner or later somebody will be killed.'' To which Alboreto replied: "Yes, but maybe it will not be me.''

Eventually, Enzo Ferrari intervened. Alboreto revealed: "Mr Ferrari called us into his office – nobody knows this – and said: 'Now you two have to stop these things because you are a Ferrari driver and I want Ayrton to be a Ferrari driver one day, and I do not want you to kill each other'.''

Alboreto survived Formula One, only to be killed testing a sports car, earlier this year, in preparation for the Le Mans race. The history and enduring, if dubious, splendour of that marathon event is enshrined in Brian Laban's Le Mans 24 Hours (Virgin Books, £35.00). Again, you may discover nothing new, but some of the photography is stunning.

Jaguar At Le Mans by Paul Parker (Haynes Publishing, £25.00) details the achievements of Britain's fabled marque.