Book Review: Ayrton Senna The Last Night

The Senna tribute celebrations during Interlagos (including Bruno Senna in the McLaren MP4/4) at this year’s Brazilian GP are ample evidence of how Ayrton Senna is still so revered by F1 fans. Published in 2016, ‘Ayrton Senna – The Last Night’ is another dedicated photo book on the career of the great Brazilian (this time through the photo collection of Italian reporter/photographer Ercolo Colombo).

Physically, this hardcover is a landscape oriented book- at 160 pages, the layout for the majority of this book is 1 photo per page.

For a Senna photo book, this one’s not too bad – I do think the Paolo d’Alessio books like “Ayrton Senna” and “Obrigado Ayrton” have more comprehensive photo chronology though. There are lots of photos included that have been published and seen elsewhere but there a number of photos that I don’t recall seeing previously – quite of few of Senna as a rookie Toleman driver (e.g. driver rowing brigade at 1984 Canadian GP), photos with family, etc.

The structure of the book’s chapters are theme based – the opening one “The Racing Driver” is full of track photography; “So Different, So Alike” is all Prost v Senna photos (on and off-track); “The Phenomenon Revealed” includes his maiden Toleman season; “Holy Water” are action shots from many of his famous rain victories; the last chapter is “Imola 1994” which has several race photos of his infamous last weekend.

Don’t expect any narrative or story telling – this is a 100% photo album with short captions for each photo.

A word of warning – although there are no images of Senna’s accident, there is a distressing close-up photo Roland Ratzenberger being stretchered from his fatal accident at Imola.

Wow factor/Money Shot: Photos of Senna strapped into the cockpit underneath the removable cowling of the 1989 McLaren Honda MP4/5. (Pgs 87-89); Any of the 1984 season photos as a rookie Toleman driver.

Suitable for: Senna fans