A book investigating the final race weekend of Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna has won the Royal Automobile Club’s 2026 Motoring Book of the Year Award.
Senna: The Truth, written by Italian motorsport journalist Franco Nugnes, received the Club’s highest literary honour at a ceremony held at its Pall Mall clubhouse in London on Wednesday 28 October.
Revisiting Formula 1’s darkest weekend
Published by Pitch Publishing and priced at £25, Senna: The Truth examines the circumstances surrounding the three-time Formula 1 World Champion’s fatal accident at Imola in May 1994.
Drawing on investigations and first-hand accounts, Nugnes reconstructs the events of that weekend, revisiting established explanations and exploring questions that have remained part of Formula 1 history for more than three decades.
The book also reflects on Senna’s extraordinary career and the lasting influence of a driver whose achievements and personality continue to resonate throughout motorsport.
The overall Motoring Book of the Year honour is judged separately from the competition’s six individual motoring and motorsport book categories.
Russell Hayes makes awards history
British automotive author Russell Hayes became the first writer to win two categories at the same Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book Awards ceremony.
His The Complete Book of Volkswagen GTI: Every Model Since 1976 (Motorbooks, £38) won the Motor Cars & Motoring under £100 category. The book charts the development of Volkswagen’s influential performance hatchback across successive generations.
Hayes also collected the Motor Cars & Motoring no-price-limit award for Aston Martin: The Entire Story (Evro Publishing, £195), an extensive account of the British manufacturer’s history, its cars and the people behind the marque.
Lifetime achievement recognition for Paul Skilleter
Veteran motoring writer, publisher and Jaguar historian Paul Skilleter received the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising a career spanning almost 60 years.
Beginning at Motor magazine in 1966, Skilleter established himself as a leading authority on Jaguar history, writing important reference works including Jaguar Sports Cars and Jaguar Saloon Cars.
He was also involved in the development of publications including Practical Classics and Jaguar Quarterly, before establishing PJ Publishing with his wife June in 1989.
His contribution extends beyond journalism to the documentation and preservation of Britain’s automotive heritage.
The other 2026 category winners
The remaining awards highlighted the breadth of automotive literature, from historic road journeys and racing biographies to detailed studies of some of motorsport’s most celebrated machines.
Motor Cars & Motoring – under £30
Winner: Dream Road to Pan America by Shawn William Miller (University of California Press, £25). An exploration of the history and ambitions behind the Pan-American Highway.
Motorsport Subject – under £30
Winner: Whitney Straight: Racing Driver, War Hero, Industrialist by Paul Kenny (The History Press, £25). The remarkable story of a racing driver whose career extended into wartime service and industry.
Motorsport Subject – under £100
Winner: The Ferrari 250 GTO Spotting Guide by Yan-Alexandre Damasiewicz (Blenheim Publishing, £40). A specialist guide to one of the most sought-after Ferraris ever built.
Motorsport Subject – no price limit
Winner: The Maserati 250F: A Legendary Formula 1 Car by Walter Bäumer and Jean-François Blachette (Dalton Watson Fine Books, £295). A detailed study of one of grand prix racing’s defining cars.
Best debut author and design awards
The Graham Robson Trophy for Best Debut Author went to Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure: Top Gear, Grand Tour and Twenty Years of Magic and Mayhem (Penguin Michael Joseph, £22).
The book offers a behind-the-scenes account of Andy Wilman’s role in transforming motoring television through Top Gear and The Grand Tour.
Meanwhile, the inaugural Best Design Award was presented to The Art of Racing: Helmets, curated by Joe Twyman with Ronald Stern, designed by Peter Allen and published by Hothouse Media (£495).
The award recognised the book’s photography, visual presentation and production quality.
Celebrating the stories behind motoring
From Senna’s Formula 1 legacy to the evolution of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the 2026 winners demonstrate that automotive history is about far more than the vehicles themselves.
The books explore the personalities, engineering achievements, cultural influences and defining moments that have shaped motoring over generations.
Motoring Echo Overview
What? The Royal Automobile Club’s 2026 Motoring Book Awards.
When? Wednesday 28 October 2026.
Where? Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London.
Overall winner? Senna: The Truth by Franco Nugnes.
Other highlights? Russell Hayes’ historic double victory and Paul Skilleter’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Source: Royal Automobile Club, 2026 Motoring Book Awards announcement.
