THE HISTORIC MINARDI DAY, THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY PROVES IT IS A SUCCESS WITH MORE THAN 20,000 FANS AND 34 FORMULA 1 CARS
The 10th edition of the Historic Minardi Day has concluded at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit. It was a weekend that once again turned Imola into a vast dynamic museum of Motorsport, attracting more than 20,000 fans and bringing 590 cars onto the track, to which must be added the 200 cars that took part in the rally and the parade lap.
Launching the tenth edition was the habitual lap of the track by Gian Carlo Minardi, this year aboard a 1956 Lotis Eleven powered by a 100cc Coventry Climax engine and driven by Roberto Farneti. This highly symbolic image officially launched two days packed with activities.
As always, the programme was incredibly full featuring Formula Junior, Formula Abarth, Formula Italia, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 4, GP3, GP2, F3000, Prototypes, Historic GT and GTS cars taking turns on the track, also thanks to the participation of the Scuderia del Portello, the Scuderia Nuvolari Italia, and the Motori Modena “Scuderia Modena Corse” Club. Never missing from the track and the paddock were also Hypercars and Supercars including the Pagani Huayra R and Utopia Roadster, the Dallara Stradale and EXP, the Lamborghini Revuelto and Temerario, the Mazda MX-5 and Lotus.
Warming the hearts of the fans in the pits and along the 4,909m of the Imola Circuit once again were the historic Formula 1 cars showcasing more than forty years of evolution of the highest category of motorsport: from the 1971 Ferrari 312 B2 up to 2013 Ferrari V8 powered Toro Rosso STR8 driven by Jean-Éric Vergne.
Also present were the Shadow DN1 driven by Graham Hill (1973), Tyrrell P34/2 (1977), March Beta F1 761 (1976), Ensign N177 (1977), Arrows A1B driven by Riccardo Patrese (1978), Merzario F1A3 (1979), Wolf Ford WR7 (1979), Ferrari 312 T5 (1980), Shadow DN12 (1980), Alfa Romeo 179 (1982) taken to the track also by Arturo Merzario, Osella FA1E (1983), Lotus 94T (1983), Ferrari 126 C4 (1984), Osella-Alfa Romeo FA1G (1986), Arrows A10 (1987), Minardi M189 (1989), Monteverdi F1 (1990), Arrows A11B (1990), Ferrari 642 (1991), Ferrari 643 (1991), Andrea Moda Formula S921 (1992), Fondmetal GR01 (1992), Ferrari 412 T1 – chassis 154 (1994), Minardi PS04B (2005) and Williams FW33 (2011), together with the full scale model of the McLaren MP4/15.
Also significant was the presence of the Aston Martin Formula 1 show car taken to Imola by Fondmetal that this year returned to the Circus after 29 years as the supplier of wheels. This return symbolically brough things full circle: in 2000 Fondmetal said goodbye to Formula 1 alongside Minardi, with Fernando Alonso as the test driver, to find him once again 26 years later as a driver for Aston Martin.
As per tradition, there was a large turnout of people who wrote important pages of work motor racing and who continue to keep a maintain strong ties with the world of Minardi and the Historic Minardi Day. Present were the engineers Aldo Costa, Gabriele Tredozi and Nigel Cowperthwaite, together with Daniele Audetto, Heini Mader, Giorgio Piola, Biagio Maglienti, Mario Isola, Giorgio Serra “Matitaccia”, Giovanna Amati, Fabio Babini, Luca Badoer with his son Brando, Fulvio Maria Ballabio, Benito Battilani, Francesco Bergamini, Thierry Boutsen, Sergio Campana, Sonia Borghese, Vicky Piria, Massimo Ciccozzi, Roberto Farneti, Beppe Gabbiani, Bruno Giacomelli, Raffaele Giammaria, Alexandra Gallo, Pierluigi Martini, Arturo Merzario, Miguel Angel Guerra, Gabriele Lancieri, Giovanni Lavaggi, Andrea Levy, Riccardo Patrese, Gabriele Tarquini, Nicolò Piancastelli, Luis Pérez-Sala, Vinicio Salmi, Siegfried Stohr and Tamara Vidali.
The Checco Costa Museum was one of the main attractions of the event. Providing the backdrop of a packed programme of book launches, meetings, talks and award ceremonies, with the participation of some of the most authoritative writers of Motorsport, were six racing cars connected to the history of Faenza: the Minardi M185, M189, M192 and M193, together with two Racing Bulls.
The packed programmed was further enhanced by the ACI Storico Festival. On Sunday 20 September, the Rally of the Lands of the Romagna, organized by the Automobile Club Ravenna, that saw 20 teams set off from the Imola Circuit towards Faenza, where they visited the Local Council Art Gallery, before returning to the circuit for the parade lap and the conclusion of the event.
There were also many highly emotional moments, including the awarding of the 5th “Ferdinando Minardi Memorial” Award to Massimo Campodoni, one of the leading experts of Automobilia collectibles and a profound connoisseur of Motorsport history.
Gian Carlo Minardi: “This tenth edition of the Historic Minardi Day is an especially significant milestone for us and this result gives us great satisfaction. When we began in 2016, it was hard to imagine this sort of growth in both the numbers and quality of the cars present and the participation of the public and the many leading players of Motorsport who continue to show us their support. I was particularly pleased to see once again a very young crowd and a truly important presence of fans from overseas. Walking through the paddock and the pits, you meet young people and families from many countries who share a passion. Seeing the younger generations intrigued and captivated by cars from different periods that they have not seen firsthand is, I believe, one of the best outcomes of this event. This is the very spirit of the Historic Minardi Day: to preserve the history of Motorsport, to bring it back to the track and to share it, so that it can continue to thrill and inspire passion in the new generations as well. I would like to thank my brother Giuseppe, my niece Elena and Ilaria, together with all the Formula Imola team and all the people who worked for months to make this event a reality. Thanks also go to all the Institutions and to all those who continue to believe in and support this event. The strong turnout of spectators, Italians and from other countries, is another significant achievement for Imola and all the region, even in terms of the economic impact and international promotion”.
Marco Panieri (Mayor of Imola and responsible for the Circuit and major events): “The Historic Minardi Day is celebrating its 10th anniversary and continues to be one of the most cherished and authentic events for our Circuit and for the entire city of Imola. It is an event capable of uniting different generations in the spirit of pure passion for motorsport, opening the doors of the circuit, the pits, and the paddock to families, young people, and enthusiasts from all over the world, bringing them into close contact with the stars and the racing cars that have written indelible chapters in Formula 1 history. Seeing extraordinary cars parade around our track and welcoming so many champions, technicians, and industry professionals testifies to the vitality of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit as an international landmark of Motor Valley. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Gian Carlo Minardi, his family, and Formula Imola for believing in this project since 2016—a project that celebrates the history, hospitality, and identity of our region with a spirit of inclusivity and celebration.”
Pietro Benvenuti (Director General of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit):” The tenth edition of the Historic Minardi Day is a testament to the strength of an event that earned a special place in the Circuit’s calendar. Gian Carlo Minardi’s idea of bringing back to Imola the cars, the key figures, and the stories of motorsport has resonated more and more with fans, transforming the event into a unique opportunity to experience and pass on the history of racing. Seeing these cars return to the track and meeting those who drove them or were part of their history means keeping alive a legacy that belongs to motorsport and engaging new generations as well. It is therefore a pleasure for the Circuit to share this important anniversary, which celebrates ten editions of passion, expertise, and the ability to tell the story of motor sport through its people and its cars. This heritage finds its natural home in Imola, and we are proud to continue promoting it together with the Minardi family.”
