Over thirty figures from the world of motorsport gathered at the Imola International Circuit on August 26th and 27th for the seventh edition of the Historic Minardi Day. This event provided a unique opportunity to meet the key players who have written significant chapters in the history of global motorsport, showcasing their commitment and affection for the Historic Minardi Day.
Among the distinguished personalities in attendance were engineers Aldo Costa, Gabriele Tredozi, and Laurent Mekies, alongside drivers of the caliber of Alessandro Nannini, Alister Yoong (son of former Minardi driver Alex Yoong and current star in the Italian GT Championship), Angelo Ancherani, Arturio Merzario, Benito Battilani, Beppe Gabbiani, Bruno Giacomelli, Carlo Facetti, Emanuele Pirro, Fabio Babini, Francesco Bergami, Gabriele Lancieri, Gianni Giudici, Gianni Morbidelli, Giorgio Francia, Giovanna Amati, Giovanni Lavaggi, Luca Badoer, Marco Apicella, Massimo Ciccozzi, Miguel Angel Guerra, Niccolò Piancastelli, Paolo Delle Piane, Riccardo Patrese, Roberto Farneti, Roberto Ravaglia, Sergio Campana, Siegfried Stohr, Thierry Boutsen, and Thomas Biagi.
Additionally, notable participants included Mrs. Brenda Vernon, Enzo Ferrari's secretary, the renowned illustrator and cartoonist known as "Matitaccia," Giorgio Serra, and Davide Cassani, the current President of Apt Servizi and former National Cycling Technical Commissioner.
The Historic Minardi Day has consistently delivered memorable moments, such as Emanuele Pirro taking the wheel of the Minardi M189 for the first time in 2017, and Gian Carlo Minardi driving the M192-Lamborghini. In 2018, Aldo Costa, then Technical Director of Mercedes AMG F1, brought the Mercedes W04 onto the track. In 2020, Riccardo Patrese warmed the hearts of many enthusiasts by returning to the "his" 1991 Williams FW14. In this seventh edition, Engineer Tredozi got behind the wheel of the Minardi PS04B, Ing. Aldo Costa sped along Imola's 4.909 meters, Martini took the wheel of the Minardi M189, and Guerra piloted the ex-Vittorio Brambilla March 761, alternating with Roberto Farneti.
The potential champions of the future were also on display, with talents like Brando Badoer making waves in the Italian F4 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing, Lorenzo Patrese already making a mark in the GT World Challenge Europe with the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II, and young prospects like Mattia Bucci, Thomas Baldassarri, and Giacomo Pedrini testing Formula 4 cars while awaiting eligibility to compete in open-wheel and covered-wheel championships.
The Historic Minardi Day was an extraordinary opportunity to immerse oneself in over 50 years of international motorsport history, condensed into two unforgettable days. The event featured an incredible collection of over 400 historic cars, including more than 20 Formula 1 single-seaters from prestigious brands such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Minardi, Williams, Jaguar, Lotus, Fondmetal, Tyrrell, March, Euro Brun, Monteverdi, Merzario, Wolf, Shadow, and Arrows.
In addition to Formula 1 cars, there were vehicles from other categories, including GP2, Formula 2, Formula 3, F3000, Formula Junior, Historic GT, and Prototypes. Unique specimens like the Maserati 320S and the Ferrari 308 IMSA GT/O were also on display, alongside the cars from the historic Scuderie Tazio Nuvolari, Scuderia del Portello Alfa Romeo, Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo, and Raduno Terre di Romagna, all part of the Aci Storico Festival. Among the attractions were supercars and hypercars from Pagani, Dallara, Lamborghini, Alpine and Pambuffetti, as well as the "100 Years of the Savio Circuit" exhibition at the Checco Costa Museum, featuring unique models like the 1922 Itala 51 Sport, the 1924 Lancia Lambda Sport Torpedo, the 1927 Bugatti T37, the 1924 Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio, the Tyrrell P34 with six wheels, the Ferrari 126 C4, the Toro Rosso STR05, and the 2022 AlphaTauri livery.
Photo report by Massimiliano Rustignoli:
