27/06/2016
NEWS STORY
Thousands headed to Imola at the weekend as the legendary circuit echoed to the sound of F1 again, ten years after the last Formula One Grand Prix.
Fans were rewarded with the sight (and sound) of more than 50 cars from F1, GT, Formula 2, Formula 3, and F3000 from the Minardi stable and the chance to meet team founder Gian Carlo Minardi and many of the drivers who raced for the Faenza outfit.
From Argentinian driver Miguel Angel Guerra, the first driver to race under the colours of the Minardi Team in Formula 2 through to Italians Paolo Barilla, Giancarlo Fisichella, Giovanni Lavaggi, Pier Luigi Martini, Gianni Morbidelli, Alessandro Nannini and Jarno Trulli.
Also on hand were Brazilian Tarso Marques, the Spaniards Adrian Campos and Sala Luis Perez and the Portuguese Pedro Lamy, along with engineers Gabriele Tredozi and Aldo Costa, all happy to sign autographs, pose for pictures and head out on track with the Minardi cars brought by collectors.
In the main grandstand, almost five thousand fans watched the single-seaters from the Scuderia from Faenza lapping the Imola circuit along with cars from Ferrari, Williams, Tecno, March-BMW Schnitzer, Chevron-Toyota, and many others.
In the pits fans had the opportunity to closely watch the mechanics at works, to hear the fire-up of the engines and the subsequent trip down the pitlane.
More than thirty cars lined up for the 'Made in Faenza' cavalcade from the first Formula 2 cars built by Gian Carlo Minardi, through to the M185, the first Minardi F1 car that debuted in 1985, up to the Minardi PS05 and Toro Rosso STR 10.
"I am satisfied and touched," said Gian Carlo Minardi. "A day devoted to sport and to fans where I had the pleasure to see again many drivers who have written, with me, important pages of the Minardi Team history.
"The strong feedback of the audience with a great participation both in grandstand and in the paddock is the most beautiful sight. I was glad to see the paddock animated by many young people.
"I was moved when, along with all the drivers, I greeted the people in the central grandstand. The Historic Minardi Day has been the occasion to retrace 30 years of passion, making a time travel, also with technic. It is surely an experience to repeat. I must thank everybody for their warm welcome."
"A wonderful day made up by emotions that appear strongly when we talk about Formula 1 in Imola," added Pier Giovanni Ricci, General Manager of the Circuit. "The duo Circuit-Minardi was the trump card of this event. They are symbols of two close lands that were able to express these two peaks.
"A come back to a recent past in which Gian Carlo Minardi’s stable as got a prestigious place in F1 history with 'his' drivers that were present at this great party. I want to thank the so many fans that did not miss this event and challenged such a scorching temperature: probably the passion was even more fiery."