New record for Historic Minardi Day: "Exceeded all expectations"

New record for the Historic Minardi Day that crossed the finish line of the ninth edition with more than 20,000 attendees over the two days, confirming itself as one of the reference events both for the calendar of the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo and Dino Ferrari of Imola and for the fans who filled, with great enthusiasm and passion, paddock, pits, terrace and open grandstands, to live as protagonists 40 years of Formula 1 World Championship and more than 50 years of International Motorsport. A success also certified by the number of cars present, more than 700.

To inaugurate the event, the lap of the track by Gian Carlo Minardi aboard the 1960 Lotus Elane driven by Roberto Farneti, followed by the McLaren made by CRESPI – an Argentine company with many years of experience in the construction of cars founded by Tulio Crespi in 1962 – for the “SENNA” series and brought to the track by Luciano Crespi wearing the original suit and helmet of the unforgettable Ayrton Senna, reviving incredible emotions and bringing all fans back to the 1990 World Championship.

Through a unique exhibition of seven single-seaters symbolizing four decades of competition, technical evolution and independent spirit of the team from Faenza, the 40th anniversary of the Minardi Team’s debut in Formula 1-which took place at 9.30 of Friday, April 5, 1985 on the occasion of the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Jacarepagua circuit-with the exhibition “40 Years of Formula 1 in Faenza”: from the 1985 Minardi M185 to the Racing Bulls VCARB 02 of 2025 passing through the M189, M192, M193, and the Toro Rosso STR03 and STR05.

As always intense activity on the track during the fifteen daily sessions that saw extraordinary F. Junior, F. Abarth, F. Italia, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 4, GP3, GP2, F3000, Prototypes, Historic GTs, GTS – thanks also to the valuable participation of Scuderia del Portello, Scuderia Tazio Nuvolari, Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo R.I.A.R, Club Motori Modena “Scuderia Modena Corse”, and Fondazione Gino Macaluso with the two Lancia LC1 1982 and LC2 1983 in the iconic Martini Racing livery. Unmissable, in the paddock and on the track, the Hypercars and Supercars: Pagani (Huayra Roadster Bc, Pagani Utopia, Pagani Zonda F, Pagani Codalunga), Lamborghini (Revuelto, Huracan STO, Urus SE), Dallara (Stradale – EXP), Pambuffetti – PJ01 – and Mazda MX5 and Lotus.

To warm the hearts of fans, both in the pits and along the 4.909 mt of the Imola Autodrome, the historic Formula 1s starting with the March 701 of 1970 up to the up to the two Williams FW33 of 2011 passing through the Lotus 72E/5 of 1974, Shadow DN3 (1974), Tyrrell P34 of 1976 and 1977, March Beta 761 (1976), Wolf WR 1 (1977), Arrows A/1 (1978), Shadow DN12 (1980), Lotus Type 91 (1982), Osella Alfa Romeo FA1G (1986), Minardi M189 (1989), Monteverdi (1990), Fondmetal GR03 (1991), Ferrari 412 T1 (1994), Arrows A20 (1999) and Minardi PS04/B (2005) along with the McLaren MP4-15 replica embellished, this year, with Mika Hakkinen’s autograph.

Numerous, as always, the participation of the personalities who have written important pages of world motorsport and who have always been linked to the Minardi world, not failing to make their presence at Historic Minardi Day: engineers Aldo Costa, Gabriele Tredozi, Nigel Cowperthwaite, Alessandro Mazzali, Luca Furbatto and Giorgio Piola, drivers Ivan Capelli, Alessandro Nannini, Arturo Merzario, Pierluigi Martini, Riccardo Patrese, Philippe Alliot, Thierry Boutsen, Bruno Giacomelli, Miguel Angel Guerra, Roberto Moreno, Andrea Montermini, Luis Perez Sala, Luca Badoer accompanied by his son Brando, Beppe Gabbiani, Siegfried Stohr, René Arnoux, Giovanni Lavaggi, Marco Apicella, Sergio Campana, Niccolò Piancastelli, Massimo Ciccozzi, Raffaele Giammaria, Roberto Farneti, Vinicio Salmi, Ruggero Melgrati, Giordano Regazzoni and Alister Yoong.

Numerous exciting moments among which the delivery of the 4th “Nando Minardi” Memorial awarded to the artist Alessandro Rasponi protagonist in this edition with the exhibition “Ayrton through colors”. Also awarded the Minardi Club Como for their continued support. At the group photo Gian Carlo Minardi received the ACI Automobile Club award at the hands of General Tullio Del Sette, ACI Extraordinary Commissioner. Merzario was back at the wheel of the Lucchini Alfa Romeo (Scuderia del Portello); Pierluigi Martini entertained the audience at the wheel of the 1976 Tyrrell P34, Roberto Moreno of the Minardi M189 and the F3 Ralt with which Martini won the European Championship in 1983; Miguel Angel Guerra alternated at the wheel of the March Beta 761, together with Roberto Farneti, and Pierluigi Martini’s M189.

The intense program was enriched by the double ACI Storico event. On Saturday 13 with the passage of the 20 crews protagonists of the Mugello Road Circuit; on Sunday 14, the Raduno Terre di Romagna, organized by AC Ravenna, saw 131 crews leave the racetrack with destination Faenza to visit the Racing Bulls F1 Team, and then return to the track for the parade and closing of the event.

The event was also attended by the Italian Automobile Club (ACI).

“Also this edition of Historic Minardi Day has exceeded all expectations and I thank my brother Giuseppe, my niece Elena and Ilaria together with the whole team of Formula Imola, for the great work done in these months – said Gian Carlo Minardi -. It was unthinkable to assume such an exponential growth, both of cars, public and specialists in the field, compared to the last edition that already represented a record. I was extremely pleased to see the new generations passionate about the event as well, because once again there were many young people present who browsed in the pits and admired the many cars that have written the history of motorsport. This result is also a good sign on the front of the economic induced generated in the territory. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the municipal administration, starting with the mayor of Imola Marco Panieri, and the President of Con.Ami Fabio Bacchilega for their constant support, together with the ACI Extraordinary Commissioner General Tullio Del Sette and ACI President-elect Geronimo La Russa, whose presence and compliments gave me great pleasure. Now all that remains is to get to work on the 2026″ edition.

“The ninth edition of Historic Minardi Day was a great success both from an organizational and a public point of view. For two days, the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo and Dino Ferrari was the beating heart of motorsport, attracting thousands of fans, families and collectors who were able to experience up close the excitement of a unique event. The commitment to the organization of the Minardi family, with the support of Formula Imola and all the entities involved, made possible a rich and varied program that combined spectacle on the track, history, culture and moments of entertainment. The presence of great champions and legendary cars gave further prestige to an event that, year after year, grows and consolidates itself as an international reference event. It is a great satisfaction to see Imola once again a protagonist, confirming the vocation of the facility as a place capable of enhancing the past, celebrating the present and looking with confidence to the future of motorsport”. the words of Pietro Benvenuti, General Manager Autodromo Internazionale Enzo and Dino Ferrari.