The 10th Historic Minardi Day has concluded at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit in Imola after attracting more than 20,000 motorsport fans and bringing 590 cars onto the track, alongside another 200 vehicles taking part in the gathering and parade. The anniversary edition once again transformed Imola into a vast living motorsport museum, with 34 Formula 1 cars among the stars of a packed two-day programme.
The traditional opening lap by Gian Carlo Minardi officially began the celebrations. For the 10th edition, Gian Carlo Minardi was aboard a 1956 Lotus Eleven powered by a 1,000cc Coventry Climax engine and driven by Roberto Farneti, providing a symbolic start to a weekend dedicated to preserving and celebrating racing history.
Historic Minardi Day 2026 brings 590 cars onto the Imola circuit
The on-track programme was once again exceptionally varied. Formula Junior, Formula Abarth, Formula Italia, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 4, GP3, GP2 and Formula 3000 machinery all appeared during the weekend, together with prototypes, historic GT cars and GTS machinery.
Scuderia del Portello, Scuderia Nuvolari Italia and Club Motori Modena “Scuderia Modena Corse” also contributed to the programme, while hypercars and supercars provided another major attraction in both the paddock and on the circuit.
Among the road and track-focused machinery on display were the Pagani Huayra R and Utopia Roadster, Dallara Stradale and EXP, Lamborghini Revuelto and Temerario, Mazda MX-5 models and Lotus cars.
34 historic Formula 1 cars bring four decades of F1 history to Imola
The centrepiece for many of the fans gathered around the pits and the 4.909-kilometre Imola circuit was the collection of historic Formula 1 machinery. Together, the cars represented more than four decades of evolution at the highest level of motorsport, stretching from the 1971 Ferrari 312 B2 to the 2013 Toro Rosso STR8 formerly raced by Jean-Éric Vergne and powered by a Ferrari V8.
For fans interested in exploring how Formula 1 venues and their records have evolved through different eras, the wider historical context can also be found in the F1 Circuit Records & Statistics section.
The remarkable selection included the 1973 Shadow DN1 associated with Graham Hill, the 1977 Tyrrell P34/2, the 1976 March Beta F1 761, the 1977 Ensign N177 and the 1978 Arrows A1B formerly driven by Riccardo Patrese.
Also represented were the 1979 Merzario F1A3, the 1979 Wolf Ford WR7, Ferrari’s 1980 312 T5, the 1980 Shadow DN12 and the 1982 Alfa Romeo 179, which was also driven on track by Arturo Merzario. They were joined by the 1983 Osella FA1E, the 1983 Lotus 94T, Ferrari’s 1984 126 C4 and the 1986 Osella-Alfa Romeo FA1G.
The collection continued with the 1987 Arrows A10, the 1989 Minardi M189, the 1990 Monteverdi F1 and Arrows A11B, followed by two important Ferrari Formula 1 cars from 1991: the Ferrari 642 and Ferrari 643.
Other machinery included the 1992 Andrea Moda Formula S921 and Fondmetal GR01, the 1994 Ferrari 412 T1 chassis 154, the 2005 Minardi PS04B and the 2011 Williams FW33. A full-scale 1:1 replica of the McLaren MP4/15 was also part of the display.
Aston Martin show car highlights Fondmetal’s Formula 1 return
Another significant presence at Imola was an Aston Martin Formula 1 show car brought to the event by Fondmetal. The Italian company returned to Formula 1 this year after a 26-year absence, now operating as a wheel supplier.
The comeback created an interesting link between different eras of Formula 1 history. Fondmetal left the championship in 2000 alongside Minardi, when Fernando Alonso was working as a test driver, only to encounter Fernando Alonso again 26 years later as an Aston Martin Formula 1 driver.
Former F1 drivers, engineers and motorsport figures gather at Imola
As has become traditional at Historic Minardi Day, the anniversary edition also attracted a large number of people who have played important roles in international motorsport and who retain a strong connection with Minardi and the event.
Engineers Aldo Costa, Gabriele Tredozi and Nigel Cowperthwaite were present, alongside Daniele Audetto, Heini Mader, Giorgio Piola, Biagio Maglienti, Mario Isola and Giorgio Serra, known as “Matitaccia”.
The guest list also included Giovanna Amati, Fabio Babini, Luca Badoer and his son Brando Badoer, Fulvio Maria Ballabio, Benito Battilani, Francesco Bergamini, Thierry Boutsen, Sergio Campana, Sonia Borghese, Vicky Piria, Massimo Ciccozzi, Roberto Farneti and 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 were also among the many familiar names attending the weekend.
Checco Costa Museum celebrates Minardi’s Faenza heritage
The Checco Costa Museum became another focal point of Historic Minardi Day. A busy programme of book presentations, meetings, talks and award ceremonies brought together several respected motorsport writers and personalities.
Six single-seaters connected with the racing history of Faenza provided the backdrop to those activities: the Minardi M185, M189, M192 and M193, together with two Racing Bulls cars.
The presence of those cars reinforced one of the central themes of the weekend: connecting Minardi’s Formula 1 past with the motorsport heritage that continues to surround Faenza today.
ACI Storico Festival and Terre di Romagna add to the anniversary programme
The weekend was further expanded by the ACI Storico Festival. On Sunday, 20 September, the Terre di Romagna gathering organised by Automobile Club Ravenna saw 120 crews leave the Imola circuit and travel to Faenza.
Participants visited the Pinacoteca Comunale before returning to the circuit, where the programme concluded with a parade on the track.
There were also several particularly emotional moments during the weekend. The fifth “Ferdinando Minardi” Memorial was presented to Massimo Campodoni, one of the leading experts in automobilia and a specialist in motorsport history.
Gian Carlo Minardi celebrates 10 years of Historic Minardi Day
Reflecting on the milestone edition, Gian Carlo Minardi highlighted both the scale of the event’s growth since its creation and the increasingly international profile of the crowd.
“This tenth edition of the Historic Minardi Day represents a particularly important milestone for us, and the result we have achieved fills us with satisfaction. When we started in 2016, it was difficult to imagine growth on this scale, both in terms of the number and quality of the cars present and in terms of the participation of the public and the many motorsport figures who continue to show us their affection.”
Gian Carlo Minardi was particularly pleased by the number of younger visitors and fans travelling to Imola from outside Italy.
“I was particularly pleased to see once again a very young crowd and a truly significant presence of enthusiasts who came from abroad.
“Walking through the paddock and the garages, you meet young people and families from many countries, all united by the same passion. Seeing new generations curious about and fascinated by cars belonging to eras they did not experience directly is, I believe, one of the most beautiful results of this event.
“That is precisely the spirit of the Historic Minardi Day: to preserve motorsport history, bring it back onto the track and share it, so that it can continue to create emotion and inspire passion among new generations as well.
“I would like to thank my brother Giuseppe, my niece Elena and Ilaria, together with the entire Formula Imola team and everyone who worked for months to make this tenth edition possible. Thanks also go to the institutions and everyone who continues to believe in and support this event.
“The strong attendance from both Italian and international visitors also represents an important result for Imola and the entire region, including in terms of economic impact and international promotion.”
Imola mayor praises event’s connection with Formula 1 history
Marco Panieri, Mayor of Imola with responsibility for the circuit and major events, described the 10-year milestone as confirmation of the event’s importance to both the venue and the city.
“Historic Minardi Day reaches the special milestone of ten years and confirms itself as one of the most deeply felt and authentic events for our circuit and for the entire city of Imola.
“It is an event capable of bringing different generations together through a pure passion for motorsport, opening the doors of the circuit, garages and paddock to families, young people and enthusiasts from around the world, putting them in close contact with the personalities and single-seaters that have written unforgettable chapters of Formula 1.
“Seeing extraordinary cars parade around our circuit and welcoming so many champions, technicians and professionals demonstrates the vitality of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit as an international reference point for the Motor Valley.
“I sincerely thank Gian Carlo Minardi, his family and Formula Imola for believing in this project since 2016, a project that promotes the history, hospitality and identity of our region with an inclusive and celebratory spirit.”
Imola circuit celebrates a decade of preserving motorsport history
Pietro Benvenuti, General Manager of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit, also underlined how Historic Minardi Day has established a special place on Imola’s calendar during its first 10 editions.
“Reaching the tenth edition of Historic Minardi Day demonstrates the strength of an event that, over the years, has earned a special place on the circuit’s calendar.
“Gian Carlo Minardi’s idea of bringing cars, protagonists and stories from motorsport back to Imola has received an increasingly broad response from 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 the people who drove them or were part of their history means keeping alive a heritage that belongs to motorsport and involving new generations as well.
“For the circuit, it is therefore a pleasure to share this important anniversary, celebrating ten editions of passion, expertise and the ability to tell the story of motorsport through its people and its machines. It is a heritage that finds its natural home at Imola, and one that we are proud to continue promoting together with the Minardi family.”
With more than 20,000 spectators, hundreds of cars, 34 Formula 1 machines spanning multiple generations and a paddock filled with drivers, engineers and personalities from across motorsport history, the 10th Historic Minardi Day once again demonstrated the appeal of bringing racing’s past back to life on the circuit rather than preserving it only behind museum doors.
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