How 2023 F1 Imola trophies raised funds to help those affected by Emilia-Romagna flood

After discovering the history and behind-the-scenes details that led to the Bartoccini awards in Formula 1, questions about the recent past naturally arose. One of the trophy designers, Stefano Zuech and his colleague Federico Fondacci spoke to F1inGenerale about the awards proposed for 2023, including the Imola Trophies that helped those affected by the flood in Emilia-Romagna.

After the great results of 2022, how did you approach 2023?
“At the beginning of the year, we said to ourselves, ‘What should we do, Federico?’

We started with a blank sheet, one evening we talked and came up with ideas to propose to Formula 1. After creating the design and prototypes, the product was immediately well-received because there was an evolution.

Everyone calls it a plaque, but in the end, it’s a bar that is placed in its plexiglass to make it more transportable. Each one has the name and surname of the drivers, so for each sprint race, we have 20 different bars, ready as soon as the finish line is crossed. Furthermore, for this 2023, we were planning to continue the collaboration with Formula Imola for the Grand Prix. For this year, we presented a completely innovative design with new concepts, and ACI and Formula Imola were satisfied with what we presented. So Federico got to work and finished it on the Monday before the Grand Prix. We were excited about the new product, but upon arrival in the Cesena area, F1 issued a statement about the cancellation due to the flood.”

How did you react to this decision, considering that the whole world would not be able to see the work of 2023?

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“We immediately proposed the idea of charity to Formula 1, just as they had done a few hours earlier, and the idea of auctioning the trophies to raise funds was accepted by ACI and Formula Imola. Federico and I went to Monaco to organize what we were able to successfully accomplish in Barcelona with Formula 1. In fact, we had to find the appropriate timing to have the trophies signed by both the drivers and the team principals. In addition, the four trophies for P1, P2, P3, and constructors that were auctioned raised funds totaling approximately €233,000.

In my opinion, every trophy is a symbol of victory, always, even if it’s not the ace of the steering wheel who takes it home. The winners are, in fact, the citizens of Emilia-Romagna, who have been terribly devastated by this natural disaster. It was satisfying to complete it and make everyone happy.”

“When we were in Barcelona, I was approached by Formula One to explain the value of these trophies, and probably my words were well-received. People understood the real importance of this object because it contains the names of the current 20 drivers and ten team principals. Moreover, it encapsulates all the editions of the Grand Prix, like a book that includes some of the most important names in the history of Formula 1. For example, if we take the P2 trophy, in 1982 Gilles Villeneuve achieved second place, so the driver who finished second at Imola could see their name associated with Villeneuve’s. Even the constructors’ trophy is rich in history since it includes important names of manufacturers that no longer exist. This is the concept that my designer Federico and I had when we decided to engrave it.”