Leo Turrini, Formula 1 journalist for Sky Sport and Il Quotidiano Nazionale, wanted to remember his colleague and great friend Alberto Antonini, who passed away a few days ago.
Leo Turrini’s comments:
“We were young together. He arrived on the circuits a little after me, and it was natural for me to befriend a fellow countryman, a colleague who belonged to my same roots and who had the kindness to see in me a reference point,” Turrini began.
The journalist subsequently revealed, “We loved each other despite having little in common: he professionally dealt only with motors, which for me were and are at most thirty percent of my activity.”
“And yet, for years, I abused his courtesy. On every occasion, regarding F1 technical matters, I went to him seeking help, and not once did he deny me assistance, an opinion, or judgment.”
Speaking of Alberto Antonini’s transition to Ferrari, Leo Turrini wrote: “When Maurizio Arrivabene told me he wanted Alberto at Ferrari, I felt happiness for him: I knew it was his dream, he had confided in me months earlier, driving an absurd Mazda to reach the Sky studios in Rogoredo.”
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“We were distinct and distant brothers. He would say to me: I wish I could write as well as you. I would reply: perhaps I write better than you, but I don’t understand F1 like you. And he would laugh and tell me about his cats and sleepless nights and a thousand things that the winds of life have taken away,” he added.
Finally, the journalist wanted to conclude with the recounting of a phone call: “He was already ill, and I called him. He had a breath that was a sigh. He explained that perhaps he would leave without seeing a Ferrari driver become a world champion again. I won’t manage that either, I replied in a feeble, echoless sound. Goodbye, brother.”
A heartfelt and moving memory from Leo Turrini, who shared so much with Alberto Antonini, both professionally and personally.
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