Free Event, Formula Imola and the Municipality of Imola joined forces and produced the event that brought together more than 20,000 people from all over the world, who arrived in the city of Imola on May 1 to celebrate the memory of the Myth of Ayrton Senna and driver Roland Ratzenberger thirty years after their death.
It was a historic day in which the myth of Senna appeared more vivid than ever, among those who will never forget him and the many who, although much, much younger, wanted to honor his memory.
For the occasion, the Autodromo di Imola, the City Council and partner agency Free Event – at their side also in the Formula 1 Grand Prix in mid-May – organized many activities, welcoming guests of great international importance.
On stage during the ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani; Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini; Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira; Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg; Mayor of Imola, Marco Panieri; Formula One CEO, Stefano Domenicali; Formula Imola President, Gian Carlo Minardi; and ACI President, Angelo Sticchi Damiani.
At 2:17 p.m., the exact time of the tragic crash, there was a minute’s silence, a moving moment that was filmed and relaunched by the press, social media, and television stations around the world, testifying to the strength of this commemoration and the memory of the Brazilian driver.
There were also many activities organized for the more than 20,000 people in attendance: from the Flag Mob, during which guests paraded along the Autodromo with the Brazilian and Austrian flags, to the big Ferris wheel, the visit to Ayrton’s monument, the photo exhibition, the preview of the documentary on Ratzenberger, the mix of local and Brazilian dishes offered by the catering businesses involved, and the big yellow flag with the kind eyes of the Brazilian driver on the Autodromo Tower, in a tribute visible from the entire city.
So much participation in a day that went beyond sports, sharing, and remembrance, to enter a world that is reserved only for true legends.