Italy 2025
Growing up around cars and being raised by those who love them, it was only natural that I found Top Gear, specifically the UK version, quite compelling. Out of all of the cars, bits and banter featured on that show, one thing that the bombastic Jeremy Clarkson mentioned during the Burma Special always came to the fore of my conscience: “Italy is God’s Race Track.”
Given this, you can imagine that when I had found my passport and saw that the expiration date wouldn’t arrive for another couple of years, a trip to Italy was on the cards.
Through my COVID exploits, I had been lucky enough to befriend a couple of Italian car enthusiasts that love sports car racing. Hermann and Daniele had both been to many races, the latter of whom happening to live in Monza (Yes, the same Monza that hosts F1 every year). The three of us would fit into a group of 9. Before I knew it, I was committed. I was going to the 6 Hours of Imola, with a professional camera and lenses to boot.
The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, its full name, is one of the world’s most iconic circuits. Not only is it iconic in and of itself, but it also plays host to some of the most iconic corners in motorsport like Tamburello, the Variante Alta, and Acque Minerale. Watching and capturing the top class Porsche 963 hypercars all the way down to the support series Cayman GT4s attacking these corners was truly a treat.
When it came to the day-to-day experience at Imola, it was always centered around a lot of walking. Certain corners, like Tamburello, offer little to nothing to spectators as viewing angles are slim, only featuring a small viewing mound. This meant that on top of the walk to the train station and the track, each day resulted in walking ~10km as we frequently changed seats between distant grandstands. This would come to bite us on race day as we left the Rivazzas minutes before the Heart of Racing Aston Martin GT3 car plowed itself into the barrier there.
Speaking of Aston Martin, the V12 in the new but admittedly slow Valkyrie Hypercar is really something to behold. Despite my unyielding love for a Porsche flat six of any variety, experiencing the raw decibels of that V12 is second to none, and should absolutely be on top of your engine note bucket list.
Our time wasn’t completely spent on track, however. With access to the WEC Fan Zone and paddock passes, we were able to get up close and personal with the motorsport that we adore. Francesco, a member of our group, had almost completed his collection of selfies with all of the Ferrari Hypercar drivers, only lacking the momentary attention of Robert Kubica. For me? Well, let’s just say that literally brushing shoulders with Kevin Estre wearing his racing overalls was cool enough for my first time in the paddock. Though the open Q&A session with Peugeot drivers Mikkel Jensen and Paul Di Resta(who looked like he hates his job) was certainly something.
7000 photos later, these relics of an unforgettable trip will always remind me of my youth and the ability to easily experience distant lands with little concern for much else. The food, architecture and people were all as you expect; perfectly quirky, historical and flamboyant, all at the same time; interwoven into the same, unending divine cultural tapestry of beauty that I suspect will attract many eyes like mine for years to come.
