It was suitably quiet – well, almost. One can not always capture these moments at just the right time, but at least the rustling of the leaves amidst the Autumnal trees could still be held to ear.
Occasionally a car would pass – at speed, of course. This is Imola after all and the youth of the FIA Italian Formula 4 Championship are getting their precious practice runs in. Some of them certainly need it more than others.
It feels strange to think that now almost the entire Italian F4 field was born after Ayrton Senna died following a crash at the infamous Tamburello corner at Imola on May 1st, 1994.
Many of these young drivers idolise the late Senna to some degree or other, having heard so many tales, watched the ‘Senna’ film and, or viewed numerous clips of his high speed exploits on YouTube.
Others still grew to love this sport during the dominant Schumacher years, but soon another generation will emerge who were born after Michael Schumacher’s original run ended. That final Ferrari drive at Interlagos, after all, occurred nearly eight ago already.
It also feels a touch strange that one should idolise a driver whose time passed before one had been born, but to criticise such a thing would merely make me a hypocrite.
As a fan of the great Jim Clark fan, I would know about that – the double World Champion Scot was killed some thirteen years before I was born, but this weekend, I will return to the Hockenheimring and hopefully capture another memorial in some soft silence.
Meanwhile, I held this moment. Around me, a birthday was being celebrated by a party in the park and people ventured out to walk and talk amongst themselves, while other racing fans arrived to capture their moment too.
Only then did a fly decide it was the perfect time to fly directly up my right nostril, sending me into a spluttering fit as I repeatedly swatted myself across the face.
If nothing else, my furious reaction to the winged insect got laughs from the assembled children…
