F.1 – In Austria the Minardi M186 comes back to thunder with Pierluigi Martini

We are getting closer to the Austrian Grand Prix and the Legends Parade, which takes place together with the eighth round of the season. Last year, the protagonists were the nine Austrian drivers with a past in the World Championship; among them, there was Patrick Friesacher, at the wheel of the Minardi PS04B of 2005. This year the main theme will be the open-wheels with turbo engines of the’80s and, once again, Minardi’s colours will be present on track both with a car and a driver.

Together with the ’84 and ’85 McLarens, the Ferrari F1-87/88C, the Renault RE50-03 and the Lotus 98T will parade also the Minardi M186 powered by Motori Moderni of Andrea de Cesaris and Alessandro Nannini. For the occasion, Pierluigi Martini that with the team of Gian Carlo Minardi has covered more than 100 Grand Prix in eight seasons (from 1985 to 1995) will be at the wheel of the car. “I am honoured that, once again, a car of the Minardi Team has been chosen for the parade and I have to thank my friend Frits Van Eerd, for having made available the car. It will also be amazing to see the double Minardi-Martini. To me, all drivers were important, because they helped write the story of the Minardi Team, but certainly “Piero” deserves a special place, having raced with me over 100 Gp“, Gian Carlo Minardi comments.

For Pierluigi Martini, it will be a return into the cockpit of an open-wheel, after the experienced that took place in 2006, during the Gp Masters. We like to remember that in the palmares of the driver from Romagna stands out the victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1999) at the wheel of the BMW V12 LMR. “I really do not know what to expect. It will be surely a wonderful experience, being able to be back at the wheel of those cars. I don’t drive an open-wheel since 2006. It will be the right opportunity to understand how much crazy I was to race in those years”, Pierluigi Martini says, smiling.

Pierluigi has promised that will tell us all the feelings he experienced after the event. Then, see you after the Austrian Grand Prix.