Hallowed turf

Like many of you, I grew up watching the legendary yellow helmet of Ayrton Senna bobbing around in the cockpits of Tolemans and Mclarens, so the visit to Imola served a solemn secondary purpose. Nestled inside the Armco at the turn known as Tamburello, lies a memorial to Senna who died at the circuit after crashing his Williams on May 1, 1994. An expertly crafted bronze statue marks the spot, surrounded by a sea of tributes left by Senna fans from around the globe. Flowers, caps, stickers and national flags – including a few from Australia – are stuck to the circuit’s chain-link fence, each scrawled with deeply personal messages. I too paid my respects.