The announcement of the 2026 Trofeo Bandini winner took place during an event held in the Bigari Hall of the Faenza Town Hall, coinciding with the launch of the volume dedicated to the 2025 F1 World Championship. Attendees included the president of the organizing association Francesco Asirelli, Faenza’s deputy mayor Andrea Fabbri, Brisighella’s mayor Massimiliano Pederzoli, Brisighella’s tourism and culture councillor Karen Chiarini, and Imola’s municipal councillor with responsibility for the Autodromo, Elena Penazzi.
President Francesco Asirelli revealed that the 2026 Trofeo Bandini will be awarded to the young Bolognese talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a Mercedes driver. Highlighting the prestige of the award, he said, “There’s a line to receive this prize.” It was also confirmed that a special WEC Trofeo Bandini will be given to Alessandro Pier Guidi, world champion with Ferrari #51 and 3rd place finisher at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, following his victory in 2023.
The recognition for FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem remains pending, with the intention of possibly presenting it during the Mexican Grand Prix. As Asirelli stated: “The delivery of the recognition to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is still pending, and we hope to manage it. And there could also be a presentation during the Mexican Grand Prix. And we don’t want to stop there.”
Statements from the authorities
Deputy mayor Andrea Fabbri emphasized the importance of “teamwork” between institutions, associations, private entities, and law enforcement for events of this scale: “Teamwork between institutions, associations, private entities, and law enforcement is essential for organizing an event of this magnitude such as the Trofeo Bandini. I thank the association, which continues to carry forward this initiative with volunteer spirit and passion. It is a heritage born in Brisighella and developed in the Motor Valley, helping to give visibility to the territory. The strengthened collaboration with Imola is also invaluable, as events linked to the Autodromo generate significant economic benefits for the Romagna municipalities. There is still great potential to be developed, and we want to ensure this award grows further, creating opportunities to bring schools and fans closer to the drivers.”
He also dedicated a thought to the Racing Bulls team from Faenza, which finished the season 6th in the Constructors’ Championship thanks to the performances of Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson.
Brisighella mayor Massimiliano Pederzoli described the event as a key moment for the worldwide visibility of the territory: “This is a fundamental moment for our territory, giving us visibility around the world. It is an award that keeps the name of Brisighella and the entire Motor Valley high. We hope that in the future F1 may return to Imola.”
Francesco Asirelli, presenting the volume, dedicated a thought to the 2025 world champion Lando Norris: “This book captures the recently concluded F1 season and has been available since last Thursday. We were assisted in its preparation by Faenza journalist Alessandro Bucci. It is a product also distributed to all teams and sponsors. The book also recalls the special awards presented to Valentino Rossi and Helmut Marko. It was a demanding year, but full of satisfactions.”
The 2025 F1 Yearbook
During the event, the F1 Yearbook was presented, published for over 40 years by Roberto Vallardi Editore and curated by prestigious journalists with contributions from Faenza journalist Alessandro Bucci. The book is dedicated to the 2025 Formula 1 season, which culminated with Lando Norris’ championship title (he also received the Trofeo Bandini in 2023), and includes the story of the award to Oscar Piastri, winner of the Trofeo Bandini this year.
It is a collector’s item featuring dozens of unpublished photographs, detailed analyses of teams and Grands Prix, and is distributed to teams and sponsors. The volume also recalls special awards previously given to figures such as Valentino Rossi and Helmut Marko. Asirelli described the year as “demanding, but full of satisfactions.”
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