DIEGO MOMBELLI

SO MANY WORLD WINS AYRTON BRUSHED AGAINST!

My kart story bloomed in 1958, when karting was a brand new thing in Italy.

It was love at first sight, I raced for 20 years with all the major brands, from Italkart to Birel, and I quit in 1978, when I was already prepping engines for other drivers who would come to me after seeing how strong mu stuff was. One day Achille Parilla from DAP called me up: “I’m coming back from America with a kid that you’re simply gonna love. I’d like you to be the one who takes care of him”. The kid’s name was Ayrton Senna and Parilla was right! We won and lost so mancy races together.

I’ll never forget the 1979 World Championship in Estoril. Ayrton made contact in the qualifyings and recovered in the heat races, winning the last one with arms raised, sure he’d conquered the title.