Audience with a legend

For as long as he has been able to talk William Aston has talked about motorcycles. When he discovered Moto GP there was no stopping him. His passion is boundless and he spends many hours absorbing facts and figures from the hardback books and review DVDs published at the end of every season.

Whisking the family off to Maranello for a family holiday provided the perfect opportunity for a surprise meeting that his father had arranged whilst working in the town a couple of months earlier. Walking with William over to a small bar in the town square they talked about the wail of the Ferrari F1 cars that can be heard for miles around, and the history literally surrounding this little city Northern Italy.

Once inside the bar and having greeted our host “Nello”, William was quickly led over to an impeccably dressed elderly gentleman who seemed really pleased to see us. As William and the gent shook hands Nello introduced the gent as Signor Masetti. William was visibly moved, he knew all about Umberto Masetti, and his history as one of the first motorcycling champions. The language barrier melted away and they spent some time looking at memorabilia, and photographs from Signor Masetti’s distinguished career.

Before leaving Nello’s Masetti and Will hugged and exchanged a cheery “Ciao” leaving William with the kind of smile that is difficult to shift. Sadly Signor Masetti has since passed away, but he left a lasting impression on a passionate young man who will always remember the day he met a hero.