Moko: “F1 lover like others are art lovers”

Hello Moko! As always, you show your colors…

This Ferrari jacket, I pinned it with all the flags of the Prancing Horse world champions. The only one I added was Gilles Villeneuve, because he had a big place in old Enzo’s heart. The Commendatore, he never left his stronghold of Maranello, and made it a global battlehorse.

Where does this passion for F1 in general and for the Scuderia in particular?

I am originally from Senegal. And it all started there, when the “car” came to me thanks to this Italian from Modena who had emigrated to my country after the war, in the 1940s. His name was Ido Ricchetti. Like all expatriates of the time, he came near my native village, Thiès, to do gymkhanas. I attended it every Sunday. Ricchetti drove a little car that reminded me of a turtle, a Alfa Romeo Zagato. She was so pretty that I decided to put up with the gentleman. I don't know how he found out, but he made a point of meeting me and, at each new gymkhana, he took me for a little tour. This gentleman who worked enormously for the reconstruction of Senegal, embarked with other expatriates in the organization of the 6 hours of Dakar in the 1970s where I had the chance to meet pilots from France, including Anny-Charlotte Verney. The fascination started from there. I remember her in particular, because it was the first time I saw a female racing driver. One day, I left my village to go see this Mr. Ricchetti in Dakar, and tell him my intention to become a pilot. He explained to me that gymkhanas were just Sunday fun, that becoming a racing driver was something else... He took a liking to me and, in a way, I was adopted. When