Formula 1 is back to the European continent and this time F1 hit its return to the heartland of Italy. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will host its Sunday’s Grand Prix race at the Imola circuit after a one-year gap. Due to serious flood calamities, no race was held in 2023 as the track was flooded because of heavy rain. It will be the seventh race of the season and also mark the start of the European season in Formula 1.
This track has a rich culture and tradition that lives and breathes the adrenaline of motorsport racing. Imola is not just a home to Ferrari but a world that combines both cuisine and passion. Imola is one of the oldest tracks in the 2024 Formula 1 Championship calendar and is also known as the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo E Dino Ferrari. Here’s everything you need to about the Imola Emilia Romagna Grand Prix or the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo E Dino Ferrari racing track.
A Rich History: Unveiling the Imola Circuit's Past
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo E Dino Ferrari race track is also known as the famous Imola Circuit. The track is situated in the town of Imola positioned itself in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. The design of the track seems to be in an anti-clockwise direction because the motorcycle race events took place in the early 40s. Before the inaugural F1 races held on this track, motorcycle racing used to take place on Imola Hills. This track has sharp curves and requires technical skills to surpass the fast lane corners. It was also the track that was very close to the heart of Enzo Ferrari, he named this track as Autodromo Dino Ferrari race circuit after his son's death.
The circuit first hosted F1 races in the 1980s. Before the organizer added this circuit as a seasonal Grand Prix event, the Imola already hosted non-Formula 1 championship races in the 1963 Imola GP and the 1979 Dino Ferrari Grand Prix. It the track hosted F1 races as the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 to 2006. But a tragic event stopped Imola from being a part of the F1 after the death of legendary F1 driver Aryton Senna in 1994. Imola stopped hosting F1 races in 2007 and made its return to the calendar in 2020. With new modifications, the track added more fast Chicanes to reduce cornering and increase the possibility of overtakes during the race.
First Race | Non-F1 Race (1953 as Italian Grand Prix)/ First F1 Race (1980 as San Marino Grand Prix)/ F1 World Championship race (2020 as Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix) |
Track Length | 4.909 KM |
Total Turns | 19 |
Total Laps | 63 |
Most Pole Position | Aryton Senna (8) |
On 19th May 2024, it will be the 31st time the track will host F1 World Championship Grand Prix. It is one of the fastest street circuit tracks in Italy after Monza. One of the most curated corners is designated at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo E Dino Ferrari at Tamburello Corner where a memorial dedicated to Aryton Senna is placed at the site where that tragic accident occurred during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix (now Imola GP). Fans often visit the site and pay their love and respect to Senna.
The Challenge Awaits: Technical Specs and Stats of Imola
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo E Dino Ferrari is governed by the circuit’s President Gian Minardi, who was the team principal and the owner of the Minardi F1 team that gave Fernando Alonso his F1 debut back in the 2000s. The length of the track is about 4.909 Kilometers and has 19 corners. The track features three sectors with two DRS Detection Zone. With a top speed of 231 MPH, McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya still holds the record for the highest speed in an F1 race weekend at Imola GP.
The best Lap record is under the belt of Mercedes star driver Lewis Hamilton with a lap time of 1 m 15.484 seconds way back in 2020. It is one of the most prestigious tracks in the history of motor racing as with each corner comes the most famous names of the F1 era. The names of each corner are:
Turn 1 & Turn 2- Variante Alta ( Chichane)
Turn 3- Tamburello
Turn 4- Variante Villeneuve
Turn 5 & turn 6- Acqua Minerale
Turn 7- Tosa
Turn 8- Piratella
Turn 9 & Turn 10- Variante Gresini
Turn 11- Villeneuve
Turn 12 & Turn 13- Casalecchio
Turn 14- Arancio
Turn 15 & Turn 16- Rivazza
Turn 17- Variante Bassa
Legendary Achievements: Records Set at Imola
The Imola Grand Prix or the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is acquainted with a couple of records in the history of F1. The following are the records made on this track to date.
Lap Record | 1:15:484 (Lewis Hamilton, 2020) |
Fastest Lap | 1:13:609 (Valtteri Bottas, 2020) |
Most GP Wins | Michael Schumacher (7) |
Pit Stop Time Loss | 29.01 seconds |
What are your thoughts on the new configuration of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix? Please tell us who you want to win the Imola GP in 2024.
