42 replies to this topic

[thegamer23]

 

Today Mr.Ecclestone met Imola's mayor in order to discuss the opportunity to host the Italian Grand Prix in Imola from 2017.

"Imola mayor, Daniele Manca, flew today to London to meet F1 Patron, Bernie Ecclestone.

"We wanted to show to Mr.E our desire to welcome back the Formula 1 in Imola. But first we want to mantain an Italian Grand Prix, even alterning with Monza. 

We showed our project to renew the circuit and the structures, the investiment we've made and that we will make in the next years. 

Ecclestone told us that he never wanted to leave Imola. He reminded us also that Enzo Ferrari in person asked him, long years ago, to host the Italian Grand Prix in our city. He's supporting us. The horizon is 2017". 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by thegamer23, 15 June 2015 - 17:43.

[vowcartaGP]

Well alternating didn't work for the Nurburgring and Hockenheim.

Even so, do it. It's still worth a try and it would be a great idea.

Or perhaps Bernie could just charge less money for hosting a race in a "heritage" country in the first place

[DutchQuicksilver]

Imola is good for nostalgia reasons, but the track itself isn't very good for overtaking, so I wouldn't expect good races there.

[Ross Stonefeld]

With modern safety technology they should look into reviving Tamburello so they can run full throttle from Rivazza 2 to the hairpin. THAT would be a passing zone.

[sportyskells]

that will of course please Ferrari, still a home race for them. 

[Fastcake]

I'd rather keep Monza than bring back Imola. It's almost certainly going to be an either/or choice.

[steferrari]

Imola AND Monza please!

[Gyno]

Imola comes back to F1...another track DESTROYED with Tarmac runoffs.

 

Didn't they remove the final chicane?

 

[Red17]

Ploy to squeeze more money from Monza, might be cheaper to hire an hitman, it's still Italy after all.

[thegamer23]

There is no final chicane anymore for open wheel and car racing. 

Only used in Superbike, CIV, ecc. 

[Spillage]

An alternating deal with Monza would not be the end of the world, but if Imola is to replace Monza altogether it would suck. Monza's one of those tracks we should move heaven and earth to keep on the calendar.

[Lights]

Overtaking here used to be incredibly difficult indeed, but last time it was used it had an extra chicane before start/finish and they didn't have DRS.

I think it would be great to have back on the calendar. The circuit has a really nice flow.

[tmekt]

Overtaking here used to be incredibly difficult indeed, but last time it was used it had an extra chicane before start/finish and they didn't have DRS.

I think it would be great to have back on the calendar. The circuit has a really nice flow.

Yep, would be interesting to see whether the current era would be able to actually produce good races there. The last few Hungarian GPs have been pretty good and that was another one that rarely produced anything interesting in the dry before DRS and Pirelli.

 

Would be sad to see Monza go (even if they'd still a race there every other year) but I think Imola's heritage alone is reason enough to back there.

Edited by tmekt, 15 June 2015 - 18:26.

[redreni]

With modern safety technology they should look into reviving Tamburello so they can run full throttle from Rivazza 2 to the hairpin. THAT would be a passing zone.

 

I was at Imola for this year's 4 hour. I can't understand why they put the chicane in at Tamburello, yet the only meaningful change at Villeneuve since 1994 appears to be that they've put some old car tyres in front of the barrier. The one that runs at about 70 degrees to the direction of the track. The one that did for Ratzenberger. Opening up Tamburello would only increase the cars' approach speed to the Villeneuve/Tosa complex. To improve the run-off there would require a bit of landscaping and changes to a public road that runs under the track at that point.

 

That said, it's a fantastic track with some brilliant sight lines, especially at Rivazza and clinging to the barriers between Villeneuve and Tosa. I would favour F1 going back there. Overtaking wouldn't be easy, but nothing is easy in F1, nor should it be. My friends and I were scratching our heads, though, when we were there, about how on earth either the track or the town ever dealt with the F1 crowds, back in the day, when people actually liked F1. The infrastructure seemed a bit ropey; fine for a sportscar race to which very few people go, but not necessarily what you'd want if there was a six figure crowd. So maybe it's lucky F1 tickets these days are expensive enough to keep the numbers down.

[Pontlieue]

Please no! Don't get me wrong, I like Imola. And that's exactly why I want F1 to stay away from it. Too many european tracks have already been turned into tarmac-filled parking lots.

[TheManAlive]

Totally agree that I would love to see Imola back BUT not at the expense of Monza or at the expense of the grass on the sides of the track - silly I know, but I used to love Imola. It signified that spring was well an truly happening, summer nearly here, the white flowers growing in the green grass beside the track. Beautiful.

 

Are we really complaining about the removal of a chicane!! Never thought I would hear that!  I also agree that returning Tamburello to its former glory would be awesome but I doubt it would be doable and the damage to the track would be too much.

 

Lets hope it happens and San Marino gets its race back!

[tomjol]

An alternating deal with Monza would not be the end of the world, but if Imola is to replace Monza altogether it would suck. Monza's one of those tracks we should move heaven and earth to keep on the calendar.

 

Worse, how long before it ends up like the German race, and then gets replaced with something "more reliable"?

 

This stinks. Standard Bernie "negotiating" tactic to try and scare Monza.

[cas422]

With modern SAFER barriers it would be so awesome if they could return it to it's pre-1994 configuration. 

[ANF]

I was at Imola for this year's 4 hour. I can't understand why they put the chicane in at Tamburello, yet the only meaningful change at Villeneuve since 1994 appears to be that they've put some old car tyres in front of the barrier. The one that runs at about 70 degrees to the direction of the track. The one that did for Ratzenberger. Opening up Tamburello would only increase the cars' approach speed to the Villeneuve/Tosa complex. To improve the run-off there would require a bit of landscaping and changes to a public road that runs under the track at that point.

Villeneuve was also turned into a chicane. It was just a kink when Ratzenberger went off. http://www.statsf1.c...cuit-imola.aspx

I never liked the chicanes, and it would be great to see Tamburello and Villeneuve restored. But I guess that would require another quarter of a mile of runoff at Tosa, and there's a public road behind the circuit...

[redreni]

Villeneuve was also turned into a chicane. It was just a kink when Ratzenberger went off. http://www.statsf1.c...cuit-imola.aspx

I never liked the chicanes, and it would be great to see Tamburello and Villeneuve restored. But I guess that would require another quarter of a mile of runoff at Tosa, and there's a public road behind the circuit...

 

Ah, sorry. I stand corrected. The first part of the Villeneuve chicane is still pretty much flat, though, as it's only the right-hander that is slow. And the wall is still at about 70 degrees to the track at that point. So it still seems dodgier than Tamburello (even in its 1994 configuration) to me.

 

But as far as I know the track has never lost its "A" homologation and wouldn't require any work in order to host a Grand Prix. I agree with others that I wouldn't want F1 to go back there if it meant ruining the track.

[Yoshi]

Imola AND Monza please!

 

This

[Marklar]

Couldn't they get a rid of the likes of Abu Dhabi or Sotschi and instead using Monza and Imola? Wishfull thinking, I know.....

 

Imola is one of the tracks I wish back in F1, BUT not if Monza would withdraw. Monza is together with Spa, Silverstone and Monaco somehow the pulsation of F1. If one of these tracks get dropped than F1 is one step closer to died....

[Kristian]

This would be great, but not at the expense of Monza. Imola is one of those traditional tracks- undulating through a park, with so much history. OK racing isn't so good there (though the removal of the final chicane might help) but neither at Sochi or Abu Dhabi - and I'd rather see the latter go. 

 

Maybe I could cope with an alternation if it kept Monza on the calendar, but give us a European Grand Prix at Imola. With Azerbaijan far far away from the reckoning. 

[HeadFirst]

Couldn't they get a rid of the likes of Abu Dhabi or Sotschi and instead using Monza and Imola? Wishfull thinking, I know.....

 

Imola is one of the tracks I wish back in F1, BUT not if Monza would withdraw. Monza is together with Spa, Silverstone and Monaco somehow the pulsation of F1. If one of these tracks get dropped than F1 is one step closer to died....

 

Why bother? The complaints would just switch from where the race was held, to how F1 ruined the track.  

[johnmhinds]

Sounds like he is either trying to scare Monza into signing a bad deal or he is forcing them into a race sharing deal like he did in Germany, and we know how well that worked out... 

[Dick Dastardly]

Imola and Monza, Nurburgring and Hockenheim, Dijon and/or Magny-Cours  I'd like to see back........Italy, Germany & France need to have at least 1 GP each even if 1 in each country is the European and/or Swiss GP etc.....Get rid of the GPs that are in countries with no F1 heritage.....

[V8 Fireworks]

Get rid of the GPs that are in countries with no F1 heritage.....

 

You mean places like Abu Dhabi and India, where they, you know actually sell lots of McLarens and Ferraris 

 

Sir, it's the new world...

[jonpollak]

Well, I would welcome the return of one of my favorite tracks..!!!

Jp

[JeePee]

Well, I would welcome the return of one of my favorite tracks..!!!

Jp

You mean one of your favorite parking lot after F1 has been there?

[jonpollak]

Here..read something.

Jp

 

 

[Ben1445]

Imola is one of my all time favourites and I hope if it does come back that they don't sanitise it's character. 

Yes, it might not be great for overtaking but watching Alonso hold of Schumacher for 12 laps with only 9 cylinders working properly without cracking from the pressure still remains one of the most memorable races in my time. 

[Kristian]

Yes, it might not be great for overtaking but watching Alonso hold of Schumacher for 12 laps with only 9 cylinders working properly without cracking from the pressure still remains one of the most memorable races in my time. 

 

Until bloody ITV intervened... 

[aramos]

Good, Imola is far more interesting than Monza.

[hittheapex]

Ecclestone told us that he never wanted to leave Imola. He reminded us also that Enzo Ferrari in person asked him, long years ago, to host the Italian Grand Prix in our city. He's supporting us. The horizon is 2017". 

 

 

Nothing was stopping Bernie moving the Italian Grand Prix to Imola before if he had wanted. And he didn't want to leave Imola? My BS detector just had a power surge.

 

There's been some falling out with Monza because they (rightly) dared to tell Bernie to finally stick his exorbitant fee hike up his backside so now Bernie is courting Imola. Shades of the bitter dispute with Silverstone that resulted in the lovely circuit of Donington being ruined and staring death in the face for some time.

 

I'd like to see Imola back, but let's be under no illusions about the game that's being played here. Bernie is using Imola to put the squeeze on Monza. If it results in both circuits going bust, as he did his best to do with the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, he doesn't care so long as he gets that extra few % in his bank account.

 

Ironic how Bernie likes to lecture Vettel and others about giving back to the sport and the fans and is playing chicken with one of the few circuits that 99% of fans are united in keeping on the calendar short of a world war, earthquake or comet strike.

Edited by hittheapex, 16 June 2015 - 09:19.

[BRG]

You mean places like Abu Dhabi and India, where they, you know actually sell lots of McLarens and Ferraris 

 

Sir, it's the new world...

They sell far more Ferraris in the USA than in the Gulf.  So why not more F1 over there?

 

This isn't about where they sell supercars, it is just about Bernie playing the field as usual.  Remember the Rome GP a few years ago?  Never happened of course.  Just part of Bernie's standard tactics.  Like New Jersey was used to lean on COTA.  If it wasn't so transparent, it might even work.

Edited by BRG, 16 June 2015 - 09:23.

[thegamer23]

Here..read something.

Jp

I understand your feelings Jp   

I live in Imola and, in my opinion, it's a jewel of a little city.  
A lot of green, parks everywhere, nice historic city center and A LOT of motorsport passion.

Most of the pubs/restaurants here (there's one 100 meters from the circuit) have at least one giant wallpaper of Senna, Villeneuve, Schumacher, you can feel the passion everywhere. 

And i can say that the Autodrome itself it's going back to life in a huge way, in the last 2-3 years. Every afternoon the circuit it's open to the public, and storms of runners and cyclist have a go around those iconic corners and hills.
World Superbike, 4 Hours of Imola, exibitions, Kart events, Italian championships, the circuit is used quite a lot!

 

I also have been a track marshall volunteer last year, nice experience. 


It would be a huge event for sure, but wait and see.
 

Edited by thegamer23, 16 June 2015 - 09:45.

[Alexis*27]

The first ever GP I went to. Would love to see it back.

Edited by Alexis*27, 16 June 2015 - 10:20.

[redreni]

I understand your feelings Jp   

I live in Imola and, in my opinion, it's a jewel of a little city.  
A lot of green, parks everywhere, nice historic city center and A LOT of motorsport passion.

Most of the pubs/restaurants here (there's one 100 meters from the circuit) have at least one giant wallpaper of Senna, Villeneuve, Schumacher, you can feel the passion everywhere. 

And i can say that the Autodrome itself it's going back to life in a huge way, in the last 2-3 years. Every afternoon the circuit it's open to the public, and storms of runners and cyclist have a go around those iconic corners and hills.
World Superbike, 4 Hours of Imola, exibitions, Kart events, Italian championships, the circuit is used quite a lot!

 

I also have been a track marshall volunteer last year, nice experience. 


It would be a huge event for sure, but wait and see.
 

 

I wish we'd met you when I went to the 4 hours a few weeks ago. If only everyone in Imola were so passionate about motor racing events at the autodromo!

 

From what we could see the tribunes were almost entirely empty for every session, including the race, even though general admission was free. I know it was only ELMS, but still, a chance to see Le Mans prototypes racing, for free, at a venue that's only 10 minutes walk from the centre of town, attracted very little interest from the majority of the local people as far as I could see. There seemed to be much more hype surrounding the Giro, which hadn't yet started.

 

I can promise you that if the ELMS went to Brands as a standalone event, Jonathan Palmer would not just open the gates to all and sundry. He would charge at least a few quid for tickets and he would still pull in a bigger crowd than Imola or Estoril get, despite the fact that Brands is in the middle of nowhere rather than in town.

 

So I can't say I agree about the passion for motorsport (maybe bikes, but not cars). But I do agree Imola is a beautiful place. We really enjoyed our stay. We rented an apartment in the town and were able to walk to the track each morning, and walk into town and back for our lunch each day. The walled part of the old city has been preserved in a way that similar historic towns in other countries, including mine, haven't been.

[BRG]

And i can say that the Autodrome itself it's going back to life in a huge way, in the last 2-3 years. Every afternoon the circuit it's open to the public, and storms of runners and cyclist have a go around those iconic corners and hills.

A Giro d'Italia stage ended with a lap of the track a couple of weeks ago.  Watching even the world's best racing cyclists struggling with the gradients was a surprise - you don't always realise how much race tracks go up and down!  

[omgwtf]

Truly magnificent place and one I'd love to see back on the calendar! Had a wonderful time at a track day there last summer..

I rate the circuit from a driving standpoint as well, right up there for me personally, visually very beautiful too. Diving down into the fast sweeping Acqua Minerali section in the late afternoon sun, the charge up the hill to Variante Alta chicane, all that history, all of the legends that have been before, to experience driving sight lines from the actual tarmac......magical!

Naturally the Senna connection added to the weight of history, every lap I could not help but take a quick look at the permanent flags that adorn the rough area of impact, poignent..

Edited by omgwtf, 17 June 2015 - 06:44.

[Coops3]

...

 

There's been some falling out with Monza because they (rightly) dared to tell Bernie to finally stick his exorbitant fee hike up his backside so now Bernie is courting Imola. Shades of the bitter dispute with Silverstone that resulted in the lovely circuit of Donington being ruined and staring death in the face for some time.

 

...

This.

[Red17]

Estoril

 

Estoril is on the wrong end of the country. The only times I have seen it fill was in the Moto GP or F1 races, anything bellow that is a bust and im talking about free admission events.

 

It saddens me to write this, but most of my fellow country men who love motorsports are located up north, how they haven't forked the money for a T2 track puzzles me, maybe because they are too busy hosting events all year long. People around the capital area (Estroil is just a stone's throw from Lisbon) will only attend a race if it's a premium series, which ironically is the exact target audience for Bernie.

[CoolBreeze]

From a drivers point of view, it's a great flowing circuit. but for the fans, it's horrible because there's hardly overtaking..