99 replies to this topic

[KWSN - DSM]

For the 5th time in this go-around we visit the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

 

When does what happen?

 

 

The Track

 

 

Track changes

 

 

Track record (and sadly DRS zones)

 

 

Meet the Stewards

 

 

[Yoshi]

C6 - new tyre and hot weekend ahead.

I do expect that McLaren will dominate this weekend.

[JimmyClark]

I'm on the train to Bologna as we speak (after a wonderful few days of hiking in Slovenia).

Weather for the weekend looks lovely (very slight chance of drizzle on Sunday afternoon, but nothing too dramatic).

Hopefully Imola gives us a great sendoff for it's last race!

Edited by JimmyClark, Yesterday, 11:42.

[PayasYouRace]

I wasn’t sure if this would be the last*. Hope it’s a fun one.

*We never know with F1. We all thought 2006 would be the last, and the return of circuits like Hermanos Rodriguez and Zandvoort mean there’s always hope.

[jonklug]

I think everyone eagerly awaits the FORMULA 1 AWS GRAN PREMIO DEL MADE IN ITALY E DELL'EMILIA-ROMAGNA 2025

[JimmyClark]

I think everyone eagerly awaits the FORMULA 1 AWS GRAN PREMIO DEL MADE IN ITALY E DELL'EMILIA-ROMAGNA 2025

I certainly won't be able to say that after the various Aperols I plan on drinking later today

[PayasYouRace]

Meh, it’s the San Marino Grand Prix and always has been.

[KWSN - DSM]

Just to nip this one before the Sky commentators make posters post incorrectly.

 

Regardless of how fast Pole position is, it will NOT be the lap record, the lap record is set when going faster than Lewis Hamilton's 1.15.484 from from 2020 in a race - Bottas took Pole in 2020 with a 1.13.609.

[Dalton007]

I'm surprised this track has been allowed on the calendar, the cars are too big for it. 

[sportyskells]

i think we get a "eyes on rhe ligjts and foot to the floor" in he com box this weekend

[lewislorenzo]

This will be a precession unfortunately. Probably a repeat of Japan.

[Goron3]

The tyre chat is going to be interesting. A step softer means that the C5, which was useless as a race tyre last year, has to do around 30-40% of the race to make a one stopper work. The C4 is also going to be very busy.

 

I suspect everyone will jump on a VSC / SC pit stop as the regular pit lane loss time is so long, but if tyre management is so extreme then a two stopper could work. Perhaps the best option is to save both C4's for the race and start on the C5?

[KWSN - DSM]

This will be a precession unfortunately. Probably a repeat of Japan.

 

Just need Verstappen on Pole then, notch another win.

[Risil]

I'm surprised this track has been allowed on the calendar, the cars are too big for it. 

 

IMHO the real problem was the rather unsympathetic changes made in the aftermath of Senna and Ratzenberger's accidents in 1994. Imola was always an unconventional circuit owing to its origin as a circuit that used closed public roads, but at "classic" Imola there was one good overtaking zone, where you had to set a move up coming out of the chicane before the pit straight and then make yourself an opportunity from the fast corners, really straights almost, at Tamburello and Villeneuve, which could be completed at the entry or exit to the sharp corner going uphill at Tosa. The two chicanes interrupted that flow and left a track where in F1 at least the faster driver needs a huge advantage or a mistake to get by.

[JimmyClark]

IMHO the real problem was the rather unsympathetic changes made in the aftermath of Senna and Ratzenberger's accidents in 1994. Imola was always an unconventional circuit owing to its origin as a circuit that used closed public roads, but at "classic" Imola there was one good overtaking zone, where you had to set a move up coming out of the chicane before the pit straight and then make yourself an opportunity from the fast corners, really straights almost, at Tamburello and Villeneuve, which could be completed at the entry or exit to the sharp corner going uphill at Tosa. The two chicanes interrupted that flow and left a track where in F1 at least the faster driver needs a huge advantage or a mistake to get by.

Given modifications made to other circuits, I'm sure there's scope to remove the Tamburello chicane and make it banked, and tighten up Villeneuve to make that a better passing place. Ideally I'd prefer a full run into Tosa, but looking at Google Earth I can't see it being possible to have the required runoff for that.

[Peat]

IMHO the real problem was the rather unsympathetic changes made in the aftermath of Senna and Ratzenberger's accidents in 1994. 

 

 

Tamburello certainly and perhaps Villeneuve, could be reverted to the original layout and remain Grade 1 with modern barrier technology. Sochi, Jeddah have far gnarlier sections. Tosa runoff would require some substanital expanding into the hillside though. 

Imagine a full throttle run from Rivazza 2 to Tosa again..... Laptime would be under a minute for sure. 

[PayasYouRace]

Given modifications made to other circuits, I'm sure there's scope to remove the Tamburello chicane and make it banked, and tighten up Villeneuve to make that a better passing place. Ideally I'd prefer a full run into Tosa, but looking at Google Earth I can't see it being possible to have the required runoff for that.

All they had to do was shift the corner inwards to increase the runoff. They used land to the inside of Tamburello to build the chicane anyway. It would have been a bit like the modifications to Copse at Silverstone. After Senna’s death it was tightened considerably at short notice, but then by 1997 it had been brought inwards, restoring the high speed while increasing the runoff.

A similar change could have been made for Tamburello. Of course with modern advances, it could be restored along the original shape today, with SAFER or TecPro protection.

[GlenWatkins]

I think everyone eagerly awaits the FORMULA 1 AWS GRAN PREMIO DEL MADE IN ITALY E DELL'EMILIA-ROMAGNA 2025

Finally, Latino race, LOL

[7MGTEsup]

All they had to do was shift the corner inwards to increase the runoff. They used land to the inside of Tamburello to build the chicane anyway. It would have been a bit like the modifications to Copse at Silverstone. After Senna’s death it was tightened considerably at short notice, but then by 1997 it had been brought inwards, restoring the high speed while increasing the runoff.

A similar change could have been made for Tamburello. Of course with modern advances, it could be restored along the original shape today, with SAFER or TecPro protection.

 

It would be nice to remove the chicane but have a slightly tighter Tamburello so it was actually a cornenr a bit like the original 130R or bridge (pre Abby chicane) at Silverstone where you need to take your brave pills to carry as much speed as possible through it.

[DaddyCool]

I expect this to be a typical 2025 race weekend - a brilliant nailbiter for qualifying and a boring procession for the race.

[LegendInTheMaking]

As F1 is back in Europe, we're now back at an historical venue. The Gran Premio dell Emilia Romagna might not have that much history as it is only on the calendar since the 2020 COVID season, but as the Italian and San Marino GP's it had been hosting F1 from 1980 until 2006.

 

Some memories to re-capture:

 

In 1982, the race only featured 7 teams as in the middle of the FISA-FOCA war, there was a boycott by the FOCA-aligned teams, which was ultimately broken by some teams (long story for another occasion), meaning McLaren, Williams, Brabham and Lotus did not participate. This meant the race was between Renault and Ferrari. Both Renault's broke down, so the Ferrari's were on top. Being well ahead of the rest of the few remaining cars, Ferrari ordered Villeneuve and Pironi to take it slow. Villeneuve considered this a team order to hold position, Pironi didn't. As such, Pironi overtook Villeneuve in the last lap to take the win from an infuriated Villeneuve. It has been said that this state of mind contributed to his fatal crash the next race in Zolder, but this is also a story for another occasion.

In 1983, Tambay took a popular win after inheriting first place from Patrese. The tifosi cheered when Patrese crashed, clearly being more appreciative of the Italian team than the Italian driver. 

 

Complaints about the so-called raceability of the F1 cars are not just from recent days. In 1984, the new fuel limit was causing issues for the thirsty turbo cars of that era. Of the top 7 classified cars in Imola that year, 3 had failed to actually reach the finish line because of running out of fuel. As he had already ran out of fuel at prior events that year, Derek Warwick was very fuel conscious, which caused him to be lapped and therefore not being able to be classified ahead of De Angelis who ran out of fuel on the last lap. His reaction: "This isn't motor racing, its a bloody joke. How am I supposed to race when I know I'm going to run out of fuel?"

 

In 1985, Prost was disqualified, so De Angelis inherited a win of a race in which he had never led a lap. Even worse than the previous year: out of the top 9 classified drivers, only 3 actually reached the finish while the remaining 6 were out of fuel.

 

Fast forward to 1991: both Prost and Berger already spun off during the warm up lap. While Prost stalled his engine, Berger recovered and finished behind Senna to claim a McLaren 1-2. Will they repeat this feat this weekend?

 

In 1997, Heinz Harald Frentzen took his maiden win

 

In 2005, this weekend's race steward Vitantonio Liuzzi made his debut and scored an impressive eight place. This race is mostly remembered by the intense battle between Schumacher and Alonso, with the latter taking the win. 

 

After a long absence, Imola returned in 2020. While the race typically has been held in spring, this time it was in November. Hamilton took the win ahead of teammate Bottas. Verstappen spun off following a puncture from second place, thus allowing Mercedes to take the constructors title. Also note the empty grandstands due to the COVID restrictions back then. 

 

In 2021, the roles between Hamilton and Verstappen were reversed: Hamilton spun off and Verstappen took the win. Hamilton lost a full lap recovering from the gravel and getting a new front wing. However, he was saved by a crash of Bottas and Russell that caused a red flag and allowed Hamilton to get his lost lap back. In one of the many displays of brilliance by both Hamilton and Verstappen that year, Hamilton then went on to fight back all the way to second place. 

 

Last year it became clear in Imola that the momentum had shifted from Red Bull to McLaren. Even though Verstappen took his 8th consecutive pole and his third win in a row at Imola, the manner in which Norris chased down Verstappen in the final laps was a clear sign of things to come for the remainder of the season. Although Norris came close, passing would be something else as overtaking requires a significant pace difference or an error. Despite his clear pace advantage, Norris was stuck behind Leclerc until the latter made a mistake.

 

This means track position is key to get a chance for the win. Will the McLaren's take their first win here since Coulthard in 1998? Will Verstappen make it four in row? Or will Russell turn around his bad experience of his first two outings in Imola and continue his strong season with his first win at Imola?

Edited by LegendInTheMaking, Yesterday, 15:56.

[zeph]

I don't get it, that blurb in the OP says lap record Lewis Hamilton 1.15.484 (2020), but Verstappen's pole last year was 1.14.746?

[LolaB0860]

I don't get it, that blurb in the OP says lap record Lewis Hamilton 1.15.484 (2020), but Verstappen's pole last year was 1.14.746?

 

It's the lap record during Grand Prix, qualifying / practice / sprint / the rest doesn't count

Edited by LolaB0860, Yesterday, 16:39.

[Metronazol]

I don't get it, that blurb in the OP says lap record Lewis Hamilton 1.15.484 (2020), but Verstappen's pole last year was 1.14.746?

Lap record is set during the race.

[KWSN - DSM]

I don't get it, that blurb in the OP says lap record Lewis Hamilton 1.15.484 (2020), but Verstappen's pole last year was 1.14.746?

 

https://forums.autos...-up/?p=10910109

[Ruusperi]

I love Imola. I love its atmosphere, I love its history and old-schoolness, I love named corners, I love grass and gravel, I love the lush and picturesque surroundings of Imola. I just love everything about it <3 

I feel Liberty is doing a great damage to F1 by replacing traditional tracks like Imola in favor of uninspiring city tracks or giving their spot to yet another sportswashing country. In my calendar Imola would have a permanent place with Monza, Spa, Montreal, Monaco, Albert Park, Silverstone, Suzuka, Hockenheim, Nürburgring, Magny-Cours, Mugello, Zandvoort, Red Bull Ring and Interlagos. I feel a piece goes missing when Liberty kills a GP I loved, and so does my love for F1.

 

If this will be the last GP ever here, I'm going to savor every moment of it starting from tomorrow's free practice.

[PayasYouRace]

It's the lap record during Grand Prix, qualifying / practice / sprint / the rest doesn't count

Never understood why though. I think as long as it’s a an official timed session it should count.

[Anja]

I won't go as far to say I love Imola but I'm glad I got to see it in action for the past few years, as I started watching F1 in 2007 so narrowly missed its previous stint. Sure it might not be the best fit for the big modern cars but that old school feel is becoming a unique feature in the current calendar and like I always say, F1 desperately needs more track variety in any aspect possible. 

Edited by Anja, Yesterday, 20:47.

[KWSN - DSM]

Just to nip this one before the Sky commentators make posters post incorrectly.

 

Regardless of how fast Pole position is, it will NOT be the lap record, the lap record is set when going faster than Lewis Hamilton's 1.15.484 from from 2020 in a race - Bottas took Pole in 2020 with a 1.13.609.

 

And this is a discussion coming up every race, the commentators agreeing, not agreeing, arguing both sides, part of the discourse stem from 'tradition', there are obviously fine reasoning for why the fastest lap on a track would be the defacto 'track record'- for time being though, the answer is:

 

'It is the fastest lap during a race'

 

In the past, qualifying setups were like a different breed of car—ultra-light fuel loads, aggressive tire compounds, and even engines tuned purely for a single fast lap. It made qualifying spectacular, but none mattered if the car couldn’t hold up under race conditions. So lap records prioritize race pace rather than those fleeting bursts of speed in qualifying. Ultimately, endurance and sustained performance define true competitiveness rather than just a flashy lap on fresh rubber. Back in the day, crazy qualifying setups—turbo-era engines with absurd boost levels—produced staggering speeds but would barely last more than a few laps before reliability issues set in, with qualifying tires lasting all of one lap.

 

Until officially changed, the lap records are set during the Grand Prix.

[Benchulo]

I love Imola. I love its atmosphere, I love its history and old-schoolness, I love named corners, I love grass and gravel, I love the lush and picturesque surroundings of Imola. I just love everything about it <3
I feel Liberty is doing a great damage to F1 by replacing traditional tracks like Imola in favor of uninspiring city tracks or giving their spot to yet another sportswashing country. In my calendar Imola would have a permanent place with Monza, Spa, Montreal, Monaco, Albert Park, Silverstone, Suzuka, Hockenheim, Nürburgring, Magny-Cours, Mugello, Zandvoort, Red Bull Ring and Interlagos. I feel a piece goes missing when Liberty kills a GP I loved, and so does my love for F1.

If this will be the last GP ever here, I'm going to savor every moment of it starting from tomorrow's free practice.

Yeah, Imola is one of my favourite circuits, for all the reasons you have said. I think probably the first race I saw on TV was here.

[F1 Mike]

Just been watching the press conference featuring Lance Stroll. I'd rather sit by a motorway and listen to lorries passing.

There is also nobody less interested in what he's saying that he himself. He just flaps his mouth and makes noises.

[#99]

Yeah, Imola is one of my favourite circuits, for all the reasons you have said. I think probably the first race I saw on TV was here.

Same, it was my first full live race I watched with my uncles when we used to have our family get together on Sundays at my grandma's house. Sadly that year was 1994 so it is forever clouded in sad memories but from then on I've barely missed a race.

[Hellenic tifosi]

I love Imola. I love its atmosphere, I love its history and old-schoolness, I love named corners, I love grass and gravel, I love the lush and picturesque surroundings of Imola. I just love everything about it <3 

I feel Liberty is doing a great damage to F1 by replacing traditional tracks like Imola in favor of uninspiring city tracks or giving their spot to yet another sportswashing country. In my calendar Imola would have a permanent place with Monza, Spa, Montreal, Monaco, Albert Park, Silverstone, Suzuka, Hockenheim, Nürburgring, Magny-Cours, Mugello, Zandvoort, Red Bull Ring and Interlagos. I feel a piece goes missing when Liberty kills a GP I loved, and so does my love for F1.

 

If this will be the last GP ever here, I'm going to savor every moment of it starting from tomorrow's free practice.

 

This.

 

The history, the scenery, the flowing corners make it an iconic track. My personal favourite is the section from Tosa, uphill into Piratella, then downhill to Aqua Mineralli. Simply brilliant.... Oh, and by the way, it's a track where corners have proper NAMES

 

I also think that with modern barier technology (and a slight banking perhaps) they could reinstate Tamburello and Villeneuve and make it a proper run into Tosa. This could mean that Variante Bassa would return as well, but it's a change worth making IMHO.

[DeKnyff]

I preferred when it was the San Marino GP.

 

Never really liked this track. Overtaking was extremely difficult even in the 1980s.

 

My apologies if I sound annoying.

[GlenWatkins]

I preferred when it was the San Marino GP.

Never really liked this track. Overtaking was extremely difficult even in the 1980s.

My apologies if I sound annoying.

My preference would be San Marino as well. Both are historic, authentic tracks and deserve a place on the calendar.

[TheFish]

I was at this GP in 2022, it was the wettest I've ever been I think. Never particularly liked the circuit or enjoyed any races here, but the town of Imola and the city of Bologna are fantastic.

[FirstnameLastname]

Lawson & Hadjar having fun….

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdrYqpVj/

[Jellyfishcake]

I'll never forgot Murray Walker's commentary during this moment.

 

https://youtu.be/cqDnbwX-moA?t=15

 

Remember charging into the dining room at my grand parents house shouting about what had happened 

Edited by Jellyfishcake, Yesterday, 22:16.

[d246]

I can still hear James Hunt being delighted at the noise of the new normally asperated engines in 1989 as they headed up the hill from Tosa on lap 1.

 

Mansell's 360 high speed spin and Berger's firey crash both took a few days off my lifespan.

[loki]

Finally, Latino race, LOL

Points for the callback.

[STRFerrari4Ever]

A great track to watch the cars on during practice and qualifying but the races are usually a DRS train or a flyby. I’ll enjoy the practice sessions and qualifying, in the anticipation of a processional race, I certainly won’t be using the WEC race a few weeks ago as a reference because that was actually entertaining.

[FortiFord]

I love Imola. I love its atmosphere, I love its history and old-schoolness, I love named corners, I love grass and gravel, I love the lush and picturesque surroundings of Imola. I just love everything about it <3
I feel Liberty is doing a great damage to F1 by replacing traditional tracks like Imola in favor of uninspiring city tracks or giving their spot to yet another sportswashing country. In my calendar Imola would have a permanent place with Monza, Spa, Montreal, Monaco, Albert Park, Silverstone, Suzuka, Hockenheim, Nürburgring, Magny-Cours, Mugello, Zandvoort, Red Bull Ring and Interlagos. I feel a piece goes missing when Liberty kills a GP I loved, and so does my love for F1.

If this will be the last GP ever here, I'm going to savor every moment of it starting from tomorrow's free practice.

Bottom line is that Imola doesn’t produce very good racing. The other things are nice to have but I feel it’s mostly nostalgia. Similar story with Magny Cours.

[FortiFord]

The tyre chat is going to be interesting. A step softer means that the C5, which was useless as a race tyre last year, has to do around 30-40% of the race to make a one stopper work. The C4 is also going to be very busy.

I suspect everyone will jump on a VSC / SC pit stop as the regular pit lane loss time is so long, but if tyre management is so extreme then a two stopper could work. Perhaps the best option is to save both C4's for the race and start on the C5?

I don’t think any of the front runners will try a 2 stop simply because it’s too difficult to overtake.

[FortiFord]

I expect this to be a typical 2025 race weekend - a brilliant nailbiter for qualifying and a boring procession for the race.

Depends who’s on pole. If it’s not a McLaren driver then that could make the race a bit more interesting.

[Eyeshield]

This race will be won in the pit stops

[STRFerrari4Ever]

A story to look out for is Colapinto at Alpine, he won in F2 last year in a very impressive drive if I remember correctly so let’s see if he can be close to Gasly as Doohan managed to out qualify Gasly in qualifying last time out.

[SenorSjon]

We've had dull races in deserts, but this one always have the scenery as a big plus.

[Mc_Silver]

Both Imola and Monaco usually present dull but spectacular races. Qualifyings will probably be the most exciting part of the weekend.

[Goron3]

I don’t think any of the front runners will try a 2 stop simply because it’s too difficult to overtake.

Depends on how slow a one stopper is. If the C4 struggles to do 60/70% of the race (which I think is quite likely if it's warm) then a one stopper will be slowwwww.

[rodlamas]

A story to look out for is Colapinto at Alpine, he won in F2 last year in a very impressive drive if I remember correctly so let’s see if he can be close to Gasly as Doohan managed to out qualify Gasly in qualifying last time out.

He won the sprint races, with an inverted grid.

The other 4 rookies on the grid qualified on the top 4.

So another myth regarding Colapinto, who, I insist, in 9 races caused more financial damage to Williams than Sargeant in 15.