This weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is poised to spell an finish to Imola as a grand prix venue, no less than for now, with the basic observe south east of Bologna working down its contract and no extra room on the 2026 calendar to resume it.
The undulating 4.909km circuit can boast a storied historical past about so long as the official identify of the 2025 version, perplexingly dubbed the AWS Formulation 1 Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna.
Naturally, Imola is inextricably linked with one in all F1’s darkest weekends, when Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna perished on the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
However as its impending departure from F1 is met with blended opinions – its tight and twisty format is hardly conducive to overtaking, however it’s one other basic highway course disappearing from the schedule – there are additionally causes to look again at Imola’s F1 tenure with fondness.
2005 – Alonso and Schumacher serve up basic dogfight
Fernando Alonso, Renault and Michael Schumacher, Ferrari congratulate one another in Parc Ferme.
Picture by: Motorsport Photos
Probably the most memorable race in current historical past might be the 2005 version, which featured a titanic battle between seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and younger challenger Fernando Alonso.
After Ferrari’s crushing 2004 dominance, a change in tyre guidelines noticed a reversal of fortunes with Michelin runners Renault stealing a march on the Italian Bridgestone workforce.
Alonso and team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella had shared the primary three races between them, whereas Schumacher had struggled with a year-old automobile earlier than the F2005 introduced some enchancment from race three.
The German’s Imola weekend seemed set to be one other troublesome outing, qualifying in 14th after going off in Sunday’s qualifying session, the second of two periods that counted in the direction of an mixture time to resolve the grid.
Fernando Alonso, Renault R25, leads Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2005
Picture by: Motorsport Photos
After polesitter Kimi Raikkonen disappeared from the lead of the race on account of a malfunctioning McLaren, Alonso moved up from second and seemed sure to tie up a 3rd consecutive victory.
However the Ferrari proved extraordinarily aggressive within the race – a comparatively uncommon prevalence in 2005 – and after undercutting a practice of vehicles after which being caught behind the Toyota of Jarno Trulli, Schumacher unleashed the F2005’s tempo within the remaining stint. After his late, remaining gasoline cease he emerged from the pits on Alonso’s tail, establishing a dogfight till the end.
The Ferrari was clearly faster, however even in 2005’s smaller and lighter vehicles overtaking proved very troublesome in a dry race, with Alonso expertly holding a pissed off Schumacher at bay into the braking zones. The Spaniard ultimately held agency to cross the road two tenths forward of the Ferrari in what gave the impression to be a symbolic altering of the guard.
There’s some irony right here, for if overtaking had been extra easy on the oft-criticised Imola circuit, Schumacher would have swiftly dispatched the Renault, sailed off into the gap and the race would not have been as memorable – bar for the German’s heroics. However now it’s maybe the primary race that involves thoughts, in no small half because of Alonso’s defensive masterclass.
1985 – Senna, Prost fall sufferer to thirsty turbo engines
Ayrton Senna, Lotus 97T Renault, battles with Alain Prost, McLaren MP4-2B TAG
Picture by: Motorsport Photos
The 1985 San Marino GP can also be a part of F1 folklore, however for very completely different causes.
On the time F1 employed high-powered and very thirsty 1.5-litre turbocharged engines, which made a most gasoline restrict of 220 litres difficult to handle on sure circuits. As an apart, present F1 vehicles solely devour 100kg of gasoline over a race distance, which is a testomony to only how thermally environment friendly the present – maybe unheralded – engine rules are.
Imola had been a selected ache level, with three vehicles working out of gasoline in 1984. However that was nothing in comparison with the following version a 12 months later, which turned well-known for that includes three completely different leaders within the final 5 laps, none of whom truly gained the race.
The race was Senna’s to lose, main handsomely in his Lotus forward of Ferrari’s Stefan Johansson. However 4 laps earlier than the tip the Brazilian needed to park his gasoline starved automobile, handing the result in the Swede. However the tifosi’s delight was short-lived as he too dropped out one lap later on account of an digital gremlin which issued a false gasoline studying.
Enter McLaren’s Alain Prost, who could not consider his luck after seeing the 2 lead vehicles retire. The Professor had certainly made the right gasoline calculations, visibly quick shifting and coasting to make each valuable drop of black gold rely.
Prost duly took the chequered flag because the winner, however the drama did not cease there as he floor down midway down the cooldown lap. The shortage of gasoline meant Prost’s McLaren-Porsche was 2kg underweight, so after an extended backwards and forwards between McLaren chief Ron Dennis and the scrutineers the Frenchman was thrown out of the outcomes.
Throughout the area of 4 laps Senna’s team-mate Elio de Angelis was catapulted from outdoors podium rivalry to a shock win, which might find yourself being his final.
Learn the complete report from that eventful day, which additionally included drivers pushing their fuel-starved vehicles over the end line, on this report from the archive.
2021 – Verstappen and Hamilton sq. off in wet-to-dry spectacle
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing RB16B, Sergio Perez, Crimson Bull Racing RB16B, and the remainder of the sector at the beginning
Picture by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Photos
Within the trendy period Imola has hardly ever produced instantaneous classics, however the 2021 version gave it go. There’s nothing like rain at a punishingly technical circuit to boost the motion.
Lewis Hamilton led the way in which from pole on an intermediate tyre begin, however Max Verstappen’s wonderful getaway from third noticed him swoop previous the within to take the lead into Flip 1, forcing Hamilton over the kerbs. The beginning of probably the most fraught title battle of the present period.
Early crashes for Nicholas Latifi and Mick Schumacher set the tone for a chaotic afternoon, however the restart additionally introduced thrilling wheel to wheel racing all through the sector, with Hamilton having one other go at Verstappen whereas Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz battled for the highest six.
On the midway mark the race acquired a recent twist when Hamilton suffered a expensive off at Tosa, whereas his team-mate Valtteri Bottas tangled with Williams’ George Russell in a daunting crash on the entrance straight.
Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, wrapped in a tyre blanket
Picture by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Photos
The purple flag restart prompted extra frantic racing, and it gave Hamilton the chance to maneuver from eighth again to second, albeit properly behind runaway winner Verstappen. It was a race that had a little bit of every little thing, and it confirmed {that a} little bit of rain can rework Imola into an actual spectacle on its day.
Because it stands no precipitation is forecast for this weekend, which might be Imola’s F1 swansong for the foreseeable future. However in a bid to boost the racing Pirelli is debuting its softest C6 compound. Will or not it’s sufficient to provide the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix a becoming send-off?
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