IMOLA AND ITS F1 RACETRACK
The origins of Imola's racetrack date back to 1950: a 4-km track was built thanks to the commitment of a group of local enthusiasts. The circuit is found between the right bank of the Santerno river nd the hills. It was officially inaugurated three years later with the Italian Sport Car Championship.The first F1 race took place in 1963 but it was a minor event. The Ferrari didn’t participate. The race was won by Jim Clark driving a Lotus. In 1970 Enzo Ferrari was charged with the management of the racetrack by Imola’s municipality. He named it after his son Dino. In 1980 the first F1 race was held in Imola. Initially it was called Italian Grand Prix, previously hosted in Monza, starting from 1981 the race took the name of San Marino Grand Prix. When Enzo Ferrari died in 1988, the racetrack is named after him and his son. In 1994 two fatal accidents occurred: Roland Raztemberger and Ayrton Senna died during the competition. The racetrack underwent radical changes after that to make it safer. Two S turns replaced the two most dangerous corners drivers reached a top speed of 350 km/h: Tamburello (where Senna crashed) and the Villeneuve. Today it is almost 5-km long, the top speed is 300. Medium-fast circuit, one of the safest in the world. Cars follow an anticlock-wise direction unlike most tracks.
Other events: World Superbike Championship, Motorcycle Championship, driving courses, presentation of new cars, mega-concerts, second-hand car fairs.
See our tours in Imola and its surroundings:
https://www.guidedarte.com/itinerario/Bologna_and_Imola_Ducati_to_Enzo_&_Dino_Ferrari_Racetrack.html
https://www.guidedarte.com/itinerari/Imola_-_Dozza
Learn more about this historic racetrack that hosted the F1 championship twice recently: in November 2020 and in April 2021.
https://www.racingcircuits.info/europe/italy/imola.html#.YLzGZPkzZPY
