Official F1 Journal Emilia-Romagna Track Guide- Imola

Its back to Imola for the Emila Romagna Grand Prix weekend after a years break when the event was forced to be cancelled just 48 hour before the race was due to take place. The entire region was hit by huge rain fall and mass flooding, many parts of the track ending up under water for weeks.
Imola truly is one of the crowning jewels on the F1 Calendar and if Monza is the temple of Speed, Imola is the Garden of Speed(en). It's a track that pushes car and driver to the edge and with the removal of 3 tarmac run off areas, and them being replaced with gravel traps the consequences of getting it wrong here are even greater in 2024 than they have been previously. But we are Pro gravel here so we approve these track changes fully!!! 

Race Stats 

Grand Prix laps- 63
Circuit Length- 4.909km
Race Distance- 309.049km
Corners- 19    10 Left   9 Right 
DRS Zones- 
         Activation-  Between Turns 15 & 16 
           Deployment-  Mid Turn 19
Downforce Level- Medium
Tyre Degradation- Medium
Time Lost in Pitlane- 30.5 seconds 
Pole Side- Left 
Tyre Compounds- 
       Hard      Medium    Soft 
         C3          C4          C5
Minimum Starting Tyre Pressures- 
           Front       Rear 
         25.5psi      22.0psi
Maximum Starting Tyre Camber-
          Front       Rear
​         -3.00º      -1.75º

Weekend Schedule Formula 1, 2 & 3  

Track Stats 

​Times Held- 30
First Time Held- 1980 
Laps Raced- 1,833
Finishing Percentage- 45.8% 
Pole Record- 1'13.609
Lap Record- 1'15.484
Winners- 16
Pole Sitters-15 
Podium Finishers- 39
Most Driver Poles- 8 SEN 
Most Team Poles- 9 Mclaren 
Most Driver Wins- 7 SCH 
Most Team Wins- 8 Ferrari/Williams
Most Driver Podiums- 12 SCH 
Most Team Podiums- 24 Ferrari
Most Fastest Laps(Driver)- 5 SCH 
Most Fastest Laps(Team)- 8 Ferrari
Most Consecutive Wins(Driver)- 3 SCH 
Most Consecutive Wins (Team)-  3 Ferrari/Williams 
Most 1-2 Finishes- Mclaren 3
Times Won From Pole- 10
Times Won from Front Row- 19 
Lowest Starting Position to Win- 5th Piquet 80/81
Smallest Pole Margin- 0.008s SCH '95 
Smallest Win Margin- 0.215s ALO '05
Largest Pole Margin-1.053s MAN '92
Largest Win Margin- +1 lap EDA
Most Cars to Finish- 22 multiple years 
Least Cars to Finish- 5 '82/85
Virtual Safety Car- 3
Safety Cars- 5
Red Flags-     3     
Rain(during the race)- 6 '81,'91,'93,'95,'21 &'22

Previous Results

2020

​Qualifying-
              1 BOT 1'13.609
               2 HAM 1'13.706
                3 VER 1'14.176
Race-
​         1 HAM (2 stop)
           2 BOT (2 stop)
            3 RIC (1 stop)
Fastest Lap- 1'15.484 HAM L63

2021

​Qualifying-
              1 HAM 1'14.411
               2 PER 1'14.446
                3 VER 1'14.498
Race-
​         1 VER (2 stop)
           2 HAM (4 stop)
            3 NOR (2 stop)
Fastest Lap- 1'16.702 HAM L 60

2022

Qualifying-
              1 VER 1'27.999
               2 LEC 1'28.778
                3 NOR 1'29.131
Sprint Race (Sprint = Grand Prix Grid)
           1 VER 
             2 LEC
​               3 PER
Race-
​         1 VER (2 stop)
           2 PER (2 stop)
            3 NOR (1 stop)
Fastest Lap- 1'18.446 VER L55

Track Changes 

Piratella Turn 9- Tarmac runn off removed and replaced with gravel trap to meet the existing gravel trap on the outside of the corner!!
This is also to help with track limits and the cars not using to much track on the entry to the corner to be faster on the exit.

Left- 2024   Right 2022

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Top- 2024   Bottom 2022

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Aque Minerali Turns 11, 12 & 13
Again here the large tarmac run off has been replaced with a substantial gravel trap. Another track limits hot spot the new gravel trap is to stop drivers leaving the track on the exit of the corner to carry speed on to straight between turns 13 -14

Gresini Turns 14 & 15
Another run off area we have seen a lot of track limits issues here and also this run off area has saved some drivers that would otherwise have hit the wall at turn 15, ie Leclerc 2022 spun here but thanks t the run off saved himself from hitting the wall. 2024 onward that wont be possible and we love it!
More Consequences = Less Mistakes!!! 

Top- 2024      Bottom- 2022

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Random Facts 

• Imola was off the Calendar for 14 year before returning during our 'covid 19  season' and never leaving. Thank goodness because its one of the best races on the planet.
• Before Imola joined the official F1 calendar in 1980, it hosted a non championship races known as the Dino Ferrari Grand Prix which Niki Lauda won.
• After Enzo Ferrari's input in the building & development of Imola in the 50', the track was renamed in 1970 the Autodromo Dino Ferrari(passed away 1956). In 1988 it was changed again to honour both Dino & Enzo Ferrari after Enzo's passing. Becoming the 'Autodromo Internazional Dino & Enzo Ferrari'. 
  
• Senna took Pole here every year he came between 1985 & 1991 and still holds the record for most Poles @ Imola.   

Enjoy guys 
Joanna Blackmore 
Writer @f1journal.co.uk