Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Encyclopedia
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian
town of Imola
, 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) east of Bologna
and 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) east of the Ferrari
factory in Maranello
.
The circuit is named after Ferrari
's late founder Enzo
and his son Dino
who had died in the 1950s. Before Enzo Ferrari's death in 1988 it was called 'Autodromo Dino Ferrari'.
It was the venue for the Formula One
San Marino Grand Prix
(for many years two Grands Prix were held in Italy every year, so the race held at Imola was named after the nearby state
) and it also hosted the 1980 edition of the Italian Grand Prix
, which usually takes place in Monza
. When Formula One visits Imola, it is seen as the 'home circuit' of Ferrari
and masses of tifosi
(Ferrari supporters) come out to support the local team.
Imola, as it is colloquially known, is one of the few major international circuits to run in an anti-clockwise direction. (Istanbul Racing Circuit, Korean International Circuit
, Singapore's Marina Bay
, Autódromo José Carlos Pace
at Interlagos
, Brazil, and the Yas Marina Circuit, for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
are other anti-clockwise circuits used recently by Formula One.)
s, the circuit was subject to constant safety concerns, mostly regarding the flat-out Tamburello corner, which was very bumpy and had dangerously little room between the track and a concrete wall which protects a creek that runs behind it. In 1987
, Nelson Piquet
had an accident there during practice and missed the race due to injury. In the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix
, Gerhard Berger
crashed his Ferrari
at Tamburello after a front wing failure. The car caught fire after the heavy impact but thanks to the quick work of the firefighters and medical personnel Berger survived and missed only one race (the 1989 Monaco Grand Prix
) due to burns to his hands. Michele Alboreto
also had a fiery accident at the Tamburello corner testing his Footwork Arrows at the circuit in 1991 but escaped injury. Riccardo Patrese
also had an accident at the Tamburello corner in 1992 while testing for the Williams team.
, the dangers of the Imola circuit and of Formula One in general, became tragically apparent. During Friday practice Rubens Barrichello
was launched over a curb and into the top of a tyre barrier at the Variante Bassa, knocking the Brazilian unconscious though quick medical intervention saved his life. During Saturday qualifying Austrian Roland Ratzenberger
crashed head-on into a wall at over 310 km/h at the Villeneuve corner, dying instantly from a basilar skull fracture
. The tragedy continued the next day, when the three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna
lost control of his car
and crashed into the concrete wall at the Tamburello corner on Lap 7. Though he was not seriously injured by the impact with the wall itself, flying debris (including the right front tyre from his Williams) from the crash caused fatal injuries
. In two unrelated incidents, several spectators and mechanics were also injured during the event.
The circuit continued to host Grands Prix, but revisions were immediately made in an attempt to make the circuit safer. The flat-out Tamburello corner was reduced to a 4th gear left-right sweeper, and a gravel trap was added to the limited space on the outside of the corner. Villeneuve corner, previously an innocuous 6th gear right-hander into Tosa, was made a complementary 4th gear sweeper, also with a gravel trap on the outside of the corner. In an attempt to retain some of the quickness and character of the old circuit, the arduous chicane at Acqua Minerale was eliminated, and the Variante Bassa was straighten up into a single chicane. Many say that the new circuit configuration is not as good as it used to be as a result of the new chicanes at Tamburello and Villeneuve.
Another modification made to the Imola track is that of the famous Variante Alta which is situated at the top of the hill leading down to Rivazza and has the hardest braking point on the lap. The Variante Alta, formerly a high-kerbed chicane, was hit quite hard by the drivers which caused damage to the cars and occasionally was the site of quite a few accidents. Before the 2006 Grand Prix, the kerbs were lowered considerably and the turn itself was tightened to reduce speeds and hopefully reduce the number of accidents at the chicane.
Some are also critical of the circuit's deteriorating facilities and there had long been discussion of the San Marino Grand Prix
removed from the Formula One calendar. In 2007, the discussion was realised as the San Marino Grand Prix was removed from the Formula One calendar and has since not returned.
Following an FIA decision in August 2006, the Grand Prix was removed from the calendar of the 2007 Formula One season
.
SAGIS, the company that owns the circuit, hoped that the race would be reinstated at the October 2006 meeting of the FIA World Motorsport Council and scheduled for the weekend of 29 April 2007, providing renovations to the circuit were completed in time for the race, but the reinstatement was denied.
Since then, the circuit has undergone major revisions:
The Variante Bassa chicane
has been removed, making the run from Rivazza 2 to the first Tamburello chicane totally flat-out, much like the circuit in its original fast-flowing days. However the chicane has been reinstalled for motorcycle races.
The old pit garages and paddock have been demolished and completely rebuilt - the pitlane extended and resurfaced - the reconstruction overseen by German track architect Hermann Tilke
.
The circuit hopes to rejoin the Formula One calendar within the next few seasons.
In June 2008, with most of the reconstruction work completed, The FIA gave the track a "1T" rating, meaning that an official Formula One Test can be held at the circuit; circuits require the "1" homologation to host a Formula One Grand Prix. However, as of August 2011, the track received a '1' FIA homologation rating after a recent inspection by Charlie Whiting.
The circuit hosted the 2008 WTCC
Race of Europe, on 21 September 2008.
In 2011, the 6 Hours of Imola
was revived and added to the Le Mans Series
and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup as a season event.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
town of Imola
Imola
thumb|250px|The Cathedral of Imola.Imola is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, located on the Santerno river, in the Emilia-Romagna region of north-central Italy...
, 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) east of Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) east of the Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
factory in Maranello
Maranello
Maranello is a town and comune in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy, 18 km from Modena, with a population of 16,841 as of 2009. It is best known as the home of Ferrari S.p.A. and the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One racing team...
.
The circuit is named after Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
's late founder Enzo
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
and his son Dino
Alfredo Ferrari
Alfredo Ferrari , nicknamed Alfredino or Dino, was the son of Enzo Ferrari. Enzo decided to name Alfredo after his grandfather...
who had died in the 1950s. Before Enzo Ferrari's death in 1988 it was called 'Autodromo Dino Ferrari'.
It was the venue for the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
San Marino Grand Prix
San Marino Grand Prix
The San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One championship race which was run at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, near the Apennine mountains in Italy, between 1981 and 2006...
(for many years two Grands Prix were held in Italy every year, so the race held at Imola was named after the nearby state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
) and it also hosted the 1980 edition of the Italian Grand Prix
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
, which usually takes place in Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
. When Formula One visits Imola, it is seen as the 'home circuit' of Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
and masses of tifosi
Tifosi
Tifosi is an Italian word to describe a group of supporters or fans, especially in sports. Tifosi is used for a mixed gender or an all-male group; masculine singular tifoso, feminine singular tifosa, feminine plural tifose.-Football:...
(Ferrari supporters) come out to support the local team.
Imola, as it is colloquially known, is one of the few major international circuits to run in an anti-clockwise direction. (Istanbul Racing Circuit, Korean International Circuit
Korean International Circuit
The Korea International Circuit is a motorsport circuit located in Yeongam, South Jeolla, South Korea, 400 kilometres south of Seoul and near the port city of Mokpo...
, Singapore's Marina Bay
Singapore Grand Prix
The Singapore Grand Prix is a motor race, currently in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held in the Marina Bay area of Singapore...
, Autódromo José Carlos Pace
Autódromo José Carlos Pace
Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known by its former name Interlagos, is a motor racing circuit located in the city of São Paulo, and named after Carlos Pace, a Brazilian Formula One driver, who had died prior to its naming...
at Interlagos
Interlagos
***Interlagos is an upper class neighborhood located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It includes the Autódromo José Carlos Pace race track, home of the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix...
, Brazil, and the Yas Marina Circuit, for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a Formula One race. It was announced in early 2007 at the Abu Dhabi F1 Festival in the United Arab Emirates...
are other anti-clockwise circuits used recently by Formula One.)
Tamburello curve
The track was inaugurated in 1953, and it had no chicanes, so the run from Rivazza all the way to Tosa, through the pits and the eventually notorious Tamburello was totally flat out, as was the run from Aquaminerale all the way to Rivazza was just a long straight with a few small bends; and the circuit remained in this configuration until 1972. Despite the addition of the chicaneChicane
A chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
s, the circuit was subject to constant safety concerns, mostly regarding the flat-out Tamburello corner, which was very bumpy and had dangerously little room between the track and a concrete wall which protects a creek that runs behind it. In 1987
1987 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1987 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 3, 1987 at the Autodromo Dino Ferrari, Imola. It was the second race of the 1987 Formula One season.-Race summary:...
, Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...
had an accident there during practice and missed the race due to injury. In the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix
1989 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1989 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Imola on April 23, 1989.- Race summary :The only change to the entry list for the San Marino Grand Prix was the arrival of Gabriele Tarquini in the second car of the small AGS team, which had only run one car in Brazil after Philippe...
, Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger, is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver, who previously owned 50% of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team until he sold his share back to energy drink owner Dietrich Mateschitz in November 2008....
crashed his Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
at Tamburello after a front wing failure. The car caught fire after the heavy impact but thanks to the quick work of the firefighters and medical personnel Berger survived and missed only one race (the 1989 Monaco Grand Prix
1989 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1989 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 7, 1989.- Race summary :The field was one fewer in Monaco as Ferrari had decided not to run a second car to replace Gerhard Berger, who was injured in an accident at Imola. Elsewhere Tyrrell had new cars that looked promising...
) due to burns to his hands. Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto was an Italian racing driver. He is famous for finishing runner up to Alain Prost in the 1985 Formula One World Championship, as well as winning the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2001 12 Hours of Sebring sports car races...
also had a fiery accident at the Tamburello corner testing his Footwork Arrows at the circuit in 1991 but escaped injury. Riccardo Patrese
Riccardo Patrese
Riccardo Gabriele Patrese is an Italian former racing driver, who raced in Formula One from to .He became the first Formula One driver to achieve 200 Grand Prix starts when he appeared at the 1990 British Grand Prix, and the first to achieve 250 starts at the 1993 German Grand Prix...
also had an accident at the Tamburello corner in 1992 while testing for the Williams team.
1994 San Marino Grand Prix
In the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix1994 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 1, 1994 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy. It was the third race of the 1994 Formula One season...
, the dangers of the Imola circuit and of Formula One in general, became tragically apparent. During Friday practice Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable...
was launched over a curb and into the top of a tyre barrier at the Variante Bassa, knocking the Brazilian unconscious though quick medical intervention saved his life. During Saturday qualifying Austrian Roland Ratzenberger
Roland Ratzenberger
Roland Ratzenberger was an Austrian racing driver who raced in Formula Nippon, Formula 3000 and Formula One...
crashed head-on into a wall at over 310 km/h at the Villeneuve corner, dying instantly from a basilar skull fracture
Basilar skull fracture
A basilar skull fracture is a fracture of the base of the skull, typically involving the temporal bone, occipital bone, sphenoid bone, and/or ethmoid bone....
. The tragedy continued the next day, when the three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
lost control of his car
Williams FW16
The Williams FW16 was a Formula One car used by the Williams team for the 1994 Formula One season. It was designed by Adrian Newey with the major regulation changes that the FIA had introduced in the off-season, banning the electronic devices that had been used by the front running cars during the...
and crashed into the concrete wall at the Tamburello corner on Lap 7. Though he was not seriously injured by the impact with the wall itself, flying debris (including the right front tyre from his Williams) from the crash caused fatal injuries
Death of Ayrton Senna
The death of three-time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna on May 1, 1994, occurred as a result of his car crashing into a concrete barrier while he was leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy. The previous day, Roland Ratzenberger had been killed...
. In two unrelated incidents, several spectators and mechanics were also injured during the event.
Another modification made to the Imola track is that of the famous Variante Alta which is situated at the top of the hill leading down to Rivazza and has the hardest braking point on the lap. The Variante Alta, formerly a high-kerbed chicane, was hit quite hard by the drivers which caused damage to the cars and occasionally was the site of quite a few accidents. Before the 2006 Grand Prix, the kerbs were lowered considerably and the turn itself was tightened to reduce speeds and hopefully reduce the number of accidents at the chicane.
Some are also critical of the circuit's deteriorating facilities and there had long been discussion of the San Marino Grand Prix
San Marino Grand Prix
The San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One championship race which was run at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, near the Apennine mountains in Italy, between 1981 and 2006...
removed from the Formula One calendar. In 2007, the discussion was realised as the San Marino Grand Prix was removed from the Formula One calendar and has since not returned.
Recent developments
2007 Formula One season
The 2007 Formula One season was the 58th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, which began on 18 March and ended on 21 October after seventeen events. The Drivers' Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the...
.
SAGIS, the company that owns the circuit, hoped that the race would be reinstated at the October 2006 meeting of the FIA World Motorsport Council and scheduled for the weekend of 29 April 2007, providing renovations to the circuit were completed in time for the race, but the reinstatement was denied.
Since then, the circuit has undergone major revisions:
The Variante Bassa chicane
Chicane
A chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
has been removed, making the run from Rivazza 2 to the first Tamburello chicane totally flat-out, much like the circuit in its original fast-flowing days. However the chicane has been reinstalled for motorcycle races.
The old pit garages and paddock have been demolished and completely rebuilt - the pitlane extended and resurfaced - the reconstruction overseen by German track architect Hermann Tilke
Hermann Tilke
Hermann Tilke is a German engineer and auto racer, who has designed numerous Formula One motor racing circuits.-Racing:...
.
The circuit hopes to rejoin the Formula One calendar within the next few seasons.
In June 2008, with most of the reconstruction work completed, The FIA gave the track a "1T" rating, meaning that an official Formula One Test can be held at the circuit; circuits require the "1" homologation to host a Formula One Grand Prix. However, as of August 2011, the track received a '1' FIA homologation rating after a recent inspection by Charlie Whiting.
The circuit hosted the 2008 WTCC
2008 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2008 World Touring Car Championship season was the fifth World Touring Car Championship season, the fourth since its 2005 return. It began on March 2, and ended on November 16, after twenty-four races...
Race of Europe, on 21 September 2008.
In 2011, the 6 Hours of Imola
6 Hours of Imola
The 6 Hours of Imola is an endurance race for sports cars held at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy.-Results:- External links :*...
was revived and added to the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup as a season event.