The history of the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari… Imola Circuit The Imola Circuit is an incredible race track with a fascinating history. It’s a difficult, complex track that offers one of the most challenging races in the World Championship calendar – always captivating viewing. In this blog we’ll take a look at the history of the circuit, and some of the memorable moments from over the years before we look at how you can get tickets for the next Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The history of Imola Circuit In the Spring of 1948, Enzo Ferrari looked at the area surrounding the small town of Imola and told a group of promoters that this is the perfect place for a racetrack. Five years later, the Autodromo di Imola, as it was known then, held its first motor racing event. When Enzo Ferrari’s son, Dino Ferrari, died in 1956, the track was renamed the Autodromo Dino Ferrari. It would be another 10 years until a Formula One race was held there, a non-championship race, and it wasn’t until 1980 that it held its first Grand Prix – the Italian Grand Prix, taking over from the Monza circuit. The race was such a hit that for the 1981 season the San Marino Grand Prix was created, specifically to have a race at the Autodromo Dino Ferrari. In 1988, following the death of Enzo, the track was again renamed to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. In that year’s San Marino Grand Prix, Gerhard Berger was involved in a crash at Tamburello after a front wing failure, which saw him escape with only minor injuries after his car burst into flames. The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix will forever be remembered as one of the most tragic weekends in the history of sport. On the Friday practice, Rubens Barrichello suffered severe concussion after a collision at the Variante Bassa chicane. The next day, Roland Ratzenberger was killed after he crashed into a concrete wall at Villeneuve Corner. During the race, eight spectators were injured following a collision at the start and on lap seven, racing legend Ayrton Senna was killed instantly when he was hit by debris after coming off the track at Tamburello. There hadn’t been any fatalities at a Formula One race meeting for twelve years, and then two at one Grand Prix. Major revisions swept through the sport. At Imola, the flat out Tamburello corner and Villeneuve corner were altered into slower chicanes, while the kerbs at the Variante Alta chicane were lowered to comply with the constant safety concerns. The San Marino Grand Prix was dropped from the Formula One calendar in 2007 – and it hasn’t featured since. However, the Imola racetrack made a return to the F1 schedule in 2020 when alternative venues were required during the COVID pandemic, and since then it has featured under the name of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – named after the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural race. The Lions’ tours provide a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s best rugby talent play together, creating an exhilarating blend of rivalry and camaraderie among the nations of the British Isles. This tradition has not only shaped rugby’s history but also contributed to the sport’s cultural heritage, with every tour adding to the legacy of epic contests, unforgettable moments and a fierce pride in wearing the iconic red jersey. Memorable Moments at Imola Circuit While the track will always be remembered for the tragic events of 1994, there have been a whole host of great moments on the circuit. The 1982 race ended in controversy as Ferrari teammates Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve were cruising ahead of the rest of the field – Ferrari instructed them both to slow down to reduce risk. Villeneuve took this to mean just hold position (he was leading), while Pironi interpreted it differently, and ended up overtaking Villeneuve in the closing stages. Villeneuve was livid, and vowed never to speak to his teammate again – Villeneuve sadly lost his life at the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks later. Imola was a favourite of the great Michael Schumacher as well. He won the San Marino Grand Prix seven times, including an incredible run between 1999-2004, when the only person to beat him on the track was his brother, Ralf.