Imola Preview

By Ian Lockwood
April 21 2006

After a three week break following the Australian GP, F1 returns to European shores for the San Marino Grand Prix. Despite many great races, the circuit at Imola will be forever remembered for the events of 1994 when Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna lost their lives.

The San Marino Grand Prix is unusual, in that it is not actually held in San Marino. The town of Imola where the circuit is located is actually 50 miles away in Italy. The Principality is deemed close enough though to lend its name to the race, thus giving Ferrari and passionate Italian fans the luxury of two races on home soil.

Imola has a special atmosphere as the "tifosi" bring their own brand of support to the pleasantly-located parkland circuit. It takes its name from the legendary Enzo Ferrari and his son Dino. The area surrounding the circuit is a strange mixture of grand Italian houses, factories, and dodgy hotels, co-existing alongside each other creating a general feel of lack of planning.

Originally Imola was a fast, power circuit dominated by the main straight which ran all the way from the pits, through the long fast left bend at Tamburello before curving to the right on its way to the Tosa hairpin at the far end of the circuit.  Safety worries produced a number of chicanes. And then following the deaths of both Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in 1994, major modifications were made. These brought changes to Tamburello, Villeneuve and Variante Bassa to meet FIA requirements.

Today's more sanitized version of the circuit is characterized by the bumpy nature of the narrow track and the unusally high and jagged swatooth kerbs. This is particulary noticable at the back of the circuit on the "Variante Alta" (High Chicane). Arriving unsited at 180mph, if you mis-judge your entry into the chicane the high kerbs will launch your car across the grass and into a wall on the exit. Williams driver Mark Webber summed it up perfectly in an interview with ITV's Martin Brundle by saying "Jeez mate, you need a lucky bounce up there".

The circuit is in stark contrast to the modern pupose built tracks of Malaysia & Bahrain with their wide open spaces and architecturally impressive facilities. Located within the boundaries of the town of Imola itself many locals back gardens surround the edges of the track allowing them to hang out their washing to the sound of F1 engines. The centre of the circuit is home to these peoples olive groves and small holdings.

David Coulthard and Christian Klien will be hoping to add to their points tally this weekend, following productive tests at Paul Ricard & Barcelona during the break after Australia. During the tests good mileage was put on the cars and some Adrian Newey aero updates seemed to have been a step forward. As ever, the only results that count are on race day.

Both drivers will start the weekend with fresh Ferrari engines - DC was scheduled for a change anyway, and CK is able to employ a fresh unit by virtue of not finishing in Australia. This will be the first time that Klien has raced a Red Bull at Imola since 2004, as last year 'Tonio Liuzzi was given the nod for the race as part of the seat swapping arrangement that existed.