Racingbulls.co.uk Imola Preview
By Ian Lockwood
April 15 2005
After an extra weeks break following the GP of Bahrain, F1 returns to European shores for the 25th 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.
Current circuit length : 4.933 km (2000-2004)
Lap record : 1m 20.411s; 220.850 km/h (Michael Schumacher 2004)
Fastest qualifying lap : 1m 19.753s; 222.673 km/h (Jenson Button 2004)
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. Former Jaguar 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 there 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.
The 25th Imola Grand Prix will be the F1 race debut for Red Bull Racing's 'Tonio Liuzzi. It is a circuit he knows well though having won here in F3000 in 2004. 'Tonio joins an elite band of current drivers whose debut Grand Prix was not at Melbourne (Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, and Rubens Barichello are thother members, so he is in good company). David Coulthard is also no stranger to the podium at Imola having won in 1998, 2nd in '99, 3rd in '00, & 2nd in '01. We will get comments from the team later next week, but be brave and click here to post your predictions for the upcoming race on the message board.
Ian Lockwood
