Bad news from Imola

🤷🏼‍♂️ Toto Wolff is trying to soften expectations in advance of the new upgrades

While a major upgrade package for Imola was indeed on its way, Wolff is playing it cool, warning that it may not be a magical leap forward for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Still, this upgrade package – featuring a new front wheel suspension, trim parts, and an underbody – might just be what they need.

However, don’t expect a fairy tale transformation. Wolff’s been around the F1 block long enough to know that magic bullets are as rare as a quiet day on the racetrack. He’s hopeful yet cautious, reminding us that the real world isn’t as forgiving as virtual simulations.

This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon, and Mercedes has three back-to-back races to figure out if their upgrade is a prince or a frog. Let’s just hope for their sake it doesn’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight! – Read more(DE)

👇🏼 Here’s a short recap of what teams are bringing to the table in terms of upgrades for the next races.

📈 F1 car upgrades the teams are bringing to Imola.

🏎️Here’s what we know so far:

⚫️ Mercedes – rumored to bring the most updates:
– new front wheel suspension
– new trim parts (side boxes, bonnet)
– new underbody

🔴 Ferrari
– new underbody
– rear suspension

🟢 Aston… pic.twitter.com/4Ywbc0tYmy

— David | APEX Bite (@apex_bite) May 16, 2023

This early Christmas present, originally slated for 2024, was fast-tracked due to the rise in car performance this season, both in terms of speed and downforce. – Read more

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Imola GP: From San Marino to Emilia Romagna

This week we were going to bella Italia for one of the most thrilling events of the season, the Emilia Romagna GP.

Even though the event is cancelled, Imola deserves an in-depth article such as this one, to get you up to speed with the history, growth & iconic moments this track went through.

Now, if you’re here thinking, “Emilia Romagna? Wasn’t that San Marino once upon a time?”

Well, you’ve just earned your stripes as a seasoned F1 aficionado. If not, no worries – stick around, and you’ll be out-trivia-ing the most diehard fans in no time.

The Emilia Romagna GP (also named Imola GP after the town it’s situated in) has a long, storied past, full of high-speed thrills, from its early days as a fledgling track to its time as the San Marino GP, right up to its latest incarnation as the Emilia Romagna GP.

The Early Years: Birth and Growth of the Imola Circuit

Now, let’s take a step back in time to the 1950s. Picture this: a small town in Italy, Imola, dreaming big. Really big. Like, ‘let’s build a major international motor racing circuit’ big.

And so, they did. In 1953, the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari was born. Quite a mouthful, isn’t it? Let’s stick with Imola for now.

Don’t go thinking this was just any regular track. Oh no, it was a rebel right from the start. One of the few to run in an anti-clockwise direction.

The track was named after none other than Ferrari’s late founder, Enzo Ferrari, and his son, Dino. Before Enzo’s passing, it was called Autodromo Dino Ferrari. Talk about a tribute!

Now, you can’t mention Imola without mentioning the San Marino Grand Prix. From 1981 to 2006, Imola hosted this GP, and trust me, it was quite the spectacle.

Remember, Italy already had the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, so Imola being named after the nearby state was like your younger sibling getting a cool nickname.

Before its big break, Imola started small. Its inaugural years saw it as a semi-permanent venue for motorcycle races and non-championship car races. Back then, it was more of a straight circuit with a few small bends.

But as any good wine does, Imola matured with time. By 1963, it hosted its first F1 race, won by Jim Clark for Lotus. Fast forward to 1980, and it was officially part of the F1 Championship calendar, hosting the San Marino Grand Prix.

The San Marino Era: Highlight Years and Iconic Moments

The San Marino Era is a significant period in Formula One racing, particularly centered around the Imola circuit in Italy.

This period saw the birth of the San Marino Grand Prix in the 1980s, following the Italian Grand Prix’s temporary relocation to Imola due to a fatal accident at Monza.

The 80s and 90s were a rollercoaster ride at Imola. We had everything from a controversial Ferrari 1-2 in 1982 to the Prost-Senna soap opera in 1989.

And let’s not forget the mastery of Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna, who all left their tire tracks on the circuit.

1994 was an infamous year in Imola. It was the year when the racing world lost Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in tragic accidents.

The race was a turning point, leading to significant improvements in safety regulations. Post 1994, the track underwent modifications to ensure greater safety for drivers.

The late 1990s to 2000s saw the dominance of Michael Schumacher, who won there a staggering seven times.

The San Marino Grand Prix said its goodbyes in 2007 to make room for the Belgian Grand Prix.

The circuit, however, made a comeback, returning to the F1 calendar in 2020 as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Just goes to show, you can’t keep a good track down!

Transition to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Why the Name Change?

San Marino wasn’t quite the right fit for the Imola Circuit since it’s actually located in Emilia Romagna, Italy. Plus, F1 was changing in big ways. So, in came the new name, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

After 2007, the track got a big makeover. They added a shortcut for cars and spruced up the garages and pitlane. Even with these changes, it took until 2020 for the track to come back to the F1 calendar, this time with its new name.

The First Emilia Romagna Grand Prix:

The COVID-19 pandemic shook up the 2020 F1 calendar. To fill in the gaps, Imola was brought back as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. It was a two-day event instead of the usual three. Bottas got the best starting spot, but it was Lewis Hamilton who won the race.

Comparing with the San Marino Days:

The Imola track has changed quite a bit from the San Marino days.

• 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 Minerali was eliminated, and the Variante Bassa was straightened into a single chicane.

It’s a trickier circuit now with modifications to a few key corners and chicanes. But, the heart of the track is still the same.

The new Emilia Romagna Grand Prix holds on to the old memories while making new ones in the ever-changing world of Formula 1.

Famous Personalities and Teams: Their Stories with Imola

The San Marino era saw battles between some of the most legendary names in F1 history. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had numerous duels at Imola, with both of them claiming 3 GP wins each.

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, we also saw the dominance of Michael Schumacher, who won six times at Imola, laying the groundwork for his subsequent reign as one of F1’s all-time greats.

The San Marino era also saw a tug of war between the dominant teams of the time. McLaren, with drivers like Senna and Prost, clinched six victories, while Williams secured eight. Ferrari, the home favorite, also delighted the Tifosi with three wins, including an emotional 1-2 finish in 1982.

Sid Watkins, F1’s chief medical officer at the time, was instrumental in pushing for improved safety measures in the aftermath of that weekend.

These stories add to the rich story of Imola’s F1 history, showing how the circuit has been an important part of F1’s evolution.

Fast Lane News

🔴 Haas won’t copy Red Bull’s bodywork for the sake of adopting the style of a faster car – Read more

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THE IMOLA GP 2023

🇮🇹 CANCELLED

Here’s the latest news about what’s happening at the circuit:

🔴 Ferrari looks set to delay the introduction of its new rear suspension until Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix, thanks to the extreme weather being predicted at Imola. – Read more

🛟 Italian deputy PM Salvini also stressed to “dedicate ourselves to relief work”.

Even if the weather situation improves as expected and the on-track action would be able to go ahead, organising a grand prix in front of a capacity crowd would put a huge strain on the local infrastructure and emergency services at a time when the local population has more urgent needs. – Read more

TLDR;

1️⃣ Circuit length: 4.909 km
2️⃣ Number of laps: 63
3️⃣ Lap record: 1:15.484 Lewis Hamilton (2020)
4️⃣ Corners & DRS: 19 corners with 1 DRS zone

🏆 Previous Winners

⚫️ 2020 – Lewis Hamilton
🔵 2021 – Max Verstappen
🔵 2022 – Max Verstappen

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MEME OF THE DAY

Damn that’s a long name