Formula 1 returns to Imola after last year's race was cancelled because the Romagna and Marche regions were hit by devastating floods in the week of the Grand Prix, causing 17 fatalities, displacing 20,000 people and causing billions of euros worth of damage. The Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell'Emilia-Romagna is the seventh round of the championship and marks the start of the European leg of the season.
The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola is an old-school circuit, one of the reasons it is much loved by the drivers. The track traces its way up and around the hills of Imola, featuring corners that are part of the history of motorsport, some of them taken at speeds well in excess of 200 km/h. In its current form, the first sector is probably the most challenging, with a long pit straight where the DRS can be opened, followed by two high-speed chicanes, the marvellous series of corners including the Tamburello chicanes, Villeneuve corner as well as the heavy braking for Tosa. The run-off areas are gravel, adding to their tricky nature. The slightest mistake can cost precious tenths in qualifying and even track position in the race. Sector 2 features a steep climb to Piratella corner after which the track drops down again to the high speed Acque Minerali corners where drivers have to time their braking perfectly to carry enough speed into the third and final sector, which includes the track's only DRS detection point. There are not many overtaking opportunities, but the main straight is certainly a good one.
After two Sprint races in a row, this weekend sees a return to the traditional format with two free practice sessions on Friday at 13.30 and 17.00. Free practice 3 is on Saturday at 12.30, followed by qualifying at 16.00. The Grand Prix, over 63 laps, equal to 309.049 kilometres gets underway at 15.00. All times are CEST.
Fred Vasseur: After several races racing a long way from home, this weekend marks the start of the European part of the championship. The Grand Prix takes place at Imola, the closest track to our Maranello headquarters and it's named after our founder. It's also a return to the usual format, with three free practice sessions, which is why we have decided to introduce our first update package for the SF-24 here. That's going to make for a very busy weekend, given that we will have to evaluate all the new parts, while going through the normal programme in preparation for qualifying and the race. As usual, we can expect a very closely fought contest with our competitors, which means that doing a good job of fine tuning the car set-up can be as important as any benefit the upgrades might bring. After the Imola race had to be cancelled last season, we're happy to be back, racing in front of our fans who, I'm sure, will be packing the grandstands. We are confident that we can be on the pace, fighting at the front and therefore we hope we can deliver for the tifosi.
Ferrari at Imola
GP contested: 30
Debut: Italian Grand Prix 1980 (J. Scheckter 8th; G. Villeneuve ret.)
Wins: 8 (26.87%)
Pole positions: 6 (20,00%)
Fastest laps: 10 (33.33%)
Podiums: 24 (26.67%)
Three Questions to... Nicola Mosconi, Head of Power Unit Track Operations
What's Imola like from a power unit point of view?
Nicola Mosconi: Imola is a circuit with medium sensitivity to energy, so more or less midway between the two extremes of Monaco and Spa-Francorchamps. There's only one DRS zone on the main straight and the strategies around how energy from the power unit is deployed must take this into account to maximise the chances of overtaking and to minimise the threat of being passed. The drivers ride the kerbs quite aggressively here, especially through Acqua Minerali and the Variante Alta and so one needs to be in the right gear and on the perfect line to avoid reliability problems linked to over-revving.
What are the main challenges facing the drivers and teams at Imola?
NM: It's an old-school circuit that goes up and down, and it has pretty technical corners and braking points. Therefore, it's important for the driver to feel comfortable right from the start and to get through all the free practice programme to grow in confidence and therefore find the car's limits. To do that you want a reliable car and a strategy that focuses right from the start on meeting the driver's needs as far as possible. This holds true everywhere, but here it takes on even greater importance.
Tell us about yourself. You were born near here so what path did you take to join Scuderia Ferrari HP?
NM:This is indeed my home grand prix as I live just 50 kilometres away. I graduated in Bologna and did my thesis at Ferrari, then staying on to work for the company. At first I worked on engine testing on the test bench and gradually gained experience as an engine engineer with the test team. In 2013, I began working with our customer teams who were supplied with engines and then, as from 2014, power units. A few years later I joined the race team, first as an engine engineer for Kimi and then for Charles. For the past 18 months I have worked as the Head of power unit track operations manager for the Scuderia Ferrari HP team.
Gran Premio del Made in Italy a dell' Emilia Romagna - Facts & Figures
7. The number of what are known as the sister cities of Romagna. Imola is one with a population of 69,000. The other main centres of population in the area are Cesena (pop. 96,000), Faenza (59,000), Forlė (116,000), Lugo (32,000), Ravenna (156,000) and Rimini (149,000). The people of Romagna came up with a nursery rhyme about this special kinship which translates as Rimini for sailing, Cesena for singing, Forli for dancing, Ravenna for eating, Lugo for cheating, Faenza for working, Imola for making love.
30. The number of years that have passed since the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at Imola during the 1994 San Marino GP on 30 April and 1 May respectively. This year on 1st May, the circuit remembered both drivers with over 20,000 race fans walking the track before a ceremony attended by the Austrian, Brazilian and Italian Foreign Ministers, as well as Ratzenberger's parents and Senna's nephew Bruno. The Brazilian champion is also remembered with a statue at the Tamburello corner where he died, a two metre high bronze, depicting Senna, the work of Tuscan artist Stefano Pierotti, unveiled on 26 April 1997.
96. The number of sports facilities in the Imola area, including the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit. This city boasts one of the most active populations in Italy with half of Imola residents under 65 claiming to take part in sport at least once a week.
241. The number of points scored by Scuderia Ferrari at Imola, more than any other team. Next up come McLaren on 212 and Williams with 151. No fewer than 102 of those Scuderia points were scored by Michael Schumacher who won here seven times, six of them with Ferrari, making him the most successful driver at Imola.
1951. The year in which the concept of "Made in Italy" was born. It was the brainchild of Giovanni Battista Giorgini, an aristocratic and successful entrepreneur. He realised there was global interest in the world of the Italian fashion houses and, on 12th February that year, he organised a unique event, bringing together designers, stylists, the press and fashion buyers. It was called the "First Italian High Fashion Show," held in Giorgini's Villa Torrigiani in Florence. There were 18 models on the catwalk, representing several Italian fashion houses, including Sorelle Fontana, Princess Giovanna Caracciolo's Carosa atelier, Alberto Fabiani, the Simonetta atelier run by Duchess Visconti, Emilio Schuberth, Jole Veneziani, the Vanna tailoring shop of Manette Valente, Vita Noberasco, Germana Marucelli, Emilio Pucci, Giorgio Avolio, "La Tessitrice dell'isola", Mirsa and Franco Bertoli. It was a great success and from that day on the phrase "Made in Italy" passed into the vocabulary.
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