Imola, the positioning of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, has added extra gravel traps at Piratella, Acque Minerali and Variante Alta to assist deal with the sequence’ recurring points with monitor limits.
It has additionally enhanced the circuit’s old-school really feel, with its slim but difficult structure together with its many undulations and sudden route adjustments.
F1’s drivers have virtually universally given Imola’s tweaks a thumbs-up, with Verstappen wishing the calendar had extra circuits prefer it relatively than the rising variety of avenue circuits.
“I believe it is nice. You get punished in the event you go huge,” Crimson Bull’s triple world champion stated.
“Truthfully, it is only a improbable monitor. I want we had 24 of these on the calendar. We go to plenty of tracks that do not actually excite me, however that is unbelievable.
“There are just a few old-school tracks that we now have remaining on the calendar and that is additionally what I fell in love with once I began racing and watching F1. We’d like extra of these.”
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri added: “It is one of many hardest tracks of the yr by way of how old-school it’s and having gravel in all places.
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
“You do not have to fret about monitor limits. You understand in the event you’ve gone over it since you’re within the gravel otherwise you’re off.”
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc even added Imola to the class of driver favourites that additionally consists of Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka, Monaco and Zandvoort, however he did level out a few of F1’s extra conventional venues want to have a look at enhance the spectacle for the followers as nicely.
“It is what all of us miss slightly from all the brand new venues, this old-school form of feeling of the monitor and the historical past,” the Monegasque stated.
“I am glad the calendar retains this type of venue as a result of I believe it reminds us all the place all of us come from and why all of us turned followers of this sport, so I am an enormous fan of coming again to locations like Imola, Monaco subsequent week.
“I do assume possibly there’s doubtlessly a bit of labor to do in a few of these tracks to possibly make them a bit higher for the present after we have a look at the overtaking prospects in Monaco or right here.
“I believe we have to see how lengthy is the pit lane additionally, see how we will make the old-school tracks additionally possibly a bit extra thrilling with overtaking alternatives and making the race higher.
“However I believe this can be a top-three circuit on this planet, the place you’re feeling a Formulation 1 automobile greater than anything. This along with Suzuka, I believe Zandvoort additionally possibly is the place you’re feeling a Formulation 1 automobile at its peak.”
The drivers’ love letter to Imola comes on the thirtieth anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s deadly accident on the circuit, which, tragically, added to the lore and the notoriety of the venue that’s nonetheless filled with passionate Italian followers.
But it surely additionally comes towards a backdrop of Imola being regarded as the more than likely of Europe’s conventional venues to vanish off the calendar past 2025.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali instructed Italian media this weekend that it will be difficult to maintain each Imola and Monza in the long run except there may be way more funding in retaining each amenities as much as the present customary.
In the meantime, each Thailand and South Korea are eyeing a slot on the schedule with proposed avenue races, as F1’s desired restrict of 24 races retains competitors for a spot on the calendar excessive.
There’s additionally a transparent break up between what the drivers get pleasure from essentially the most and what’s finest for the present. Monaco’s parade is the perfect instance of that, however Imola is simply too.
Sunday’s race is anticipated to be an easy one-stop race with restricted tyre put on and overtaking coming at a premium.
Imola boasts a really lengthy essential straight, however following via the previous double left-hander of Rivazza is just not really easy, with a number of drivers struggling for grip all through apply and qualifying.
“I believe it is the second most tough circuit to overhaul simply behind Monaco,” Fernando Alonso stated.
“Singapore ranks simpler than Imola to overhaul, in order that tells every little thing.”
