New Delhi: What an Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May, with Max Verstappen taking his third straight win at the circuit despite the pressure put on by the two McLarens. Sadly, that is the last of the Imola GP we will see in a while. The Madrid GP has now replaced this beautiful race. Surely that will be interesting, but Imola is etched in memory like folklore.
It is said to be one of the most dangerous tracks on the planet, with its fast, narrow lanes and a track that is full of trees and walls. At some point, every driver has been humbled at one of the corners at the track. From the likes of past heroes Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonnen, to the modern greats like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, the unforgiving corners have claimed the egos at some point and in some moments, even more than just the ego.
It was Ayrton Senna’s death that triggered a redesign to make the track safer, though it retains the quality of being fast-paced, pushing the drivers to the edge of their abilities. Even after seven wins, even Schumacher couldn’t call it is comfort circuit, and that is what makes the circuit’s departure so sad.
The glorious history of the Imola Circuit with F1
From one legend to another…
Sebastian Vettel honoured Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger with his showrun at Imola last year 🇧🇷🇦🇹#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/NfK7IAnxpS
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 14, 2025
Originally known as the Autodromo di Imola, it was inaugurated in 1953 as a semi-permanent venue without any chicanes. Which means that the run from Acque Minerali to Rivazza and from Rivazza to Tosa, through the pits and the Tamburello, was just straights with a few small bends. It was how the circuit remained till 172.
While the first motorcycle races took place in 1953 and the first car race happened in 1954, Formula One reached the venue in 1963 as a non-championship event, won by Jim Clark with Lotus. Another non-championship event in 1979 was won by Niki Lauda. It was in 1980 that the race debuted in the calendar, the first time that Monza hadn’t hosted the Italian GP since 1948.
The race was won by Nelson Piquet, and it immediately rang a bell with the crowd. The San Marino Grand Prix was created as a new race for Imola in 1981 and remained on the calendar till 2006. Back in the day, the race had 60 laps for the 5,050 km circuit, making the total race a matter of 300 km.
Following Senna and Roland Ratzenberger’s deaths (both dying in the same weekend), modifications were made to the Tamburello corner, turning it from a flat-out left-hander to a left-right-left chicane.
Significant changes have been made to the circuit since 2007. In order to replicate the circuit’s original fast-flowing days, an automobile bypass to the Variante Bassa chicane was constructed, making the run from Rivazza 2 to the first Tamburello chicane completely flat-out. Nonetheless, motorbike races continue to use the chicane.
Why is the Imola GP omitted from the 2026 F1 calendar?
There are many reasons for jacking the Imola race. One of the primary being the that F1 is limited to 24 races in a season, and with upcoming markets like Madrid, which is the replacement for this iconic race. A race in Imola contributes only $21 million. In comparison, Barcelona pays $25 million annually, and Madrid is estimated for $52 million. Madrid GP, though, still needs a clearance from the FIA, the governing body, before it can host a race. In its recent incarnation, replacing the Chinese GP in 2020, it was still snubbed in 2023 due to floods in the region.
The F1 chief executive has said that with rising demands from Stefano Domenicali mean having two races in Italy means little justice. Plus, with rival promoters paying much more, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix may not have it to defend itself. It had no contract for 2026, and the circuit of Imola issued a defiant statement, following the axing, which said that it wasn’t the end of the story.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen said that while he understood that Monza having a contract with F1 made it impossible for Imola to stay, it was a loss all the same. Verstappen felt that it was one of the few tracks that made drivers respect it.
Is it the right direction for Formula One?
Imola is one race circuit that has, since its return, created a lot of hype. With a revived interest in Senna’s life in recent years, the track too found itself in the spotlight for both its notorious nature and the amount of hype it has. The races that have happened in these last few years have only added to people’s intrigue.
While from a financial point of view, maybe it is best to invest in newer markets that are showing interest, after all F1 is a business that needs to be kept running. Driver fatigue means that races should be limited in some sense for better driver recovery. However, connoisseurs of F1 would deeply miss a race that had for 14 years been missing from the calendar.
With Emilia Romagna Grand Prix dropped from the 2026 calendar, here’s a look at the glorious history and the significance of the Imola circuit. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
