Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari

Interesting facts

In April 1994, two drivers died at Imola on the same weekend: Roland Ratzenberger in qualifying on the Saturday, and Ayrton Senna in the race itself on the Sunday, both at the high-speed Tamburello corner. The tragedy triggered the most sweeping overhaul of Formula 1 safety rules the sport had seen up to that point. The track opened in 1953 as 'Autodromo di Imola'; from 1957 it was renamed 'Autodromo Dino Ferrari' in memory of Enzo Ferrari's son Alfredo 'Dino' Ferrari, who died young in 1956, and only took its current full name in 1989, after Enzo Ferrari's own death. The 'San Marino' name traces back to 1980, when Imola stood in for a Monza refurbishment as host of that year's Italian Grand Prix; since Monza kept the 'Italian Grand Prix' title, organisers had San Marino's motorsport authority register its own separate race to secure Imola a permanent calendar slot. The race was officially dropped after 2006 to make room for the returning Belgian Grand Prix, and didn't come back until 2020, as a late pandemic-calendar addition branded the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Tamburello, once a flat-out corner taken at full speed, was rebuilt into a chicane after 1994. In 1982, Ferrari ordered both its drivers to slow down to protect their engines; Gilles Villeneuve read that as an order to hold position, but teammate Didier Pironi passed him on the final lap and took the win anyway. A furious Villeneuve vowed never to speak to him again, and never did, since he died in a crash at Zolder qualifying two weeks later. The circuit is located in Imola, Italy. Formula 1 has raced here since 1980, with 32 races held so far, most recently in 2025. The first race here was won by Nelson Piquet, in 1980. The most recent winner here was Max Verstappen, in 2025. Michael Schumacher has won here more than anyone else, 7 times. Among constructors, Ferrari has been the most successful here, with 8 wins. The lap record here is held by Lewis Hamilton, at 1:15.484 (Mercedes, 2020).

Circuit history