F1 in Imola
Formula 1 will return this year to Imola for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, an event that was canceled in 2023 due to the violent floods that hit the region in May. The 'Enzo e Dino Ferrari' circuit, which welcomed the Circus for the first time in 1980 as the venue for the Italian Grand Prix (only in that edition, before changing its name to 'San Marino GP'), remained uninterruptedly calendar from then until 2006, only to return in 2020 after a long absence.
The tragedies in 1994
Throughout its history, Imola experienced its most tragic edition in 1994. In the same race weekend, after the serious accident that occurred to Rubens Barrichello, without consequences for the Brazilian, the young Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna lost their lives. While the Austrian died from injuries sustained after the crash at the Villeneuve curve during qualifying, the three-time world champion died a few hours after the start due to another high-speed impact, this time at the Tamburello curve. In that same race, two other accidents occurred: at the start there was an impact between Pedro Lamy and JJ Lehto, with a tire ending up in the stands, injuring some spectators. In the second half of the race, Alboreto's Minardi lost a poorly secured wheel in the pits while changing tires, hitting some Ferrari mechanics, who were also injured.
In memory of Senna and Ratzenberger
A weekend that still represents one of the darkest moments in the entire history of Formula 1 and motorsport in general. When the Circus arrives in Imola, they will have passed just over thirty years to the day since what happened in 1994with the Automobile Club Italia having in the meantime announced a series of initiatives in memory of Ratzenberger and Senna.
“As a Region we strongly wanted the return of Formula 1 to Imola, a central event in the very rich calendar of sporting events in Emilia-Romagna – declared Stefano Bonaccini, president of the Emilia-Romagna Region – this year the grand prix is enriched with further and profound meanings: the memory of a much loved champion like Ayrton Senna and a strong signal of a restart for Romagna hit by the flood.”
#Imola #ACI #remember #Senna #Ratzenberger