FORMULA 1 DRIVERS FELL IN LOVE WITH IMOLA

Imola will always be remembered as the venue which saw the last two F1 driver deaths—those of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in 1994.

But we should also remember it as a beautiful, characterful venue which saw the F1 world painted red for one weekend of the year every season between 1980 and 2006.

Imola hosted the Italian Grand Prix in 1980, and the powers-that-be liked it so much they gave Italy a second annual race, the San Marino Grand Prix.

Featuring a wide variety of corners and some magnificent elevation changes in the second half of the lap, Imola was an interesting and challenging addition to the calendar.

But it didn’t last. The final F1 race at Imola was held in 2006.

Reigning global champion Lewis Hamilton led the reward of Imola, website hosting its first Formula One race since 2006 at this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The well-known Italian circuit stepped in to assist fill the F1 calendar after the COVID-19 pandemic compelled a whole rewrite of the 2020 calendar. Before 2006 it were a mainstay at the time table, usually because the San Marino Grand Prix.

Speaking prior to the only and most effective observe consultation on Saturday morning, Hamilton mentioned: “This track is incredible – it’s unbelievable how fast it is around this track. I think for a single lap it’s going to be incredible.”

Until this weekend, the Imola circuit had no longer hosted a race since 2006.

Hamilton used to be ultimately overwhelmed to pole place via Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas however his love of the circuit had no longer lowered after the consultation. The six-time global champion wondered why circuits like Imola are so uncommon at the present time.

“They don’t build tracks like this any more,” he mentioned. “I don’t know why the new guys can’t build a track like this. I mean it’s just a classic: it’s got the history which helps.”

Daniel Ricciardo certified 5th and used to be nonetheless looking to include his pleasure once you have out of the automobile.

“That was wow, I’m still smiling,” he mentioned. “That was such a fun lap. I’m very happy with the lap and the result.

“Even that apart, pushing the automobiles round right here, doing the ones lap occasions, is amusing. It’s a significant circuit, it in point of fact is. It’s that mixture, it is slender, it is tight, it is rapid. There’s chicanes, however chicanes you’ll assault the kerbs.

“Not sure what it is with race cars and race drivers, something about taking kerbs and really throwing the car around, it show a bit of personality in a way. Felt like a fun ragged aggressive session which we could manhandle. Q3 was awesome, that lap was my best Q3 one of the year.”

Bottas, who will get started from the entrance of the grid, mentioned the circuit become extra relaxing with every try.

“This track is beautiful and it’s a great feeling to get pole — I had the shakes afterwards,” Bottas mentioned right away after the consultation.

In the clicking convention which adopted, he mentioned: “I didn’t really have much experience of this track and once we got down to the qualifying session, the laps kept going faster and you really start to appreciate this track more and more.

“Towards the tip of qualifying, if you find yourself in point of fact flat out, it is in point of fact gorgeous, it is relaxing to pressure, right kind old skool observe and that is the reason what all of us like.”

Lewis Hamilton spoke highly of the Imola circuit after qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

There were several messages of praise during the session over the onboard radio.

During practice, Kevin Magnussen told Haas: “This is basically mega!”

After qualifying 13th, Williams driver George Russell was quick to suggest Imola remains on the calendar beyond 2020.

“That used to be a just right lap, great lap,” he said. “We want extra tracks like this in F1, as a result of that is f—— superior”

FORMULA 1 DRIVERS FELL IN LOVE WITH IMOLA FORMULA 1 DRIVERS FELL IN LOVE WITH IMOLA

VETTEL : WILL BE NICE FOR ME IF EVERYONE IN FRONT RETIRES

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE F1 NEWS VIA Facebook AND Twitter