Ferrari stats at Imola: poles, race wins and other key facts

Imola circuit facts and layout

First Grand Prix hosted: 1980
Numbers of laps: 63
Circuit length: 4.909km
Total race distance: 309.049km

Constructed in 1950, the same year the Formula 1 championship debuted, the Imola circuit underwent its initial tests in 1952, featuring participation from F1 champion Alberto Ascari driving a Ferrari 340 Sport. The official opening of the circuit was in 1953.

Initially, motorbike and touring car races were the primary events held at the circuit. It wasn’t until 1963 that Imola saw its first Formula 1 action, albeit in a non-championship event. The circuit had to wait until 1980 to host its inaugural official Formula 1 race, stepping in as a substitute for Monza. From then on, it hosted the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 to 2006 and made a comeback to the F1 calendar in 2020 as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, named after the Italian region it’s situated in.

Originally featuring long straights, the track evolved over time with the addition of man-made turns to enhance competition and safety, despite remaining one of F1’s more perilous venues. The Tamburello corner was notoriously fast and challenging, marked by its uneven surface that led to accidents involving Nelson Piquet and Gerhard Berger.

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola is remembered as one of the darkest moments in Formula 1 history, marked by multiple tragedies. Rubens Barrichello survived a severe crash on Friday with relatively minor injuries. The following day, Roland Ratzenberger was killed in a crash at the Villeneuve corner. The worst was yet to come on Sunday when Ayrton Senna died in an accident at the Tamburello corner, an event that also led to injuries among spectators from race-start collisions.

The aftermath of the 1994 race led to significant changes in Formula 1 and the Imola circuit, with major safety upgrades including the transformation of the Tamburello and Villeneuve corners into chicanes and improved escape areas. The track was eventually dropped from the F1 calendar due to its outdated facilities but returned in 2020, with a contract ensuring its presence until at least 2025.

Beyond Formula 1, Imola has played host to various prestigious motorsport events, including the Motorcycle World Championship, the Superbike World Championship, and even the Motocross World Championship. Presently, it also hosts rounds of the European Le Mans Series.

Scuderia Ferrari boasts the highest number of podium finishes of any team at the Imola circuit, with a total of 24 appearances on the podium. However, in 2020, for the first time since the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, no Ferrari drivers graced the podium at Imola. This trend persisted in 2022, with neither Ferrari driver securing a top-three finish.

Michael Schumacher dominates the record books at Imola, leading the pack with 317 laps led and an unmatched 12 podium finishes, twice as many as any other driver at the circuit. Schumacher remains the sole driver to clinch consecutive wins at Imola on separate occasions, and he holds the record for the most consecutive victories, winning three races in a row in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Additionally, Schumacher boasts the most wins at the circuit, triumphing seven times, more than double the tally of any other driver.

Lotus, McLaren, Williams, Ferrari, and Mercedes are the only teams to secure consecutive poles at Imola. McLaren holds the record for the most successive poles at the circuit, achieving this feat twice: between 1988 and 1991 and between 1998 and 2001.

Locking out the front row has occurred on 13 occasions at Imola, with Mercedes being the sole team to achieve this in the last seven races at the track, notably at the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Brabham, Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, and Red Bull are the exclusive teams to secure consecutive wins at Imola. Williams and Ferrari share the record for most consecutive wins, each claiming victory three times in a row between 1995 and 1997 and between 2002 and 2004, respectively. Additionally, both Ferrari and Renault engines have clinched victory eight times at Imola, making them the most successful engine manufacturers at the circuit.