Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola)
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, commonly known as the Imola Circuit, is a 4.909 km motor racing circuit located in Imola, Emilia-Romagna, 40 km east of Bologna. Named after Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari and his son Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, it has held the San Marino Grand Prix, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and countless other major races since it opened in 1953. The circuit is forever linked to the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend in which Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were killed, one of the most tragic events in modern motorsport history.
At a glance
- Type
- Permanent motor racing circuit (FIA Grade One)
- Period
- First race 1953; named after Enzo and Dino Ferrari in 1988
- Style
- Classic European road circuit with natural topography; no chicane-heavy artificial layout
- Location
- Via Fratelli Rosselli 2, 40026 Imola, Bologna, Italy
- Coordinates
- 44.3439° N, 11.7167° E
- Circuit length
- 4.909 km (3.050 miles)
- Owner
- Comune di Imola / SAGIS Spa
Overview
The Imola Circuit is one of Europe’s most characterful and demanding permanent racing facilities, combining fast flowing sections through a natural river valley with challenging medium-speed corners that punish errors. With its FIA Grade One licence it is eligible to host Formula 1, MotoGP and World Superbike Championship events. The circuit sits within a public park alongside the Santerno river, making it accessible and visually integrated into the Imola townscape in a way unusual among modern racing venues.
The circuit returned to the Formula 1 calendar as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix from 2020, reviving its Grand Prix legacy after a 14-year absence and introducing the track to a new generation of fans.
History
The first race at Imola was a motorcycle event held in 1953, and car racing followed rapidly as the Emilia-Romagna region — home to Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Ducati — established itself as the global capital of performance vehicle manufacture. The circuit was initially called the Autodromo di Imola (1953–1956), then the Autodromo Dino Ferrari (1957–1988) before receiving its current name in honour of both Enzo Ferrari, who died in 1988, and his son Dino, who had died of muscular dystrophy in 1956.
Imola held the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 to 2006, providing Formula 1 with a second Italian round outside Monza. The 1994 edition remains among the most studied and debated weekends in motorsport history: Roland Ratzenberger died in qualifying on 30 April, and Ayrton Senna was killed in an accident at the Tamburello corner on 1 May. These events directly triggered sweeping changes to Formula 1 safety regulations that have since saved countless lives.
What you see
The circuit layout incorporates several iconic corners that carry deep motorsport history: the Tamburello chicane (modified after 1994), the Villeneuve corner (named after Gilles Villeneuve), the Piratella, Acque Minerali, and the Variante Alta. A memorial to Ayrton Senna stands at the modified Tamburello corner and is visited by motorsport pilgrims throughout the year. The paddock and pit lane infrastructure have been regularly upgraded for modern racing standards while the overall feel of the circuit retains its classic European character.
The Imola Circuit park setting means that much of the infrastructure is visible and accessible during non-race periods, with the circuit perimeter walkable and the river Santerno providing a scenic backdrop to the back section of the lap.
Cultural significance
Imola occupies a place of mourning and transformation in motorsport culture. The 1994 weekend marked the end of an era of acceptance of driver fatalities as an inevitable cost of racing, and the safety revolution it triggered has defined Formula 1 ever since. The Senna memorial at Tamburello has become a place of pilgrimage, a site of cultural memory as significant in its way as any traditional monument. Imola is also an emblem of Emilia-Romagna’s extraordinary contribution to global automotive culture and design.
Practical information
- Address
- Via Fratelli Rosselli 2, 40026 Imola BO, Italy
- Access
- Circuit park open to the public on non-race days; the Senna memorial is freely accessible
- Race events
- Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix (when on calendar); check official website for schedule
- Website
- Check official website for current information
Getting there
Imola is 40 km east of Bologna. By train, take the regional service from Bologna Centrale to Imola station (approximately 35 minutes), then a 15-minute walk or taxi to the circuit. By car, exit the A14 Autostrada del Sole at Imola and follow signs for the Autodromo (approximately 5 km). Parking is plentiful around the circuit on non-event days. On Grand Prix weekends, shuttle buses operate from Bologna city centre and the station.