Imola, where the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is held, made some changes to the track to deal with problems about going off the track.
They put more gravel traps at Piratella, Acque Minerali, and Variante Alta. This makes the track feel more old-fashioned with its narrow and tough layout, many ups and downs, and sudden turns.
Most F1 drivers like these changes. Max Verstappen even said he wished there were more tracks like Imola instead of the increasing number of street circuits. He said, “I wish we had 24 of those on the calendar.” He thinks tracks like this are exciting and remind him why he loves racing.
Oscar Piastri from McLaren also likes Imola because it’s tough and has gravel everywhere. He said, “You don’t have to worry about track limits. You know if you’ve gone over it because you’re in the gravel or you’re off.”
Charles Leclerc from Ferrari also loves Imola. He said it’s one of his favorite tracks, along with Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka, Monaco, and Zandvoort. However, he thinks some old tracks need to improve for the fans.
Despite the drivers’ love for Imola, it might not stay on the calendar for long. F1’s CEO said it would be hard to keep both Imola and Monza unless there’s more investment to keep them up to standard.
Thailand and South Korea want to have street races on the F1 schedule. F1 wants to limit the number of races to 24, so there’s competition to get on the calendar.
Even though drivers love Imola, it might not be the best for racing. It’s expected to be hard to overtake in Sunday’s race, and there’s limited tire wear. Some drivers think it’s the second hardest track to overtake on, after Monaco.
