Imola opened as a road circuit in 1953 and became a permanent anti-clockwise venue. It hosted the Italian Grand Prix in 1980 and then the San Marino Grand Prix; after the tragic 1994 weekend, Tamburello and Villeneuve were converted into chicanes for 1995.
The 1994 deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna transformed Formula 1 safety. On the sporting side, the tense 2005 duel in which Fernando Alonso resisted Michael Schumacher remains one of Imola's defining finishes.
Across 4.909 km, its 19 corners create a distinct rhythm between braking, precision and acceleration. As a permanent racing circuit, it asks drivers and teams to adapt setup, tyre management and race strategy to the venue's particular constraints, while its anti-clockwise direction shapes the sequence of its most demanding sectors.