By Gustavo Castilho
Track undergoes modifications and returns to the racing calendar.
Away since 2006, one of the most feared tracks in the world is back to Formula 1. The start of the Imola circuit, in Italy, takes place this Sunday (November 1st), at 09h10min, Brasília time. In addition to the changes that the track went through due to numerous accidents that occurred there, the GP also changed its identity. Named GP San Marino, due to its proximity to the country, it has now been called GP Emília Romagna, after the region in which it is located, near Bologna. The place was the scene of historical and emblematic events not only in the automobile world, but also in sport in general. The GP was the stage for Michael Schumacher’s dominance, and the big disputes with Fernando Alonso. He also witnessed five Brazilian victories, in addition to fatal accidents like the one suffered by Ayrton Senna, on May 1, 1994. Imola does have a separate chapter in Formula 1.
Of the current drivers, only Kimi Raikkonen has raced there before in the F1 category. The race is part of the group of six tracks that were added to the calendar due to the pandemic. The circuit will be Mercedes’ debut at the GP and can now enter the gallery. That’s because the team has a chance to set a record, which is to win the constructors title for the seventh time in a row. For that to happen, they need to leave Imola with at least 176 points ahead of Red Bull. At the moment, they have 209. The race will also mark the debut of a new two-day event format, free practice on Friday. In other words, in a total of 4 hours of free practice, drivers will only have 1h30 just before qualifying to prepare the cars.
The circuit is 4909 meters long and the winner will need to do 63 laps. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is the absolute leader with 256 points and eight wins, followed by teammate Valtteri Bottas with 179 and two wins. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is third with 162 points and a win. In the constructors’ classification, Mercedes leads with 435 points, against 226 for Red Bull and 126 for Racing Point.
