Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari at a glance
- Location
- Imola, Emilia-Romagna
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 4.909 km (3.05 mi)
- Turns
- 19
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1953
- Owner
- SAGIS S.p.A.
- Capacity
- 78,000
- Phone
- +39 0542 655111
- Website
- autodromoimola.it
Track map and layout
Imola runs counter-clockwise through the hills between the Santerno river and the town centre, a demanding, undulating lap with almost no straight-line rest. Cars leave the pits onto the Tamburello kerbs before sweeping through Villeneuve and Tosa, a tight hairpin that punishes late braking. The middle sector climbs through Piratella and the Acque Minerali right-hander into the tight Variante Alta chicane, then drops back down through the fast Rivazza corners onto the pit straight. Because the circuit is squeezed between a river bank and a public park, run-off is limited in several places, and the layout has been reshaped more than once in the name of safety without losing its reputation as one of the most technically demanding tracks in Europe.
Named corners and sections
- Tamburello. A fast left-hand kink right after the pits, made infamous by Ayrton Senna's fatal 1994 crash; the corner was reprofiled into a tighter chicane afterwards.
- Tosa. A tight, uphill-exit hairpin that is one of the circuit's best overtaking points under braking.
- Acque Minerali. A fast, blind-crested right-hander named after a nearby mineral water spring, taken flat by the quickest cars.
- Variante Alta. A tight chicane near the top of the circuit that breaks up the flowing middle sector.
- Rivazza. A pair of long right-handers leading back onto the pit straight, a key corner for exit speed.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit | 4.91 km | current F1/WEC/GT layout, 19 turns |
| Motorcycle Circuit | 4.93 km | 20 turns, adapted for WorldSBK with different run-off |
Events and race weekends
Imola's modern calendar centres on the FIA World Endurance Championship's 6 Hours of Imola, alongside domestic Italian championships; WorldSBK last raced here in 2019. Formula 1 returned to Imola as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix from 2020 after a long absence, but the race was not renewed for the 2026 season, so the circuit's F1 status is currently in doubt; organisers and Italian motorsport authorities have discussed a future return.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Hours of Imola | FIA World Endurance Championship | April |
Getting there and parking
Imola lies in Emilia-Romagna about 40 km (25 miles) east of Bologna and a similar distance southeast of Ferrara. Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport is the closest major airport with international connections; Imola also has its own railway station on the Bologna-Rimini line, a short walk or taxi ride from the circuit, making the town an easy day trip by train from Bologna.
- Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) · about 40 min drive
Parking
Paid car parks operate around the circuit on event days; because Imola town centre is close by, many visitors park further out and walk or use shuttle services on the busiest weekends.
Imola railway station is walkable to the circuit gates, so travelling by train from Bologna avoids race-weekend road traffic on the SS9 and surrounding roads.
Hotels and camping near Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Imola itself has a modest but useful range of hotels and B&Bs within walking distance of the circuit, and books out well ahead of the WEC weekend. Bologna, 40 minutes away by car or train, offers far more hotel capacity and is a popular base for visitors who want a bigger city with easy rail access to the track.
Where to look
Imola town centre is the closest base; Bologna offers a much larger hotel supply with a 30-45 minute drive or short train ride to the circuit.
Camping
Informal and organised camping areas operate around the circuit for major race weekends, particularly for the WEC weekend; facilities are more basic than at circuits like Mugello or Misano.
RV
Motorhome parking is available in designated areas near the circuit for race weekends, arranged through event ticketing rather than a permanent year-round site.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Imola hosts a regular programme of track days and driving experiences run by the circuit itself and by third-party organisers, covering both cars and motorcycles on the full Grand Prix layout. The circuit's tight, technical nature and limited run-off in places make it a serious test for drivers and riders, and sessions are often split by experience level.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 1 race lap record | 1:15.484 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W11 | 2020 |
| World Superbike lap record | 1:45.727 | Chaz Davies | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 2019 |
Spectator guide
Imola's grandstands and general admission banks follow the natural terrain of the park, giving good views of Tamburello, Tosa, Acque Minerali and the Rivazza corners in particular. The circuit's compact footprint means fans can walk between several vantage points across a race weekend more easily than at larger tracks.
Seating
Grandstands are named for their corners, including Tribuna Tamburello, Tribuna Tosa, Tribuna Acque Minerali and Tribuna Rivazza.
Best places to watch
Tosa and Rivazza give close views of braking and exit-speed battles; the Acque Minerali hillside offers a wide, panoramic view of the middle sector.
Weather
- April (WEC): mild and changeable, highs around 16-19°C with a real chance of rain
- July (WorldSBK): warm and often humid, highs around 28-30°C
History of Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
From Santerno park circuit to grand prix venue
Imola's road circuit opened in 1953, laid out through the wooded Santerno river park on the edge of town, and was renamed Autodromo Dino Ferrari in 1970 in memory of Enzo Ferrari's son, later becoming Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari after Enzo's own death in 1988. The circuit hosted the Italian motorcycle Grand Prix through the 1950s-60s before switching focus to cars, joining the Formula 1 World Championship calendar as the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981, a race named for the nearby republic since Italy already had Monza.
1994 and its aftermath
Imola is inseparable from the tragic 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend, in which Roland Ratzenberger was killed in qualifying and Ayrton Senna died the following day in a high-speed crash at the Tamburello corner. The accidents triggered the most significant safety overhaul in Formula 1's history, and Tamburello itself was reprofiled into a tighter chicane, part of a broader reshaping of the circuit's fastest corners that changed its character permanently while preserving its reputation as one of the sport's most demanding tracks.
A modern multi-series venue
Formula 1 left Imola after 2006 before returning in 2020 as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, a run that continued through the early 2020s but was not renewed for the 2026 season, leaving the circuit's top-flight single-seater future uncertain. Imola remains a fixture of the FIA World Endurance Championship with the 6 Hours of Imola (WorldSBK last visited in 2019), and continues to host historic racing, GT championships and testing, run today by SAGIS with backing from the Ferrari family name it still carries.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Imola circuit?+
The Grand Prix Circuit is 4.909 km (3.050 miles) with 19 corners.
Is Formula 1 racing at Imola in 2026?+
No. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix ran from 2020 through 2025 but was not renewed for the 2026 F1 calendar.
What happened at Imola in 1994?+
Roland Ratzenberger died in qualifying and Ayrton Senna died in the race the following day, both at high speed; the Tamburello corner where Senna crashed was later reprofiled into a chicane.
What is the F1 lap record at Imola?+
1:15.484, set by Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes W11 during the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on the current layout.
What is the nearest airport to Imola?+
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, about 40 minutes' drive from the circuit.
Can you reach Imola circuit by train?+
Yes. Imola has its own railway station on the Bologna-Rimini line, within walking or short taxi distance of the circuit, making it an easy day trip from Bologna.
Other tracks nearby
- Mugello Circuit · 47 km · road course
- Adria International Raceway · 85 km · dormant
- Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli · 88 km · road course
- Autodromo Riccardo Paletti · 139 km · road course
- Autodromo dell'Umbria Mario Umberto Borzacchini · 141 km · road course
- Autodromo di Franciacorta (Porsche Experience Center Franciacorta) · 187 km · road course
Facts checked against 3 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.