Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola: a timeless legend
From the foundation stone laid in 1950 to the victories of Senna and Schumacher, from the legendary corners to the Open Days when the track opens to everyone: history, curiosities and tips for experiencing the Imola circuit even far from race days.
The history of the Imola circuit: from the dream of 1950 to Formula 1
It is 1950. While Silverstone hosts the very first race of the Formula 1 World Championship, Italy is falling for the Vespa, launched by Piaggio four years earlier, and in Salsomaggiore Terme a fifteen-year-old Sofia Scicolone, the future Sophia Loren, enters Miss Italia and wins the Miss Eleganza (Miss Elegance) sash.
The Imola circuit does not exist yet, but thanks to the determination and vision of four friends from Imola who loved engines and were not afraid to dream big (Alfredo Campagnoli, Graziano Golinelli, Ugo Montevecchi and Gualtiero Vighi), in March of that year the foundation stone is laid of what will become the jewel of the Santerno valley and one of the most iconic circuits in the world. Enzo Ferrari, involved from the very start, immediately sees that those hills could become “a little Nürburgring”.
Officially opened on 25 April 1953, the circuit’s fame grows at breakneck speed. In 1963 it hosts its first Formula 1 race, a non-championship event won by Jim Clark; in 1980 comes the first World Championship round, the Italian Grand Prix, which for the only time in the history of the championship leaves Monza. From 1981 to 2006 Imola then becomes the home of the San Marino Grand Prix. Meanwhile the name changes too: first the circuit is dedicated to Dino Ferrari, Enzo’s son who died in 1956, then, from 1988, after the death of the founder of the Prancing Horse, it becomes the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
Those years left countless images of victories by champions such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet. But the undisputed king of Imola would be Michael Schumacher, who won here no fewer than seven times in his career.
From 2020 to 2025: Formula 1 returns to Imola
After fourteen years away, Formula 1 came back to Imola in 2020, at first to replace races cancelled because of the pandemic. From 2021 to 2025 the circuit then hosted the Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix (the 2023 edition was cancelled after the floods that hit Romagna), proving once again to be a track where talent really makes the difference: just think of Max Verstappen, winner of four of the five races held here since 2020.
The circuit is busy all year round: it hosts the FIA World Endurance Championship with the 6 Hours of Imola, GT championships and many other races, as well as much-loved events such as Imola Classic, three days devoted to historic racing cars (this year from 16 to 18 October), and the Mostra Scambio, the classic car and motorcycle swap meet.
Will Formula 1 return to Imola in 2026?
The event fans wait for most, though, is still Formula 1. Imola is not on the official 2026 calendar, but the sport could be back sooner than expected: at the time of writing (1 October 2026), the circuit is the main alternative to host the last Grand Prix of the season on Sunday 6 December 2026, should the races planned in Qatar (29 November) and Abu Dhabi (6 December) be cancelled because of the conflict in the Middle East. The circuit is already getting ready for the possibility, but nothing is official yet: a decision is expected by mid-October. We will keep you posted!
The legendary corners of the Imola circuit
The whole Imola track is a string of famous places that fans know by heart: the Tamburello, once a fearsome flat-out left-hander, today a fast left-right-left chicane; the Villeneuve, a quick chicane that demands hard braking and an instant change of direction; the Tosa, a hairpin taken after a long run at full speed, which calls for decisive braking and a perfect exit, because straight afterwards the track climbs towards the Piratella. Then come the Acque Minerali (the Mineral Waters), the Variante Alta, now named after Fausto Gresini, and the double corner of the Rivazza, which brings the cars back onto the start-finish straight.
What makes Imola a sacred place, however, is not only the tarmac but also the landscape around it: the track winds through the first foothills and the greenery of the Parco delle Acque Minerali, a park just a short walk from the town centre. Many will remember the grassy banks at Rivazza, Tosa and Acque Minerali packed with fans in red shirts cheering for Ferrari: iconic images that thrilled the whole world.
And do you know the most interesting thing about the Imola circuit? It runs anticlockwise, unlike most circuits. Believe us, for the drivers this changes everything: they have to take every corner from an unusual angle, with the strain on the opposite side of the neck from the one they are used to.
Imola 1994: the weekend that changed safety in Formula 1
Imola’s history, however, is not made of glory alone. We cannot forget the chill that fell in 1994 at the news of the tragic deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. Over that dramatic San Marino Grand Prix weekend, between Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May, Formula 1 lost, just one day apart, a driver in his debut season and one of the greatest champions in the history of motor racing. It was a turning point that pushed the whole racing world to overhaul the safety standards of cars and circuits.
At Imola the structural changes mainly concerned the most critical sections, such as the Tamburello and the Villeneuve, which were turned into chicanes as early as 1995. Even so, the circuit has kept the climbs, the dips and the demanding corners that make every lap a technical challenge for the drivers.
How to experience the Imola circuit away from the races
There are many other ways to enjoy the track beyond the races. Here are a few suggestions.
Open Days: the track open to walkers and cyclists
On Open Days, special occasions when the circuit opens to the public free of charge, the track becomes the perfect setting for a walk, a run or a bike ride. For safety reasons, depending on the day, access is reserved either for pedestrians or for cyclists, and you enter through the gate under the tower in Piazza Ayrton Senna da Silva. The 2026 calendar includes almost sixty opening days: up-to-date dates and rules are published on the official website of the circuit.
The guided tour of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
If you fancy it, you can join a guided tour of an hour and a half and explore the symbols of the circuit: the pit lane and the garages, the most famous corners, the monument to Ayrton Senna, the podium and the Race Control Room, where the race direction works. A shuttle bus takes you from one stop to the next while completing two laps of the track. Tours are guided in Italian and English and can be booked online.
Track days and driving experiences
Fancy testing yourself behind the wheel? Keep an eye on the open practice sessions and track days to take your own car on the circuit, or book the car of your dreams, be it a Ferrari, a Lamborghini or a McLaren, for an adrenaline-packed driving experience on the same corners where the greatest drivers fought it out.
Check the events calendar or choose your own date and book one of the experiences on offer, to see the circuit up close. Whether you are a motor racing fan or not, you will discover a world that will win you over.
Where to stay near the Imola circuit: Podere Zampiera Vecchia
After an exciting day cheering on your favourite car or discovering the track as a visitor, the ideal is to find a place where you can truly rest. And for that there is nothing better than the countryside: a stay at a lovely agriturismo near Imola (a farm stay, in Italian) such as Podere Zampiera Vecchia, a real corner of paradise.
The farm is in Cantalupo, in the countryside around Imola, a few kilometres from the circuit and very close to the Imola exit of the A14 motorway. Here Chiara welcomes you to her organic farm, with just five rooms, each with its own private entrance, an outdoor Jacuzzi to unwind after a day at the track and a home-made breakfast with the farm’s own produce. It is also the ideal base for motorsport fans on race weekends. And for dinner, here are our tips on the best restaurants in Imola.
Get in touch to check availability through our Contacts page or on WhatsApp. And if the Grand Prix on 6 December is confirmed, book early: rooms near the circuit will be in great demand.
Read also: all the events in Imola in 2026, the Historic Minardi Day with the Formula 1 cars of the past, our agriturismo in Imola for nature and relaxation and what to see in Bologna in one day.
Photo credits: the images of the circuit come from Wikimedia Commons. Aerial view of the circuit, photo by Marpol (public domain); Nelson Piquet’s Brabham at Imola 1980, photo by Carlom1961 (CC BY 4.0); Max Verstappen’s Red Bull at Imola 2022, photo by Wastrick (CC BY-SA 4.0); Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari at Imola 1996, photo by Restu20 (CC BY-SA 4.0); the track at the Tamburello on 1 May 2019, photo by Monia Mascagni (CC BY-SA 4.0). The photos have been resized.
