Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola)

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Imola opened in 1953 on the edge of the town of Imola, between Bologna and the Adriatic coast, and it's named after Enzo Ferrari and his son Dino. It held the San Marino Grand Prix for many years and returned to Formula One with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2020. The current 4.909 km Grand Prix layout dates from 2008 and runs anticlockwise, which is rare for a major circuit.

It's a proper driver's circuit, narrow in places, hilly and with gravel traps where newer tracks would have tarmac. Corners like Tosa, Piratella and Rivazza reward commitment, and the kerbs at the chicanes are big. Open days run for both cars and bikes, usually through Italian and European organisers. It suits experienced drivers best. A novice will get plenty out of it with tuition, but it isn't a place to rush. The town sits right on the edge of the circuit, so noise limits are strict and enforced.

A lap of Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola)

Layout: Grand Prix, 4.909 km (3.05 miles)

From the start line, the lap heads down to the Tamburello chicane, a left-right-left that replaced the old flat-out curve. Brake hard, get across the kerbs neatly and keep it tidy, because the Villeneuve chicane, a right-left, follows soon after. Then it's a short run to Tosa, the slow left-hand hairpin and one of the best overtaking points on the lap. It's very easy to brake too late here and run wide on exit.

From Tosa, the road climbs uphill to Piratella, a fast left over a blind crest. You need to turn in before you can see the apex, so pick a reference point on your sighting laps. Then the track drops downhill into Acque Minerali, a two-part right through a dip that climbs steeply on the way out. Get the car stable through the first part and carry speed through the second, because the climb that follows kills momentum.

At the top of the climb is the Variante Alta, a right-left chicane with tall kerbs. It's a corner where a lot of people get it wrong, either clouting the kerbs too hard or braking too late. Take it carefully and get a good exit, because the track then drops downhill to Rivazza.

Rivazza is a pair of lefts at the bottom of a steep descent, and braking for the first one while running downhill is one of the bigger challenges of the lap. Get the car slowed early, take a tight line through the second part and get on the throttle early through the fast kinks on the way back up to the start line and the next run to Tamburello.

Track day tips

• Imola has strict noise limits because the town is right on the edge of the circuit. Check your organiser's figure, and expect it to be checked.
• Learn the blind crest at Piratella on your sighting laps. Pick a turn-in reference you can see before the apex appears.
• Running anticlockwise loads the right-hand tyres more than usual. Check pressures on that side first.
• Braking downhill into Rivazza is a classic spot for lock-ups. Get your braking done in a straight line.
• The chicane kerbs are tall. Take it easy over them with a low road car, especially at the Variante Alta.
• Bologna is close by if you want a city to stay in, and the food in the region alone is worth the trip.

Getting there

Imola is about 1,250 km from Calais, usually via Switzerland and the Gotthard tunnel to Milan, then down the A1 and A14 past Bologna. Leave the A14 at the Imola junction, and the circuit is close to the town centre. Bologna is the nearest airport with UK flights, about 40 km away, and Rimini and Florence are within reach too. Imola has a reasonable choice of hotels and B&Bs, and Bologna has plenty more.