Should F1 alternate Monza & Imola as the Italian GP?

[bulla003]

Should F1 alternate Monza & Imola as the Italian GP or keep both or just have either one of them?

[Eric Mc]

Keep both?

Imola hasn't been used for almost a decade.

To answer your question though - have both. I'd prefer two GPs in Italy to ten in Oligarchistan.

[Mr_Thyroid]

No, Imola did not produce good racing.

[Eric Mc]

It certainly didn't after the profile of Tamburello was changed. However, I have a feeling that the current cars might produce a better race there than those of the early 2000s. After all, look what happened at the "procession" track of the Hungaroring last time out.

And, for me, motor sport is also about atmosphere and ambience, and Imola has that in spades.

[Eric Mc]

If I owned a circuit I would be very reluctant to put myself forward to host a GP. It seems to me like the road to bankruptcy.

[Vaud]

Eric Mc said:

If I owned a circuit I would be very reluctant to put myself forward to host a GP. It seems to me like the road to bankruptcy.

Outside of a few, I'd agree. Monaco looks pretty safe.

[entropy]

Eric Mc said:

However, I have a feeling that the current cars might produce a better race there than those of the early 2000s. After all, look what happened at the "procession" track of the Hungaroring last time out.

Bad start from the Mercs and SC, last year SC played a massive role in shaking things up and Lewis dominated in 2013.

Previously Hungary had a reputation for dull to some extent.

[Eric Mc]

That's the point I was making. Circuits may produce different types of racing depending on all sorts of factors - including the technical specs of the cars.

[Eric Mc]

Gaz. said:

That's meaningless when said by someone who is constantly glass half empty.

German political fkwittery aside, the FIA & FOM rarely struggle to get a calender together.

Imola has a FIA grade 1 status so it could hold a race when it chooses.

It's not just the cost of bringing a circuit up to F1's standards. There is also the question of the annual fee they need to pay just to host the race.

[BlackpoolRock]

Mr_Thyroid said:

No, Imola did not produce good racing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9tsdFbA8UM yes it did.

[Eric Mc]

BlackpoolRock said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9tsdFbA8UM yes it did.

Edited to make a working link.

[fatboy69]

Those V10's sound awesome.

[Mr_Thyroid]

BlackpoolRock said:

Mr_Thyroid said:

No, Imola did not produce good racing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9tsdFbA8UM yes it did.

Yes I remember it and the reverse order in '06 - it is an interesting video but does it prove your point or my point? He closed up under braking but never really got close to having a proper go.

[iva cosworth]

Does Imola have anywhere near enough run off ?

It can't expand much as there are houses around some parts of the circuit.

[Enricogto]

Imola is one of the best tracks in the world, a scaled down version of the Nordschleife, if you get the paragon. Some of my best memories of circuit racing and trackdays are linked to that place.
The fact is that the ACI (Italian RAC) supports Monza has home of the Italian GP (and rightly so). Imola has always been the San Marino GP, and it did anyway produce some great racing, the changes in altitude, banking of some curves and the flowing nature make for some proper racing. As for the owners going bankrupt.....you may want to have a look at who owns Imola!

[Eric Mc]

The Italian GP was actually held at Imola one year - 1980.

[BlackpoolRock]

Eric Mc said:

The Italian GP was actually held at Imola one year - 1980.

I always find it a bit strange that it isn't called the Italian GP anyway as it's miles away from San Marino, it's closer to Bologna. I suppose they couldn't have 2 Italian GP's in 1 year which leads back to the original question.....

[Eric Mc]

BlackpoolRock said:

I suppose they couldn't have 2 Italian GP's in 1 year which leads back to the original question.....

That's the exact reason. Each country can host its national GP only once in each year. However, there have been plenty of times where two GPs have been held in one country in a given year. You just call the "other" GP something else - like The European GP, or The San Marino GP, or The Swiss GP (held at Dijon, France in 1982).

For a while, the US hosted two GPs a year, US GP East and US GP West - so you can see that the rules can be bent and stretched a bit if there's money to be made.

[thegreenhell]

Enricogto said:

As for the owners going bankrupt.....you may want to have a look at who owns Imola!

Previous owners of Imola circuit have gone bankrupt or into administration twice in the last eight years. What makes the current owner so special?

[ZX10R NIN]

I have to say Imola is a great circuit going there with WSB it's a very special place with an electric atmosphere but for F1 cars to race there they'd have to fix the problem they have at almost every track & that's that they can't follow each other in the corners (just look at Silverstone) then again if it's the same at all the races then actually let's see them race there.

As long as the circuit doesn't have to be altered I'm all for it.