Text and pictures/QIAN?JUN?MOTORSPORT?MEDIA
Editor/Shi Yulin
Every driver who has competed at the Imola circuit is very fond of this Italian track. He praised the track very much and believed that its excitement and rich racing opportunities added many highlights to the competition and also brought some inspiration to today's F1. This issue of "Car Fans" brings you reports from the scene.
After Michael Schumacher won the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix, F1 never had a chance with Imola. In 2014, many fans hoped that Imola could return to the calendar, but F1's globalization process and Monza's solid position in the calendar have disappointed people time and time again.
For a special track like Imola, the F1 Grand Prix will always belong here. Although Imola is still very young compared to the Monza circuit, this circuit has never lacked classic races that have gone down in history.
This is also an important part of Italian racing culture. Modena, the birthplace of Ferrari, is an hour's drive from the circuit. Faenza, the headquarters of Toro Rosso, is also not far away. The statue of "Car God" Senna has always reminded people that F1 has experienced grief here.
In addition to history, Imola also brings wonderful memories to F1. Although the decision to leave the stadium empty has caused the small town of Imola to lose the strong atmosphere of previous F1 visits, the combination of Ferrari and Italy can always bring some special feeling.
The characteristics of the track make it difficult to overtake, especially the widened current F1 cars, which give drivers very limited space to compete for positions. But precisely because of this, the performance of the world's 20 strongest drivers on this challenging track became particularly exciting.
In addition to the width of the track and the narrow buffer area, the features of multiple corners add to the difficulty of driving. The Tamburello and Villeneuve corners have completely different characteristics from the "Tilc" new circuit's Sons, requiring drivers to negotiate them in an aggressive style.
It is this characteristic that requires drivers to be close to the limit, making this type of "traditional" track the biggest test of driver skills. If there is a mistake, what awaits the driver is no longer the huge buffer zone like "Abu Dhabi" and "Paul Ricard", but the ruthless protective wall a few meters away.
The return of the 2020 season has made many fans who have witnessed F1 cars roaring past Imola very happy. But now that money equals sub-stations, how Imola raises the funds needed to host the race is the primary issue whether it can regain its footing in the F1 calendar.
The current F1 cars with incredible levels of downforce and power have brought a different scene to this legendary track than in the past. At the same time, the relatively "cumbersome" racing car in terms of control also adds a lot of difficulty to driving.
"The speed of the car when driving through some corners is incredible." Lewis Hamilton said, "We are like driving a fighter jet, not a racing car."
In some corners, the speed of the car is unbelievable. The F1 driver, who is famous for his reaction speed, even rarely complained about being unable to react. "Sometimes my brain doesn't have enough time to process the scene in front of me. Sometimes I just turn my steering wheel by feel and pray that I can pass smoothly." McLaren driver Lando Norris said.
This also makes it difficult for drivers to grasp the extremely strict track boundary requirements. Especially in corners marked by white lines, it is difficult for drivers to visually determine whether they are committing a foul. “When we’re cornering at such a fast speed, it’s hard to see where the white line is. To be honest, the shoulder is more effective at demarcating the track. However, I still prefer to use gravel areas to mark the track. Boundaries," said Carlos Sainz.
As the Spaniards say, the gravel or grass buffer zone on the side of the traditional track is more popular with riders. Although this may cause drivers to make frequent mistakes, the excitement of facing a challenge makes many drivers eager to conquer.
“The outside of Turn 6 is all gravel, so it’s impossible for us to go wide. Once my tire went out a little bit and I lost some time, which was enough to ‘punish’ me.” Norris said, "Actually, we prefer this style. If it is driven out, it is driven out, and there is nothing to dispute."
If there is anything positive about 2020 If anything, it's probably the return of these traditional tracks. At least it reminds people that corners can be very difficult and track boundaries can be uncontroversial.
Although, the 2020 season means that people need to get used to empty tracks in the stands. But when people came to an empty Imola, the absence of fans seemed to be infinitely magnified. Even so, the fans gathered outside the track still brought a bit of excitement to this territory that has been "occupied" by TIFOSI countless times.
These fans gathered outside the track protection wall, trying to occupy some positions where they could see the inside of the track, and see their heroes shuttle through the difficult corners.
This is why everyone hopes that F1 can return to Imola as soon as possible. Although many drivers thought the race would be dull, the appearance of the virtual safety car actually brought a turnaround to the race. In today's F1, instead of attributing the reason for "boring" to the characteristics of the track, it is better to focus on the larger gap between the teams.
If there are six cars competing for the championship at the same time, I believe that "difficulty overtaking" will completely hinder the excitement of the game.
The difficulty and history of Imola attract countless people; the madness of the fanatical fans also makes Imola legendary again. 2020 has made us understand the importance of the track and fans, and we hope that this short visit can provide some inspiration for the future of F1.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.