Formula 1 returns to Imola after last year’s race was cancelled because the Romagna and Marche regions were hit by devasting floods in the week of the Grand Prix, causing 17 fatalities, displacing 20,000 people and causing billions of euros worth of damage.

The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola is an old-school circuit, one of the reasons it is much loved by the drivers. The track traces its way up and around the hills of Imola, featuring corners that are part of the history of motorsport, some of them taken at speeds well in excess of 200 km/h. In its current form, the first sector is probably the most challenging, with a long pit straight where the DRS can be opened, followed by two high-speed chicanes, the marvellous series of corners including the Tamburello chicanes, Villeneuve corner as well as the heavy braking for Tosa. The run-off areas are gravel, adding to their tricky nature. The slightest mistake can cost precious tenths in qualifying and even track position in the race. 
Sector 2 features a steep climb to Piratella corner after which the track drops down again to the high speed Acque Minerali corners where drivers have to time their braking perfectly to carry enough speed into the third and final sector, which includes the track’s only DRS detection point. There are not many overtaking opportunities, but the main straight is certainly a good one.

After two Sprint races in a row, this weekend sees a return to the traditional format with two free practice sessions on Friday at 13.30 and 17.00. Free practice 3 is on Saturday at 12.30, followed by qualifying at 16.00. The Grand Prix, over 63 laps, equal to 309.049 kilometres gets underway at 15.00. All times are CEST.