San Marino Grand Prix

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250px
San Marino Grand Prix
Flag 22px-Flag of San Marino.png
Circuit Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Laps 62
Circuit length km 4.959
Circuit length mi
Race length km 307.221
Race length mi
Most wins driver 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher (7)
Most wins constructor 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Williams (8)
3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Ferrari (8)
Current year 2006
Winner 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher
Winning team 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Ferrari
Winning time 1:31:06.486
Pole driver 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher
Pole team 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Ferrari
Pole time 1:22.795
Fastest lap driver 22px-Flag of Spain.png Fernando Alonso
Fastest lap team 22px-Flag of France.png Renault
Fastest lap 1:24.569


The San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One championship race which was run at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, near the Apennine mountains in Italy, between 1981 and 2006. It is called the San Marino Grand Prix because there is already an Italian Grand Prix, and the republic of San Marino is itself too small to host a grand prix. In 1980, the Imola track was used for the 51st Italian Grand Prix.

History

The area around Imola is home to several racing car manufacturers - namely Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. Following the Second World War, the town launched a program to try to improve the local economy. Four local motor racing enthusiasts proposed the construction of a new road linking existing public roads, which could be used by the local car manufacturers to test their prototypes. Construction began in March 1950. The first test run took place two years later when Enzo Ferrari sent a car to the track.

In April 1953, the first motorcycle races took place at Imola, and the first car race took place in June 1954. In April 1963, the first race with Formula One cars took place at Imola, as a non-championship event, won by Jim Clark for Lotus. A further non-championship event took place at Imola in 1979, which was won by Niki Lauda for Brabham-Alfa Romeo.

In 1980, the Italian Grand Prix moved from the high-speed Monza circuit to Imola, as a direct result of 1978's startline pile-up, which claimed the life of the popular Swedish driver Ronnie Peterson. It was won by Nelson Piquet for Brabham-Ford. The following year, the Italian Grand Prix returned to Monza, and Imola hosted the newly-launched San Marino Grand Prix, named after the nearby republic of San Marino.

In 1994, there were three serious accidents at Imola. During Friday Practice, Rubens Barrichello crashed hard into the fence at the Variante Bassa in which he decelerated violently and was knocked unconscious for a few minutes. There was also the death of Roland Ratzenberger at the Villeneuve Corner in the Saturday qualifying session, and the death of Ayrton Senna during the race itself at the 6th-gear Tamburello Corner. As a result, for the 1995 race, the Tamburello and Villeneuve corners were altered from flat-out sweeping bends into slower chicanes, and the Variante Bassa was straightened. It was also the catalyst to changes being made to other circuits, and the sport as a whole, in an attempt to make it safer.

In recent years, constructors have complained about the poor quality of the facilities at Imola, and there was much talk of dropping the San Marino Grand Prix from the Formula One championship, especially since there is another grand prix being held in Italy. On 29 August 2006, the race was excluded from the calendar released for the 2007 season.

Winners of the San Marino Grand Prix

Year Driver Constructor Location Report
2006 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Imola Report
2005 22px-Flag of Spain.png Fernando Alonso Renault Imola Report
2004 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Imola Report
2003 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Imola Report
2002 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Imola Report
2001 22px-Flag of Germany.png Ralf Schumacher Williams-BMW Imola Report
2000 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Imola Report
1999 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Imola Report
1998 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes Imola Report
1997 22px-Flag of Germany.png Heinz-Harald Frentzen Williams-Renault Imola Report
1996 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Damon Hill Williams-Renault Imola Report
1995 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Damon Hill Williams-Renault Imola Report
1994 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Benetton-Ford Imola Report
1993 22px-Flag of France.png Alain Prost Williams-Renault Imola Report
1992 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Nigel Mansell Williams-Renault Imola Report
1991 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda Imola Report
1990 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Riccardo Patrese Williams-Renault Imola Report
1989 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda Imola Report
1988 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda Imola Report
1987 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Nigel Mansell Williams-Honda Imola Report
1986 22px-Flag of France.png Alain Prost McLaren-TAG Imola Report
1985 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Elio de Angelis Lotus-Renault Imola Report
1984 22px-Flag of France.png Alain Prost McLaren-TAG Imola Report
1983 22px-Flag of France.png Patrick Tambay Ferrari Imola Report
1982 22px-Flag of France.png Didier Pironi Ferrari Imola Report
1981 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Nelson Piquet Brabham-Ford Imola Report

Deaths

  • Roland Ratzenberger, died in a crash at Villeneuve Corner during qualifying for the 1994 grand prix.
  • Ayrton Senna, died in a crash at Tamburello while leading the race on May 1, 1994.


External links


Races in the Formula One championship:
2007 championship Grand Prix events:

Australian | Malaysian | Bahrain | Spanish | Monaco | Canadian | U.S. | French | British
German | European| Hungarian | Turkish | Italian | Belgian | Japanese | Chinese | Brazilian

Past championship Grand Prix events:

Argentine | Austrian | Dutch | Indy 500 | Las Vegas | Luxembourg | Mexican | Morocco
Pacific | Pescara | Portuguese | San Marino | South African | Swedish | Swiss | USA East | USA West

Confirmed future Grand Prix events:

Abu Dhabi | Korean | European | Singapore