Lightning speed and heavy history: What to expect at F1's 2024 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

Nestled in the Italian foothills between Bologna and San Marino, Imola is one of the most scenic stops on the F1 circuit. It's considered a home race for Racing Bulls, whose factory is located a few miles away in Faenza, and Ferrari, whose founder Enzo was born in the region.

But while Imola is known for its beauty and racing history, it's been marked by tragedy during its 44 years in F1. In 1994, Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger and Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna were killed just one day apart following heavy crashes on the Imola circuit. 

Ratzenberger was a novice with a bright career in motorsport ahead of him; Senna was a three-time world champion and a living legend in the sport.

Memorial services for Ratzenberger and Senna are common when F1 visits Imola. This year, former world champion Sebastian Vettel led the current F1 drivers on a run around the track in their honor.

In 2023, Imola faced a new tragedy, this time of the non-racing variety. Extreme rainfall in the Emilia-Romagna region caused massive floods throughout the town, leading to evacuations, injuries and deaths. The 2023 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was canceled, and F1 drivers volunteered their weekend time to assist with cleanups and resettlements.

This year, though, Imola has recovered from the floods and is ready to host the Grand Prix once more. Its circuit, known as the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, is a fast, tight, narrow track that serves up some of the highest speeds on the F1 calendar. Its most famous turn, Acqua Minerale, is a nasty 90-degree right-hander in Sector 2 that feeds into a speed-generating straight.

Qualifying means everything at Imola. The track's narrowness makes overtakes difficult, and race start orders tend to hold firm. Just ask Charles Leclerc, who found himself trapped behind Sergio Perez in practice and unable to complete his hot lap successfully.

It wasn't just Perez who struggled for Red Bull during practice runs. World champion Max Verstappen had two of his roughest sessions in years, calling his car a 'disaster' before spinning out several times into the gravel.

That's great news for Ferrari and McLaren, which can set blistering times at the Imola circuit. Ferrari hasn't won at Imola since Michael Schumacher took home the trophy in 2006. Could this be the year it finally makes it back to the podium?

Leclerc seems to think so. He looked brilliant throughout his practice runs, setting the fastest times in FP1 and FP2.

Qualifying for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix will begin on Saturday, May 18, at 10:00 a.m. ET and the race itself will begin on Sunday, May 19, at 9:00 a.m. ET.