Imola Circuit
The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is a racing circuit near the small Italian town of Imola, 40 Km east of Bologna and 80 Km east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello. The circuit is named after late Ferrari's founder Enzo and his son Dino. Before Enzo Ferrari's death in 1988, it was called 'Autodromo Dino Ferrari'.
It is the venue for the Formula One San Marino Grand Prix (usually, two Grands Prix are held in Italy every year, so the race held at Imola is named after the nearby principality) and it also hosted the 1980 edition of the Italian Grand Prix, which usually takes place in Monza.
When Formula One visits Imola, it is seen as the 'home circuit' of Ferrari and masses of tifosi (Ferrari supporters) come out to support the local team.
Imola, as it is colloquially known, is one of the minority of European circuits which go in an anti-clockwise direction.
Following the deaths in 1994 of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at this circuit, revisions were made in an attempt to make the circuit safer. Many say that, as such, the circuit is not as good as it used to be. Some are also critical of the circuit's deteriorating facilities, and there has been talk of the San Marino Grand Prix being taken off the Formula One calendar. However, the San Marino Grand Prix looks set to keep its place on the Formula One calendar in the short-term at least, and Imola will be used as a Formula One venue until at least 2009.