Formula One roars back into Europe this weekend with the 2024 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Italy’s historic Imola circuit, marking round seven of the 24-race championship season. The 63-lap race at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari covers a total distance of 309.049km on the 4.909km anti-clockwise track, with lights out set for 1300 GMT (1500 local).
A Circuit Rich in History
Imola has hosted 31 F1 world championship races under various banners—including the Italian and San Marino Grands Prix. This will be the fourth race under the Emilia-Romagna title. The venue is etched in motorsport history, notably as the site of the tragic 1994 race weekend where legends Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger lost their lives.
Ayrton Senna still holds the record for most pole positions at Imola with eight, while Michael Schumacher leads in race wins at the track with seven. No winner has ever started lower than fifth on the grid, with 11 of the 31 races won from pole and another nine from second.
2024: The Season So Far
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole and the win at Imola in 2024, making it three victories at the circuit for the reigning champion, who also triumphed in 2021 and 2022. However, this season’s storyline has shifted dramatically.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri leads the drivers’ championship with a 16-point advantage over teammate Lando Norris. Verstappen trails by 32 points after a dominant run by McLaren. Piastri has won four of the last five races—including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Miami—and is chasing a fourth consecutive win.
McLaren also leads the constructors’ standings by a commanding 105 points over Mercedes and 141 over Red Bull.
Pole Position and Qualifying Trends
Verstappen is targeting his third consecutive pole and fourth in five races, having already secured three poles this season. Piastri has taken two, while Norris has started from the front row three times.
Hamilton, with a record 104 poles, last started P1 in Hungary in 2023.
Rookies and Milestones
Imola marks a significant moment for Kimi Antonelli, making his F1 home debut with Mercedes. He is one of three rookies who have scored points so far this season, alongside Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar.
Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) and Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) are still looking to open their accounts, while Argentine driver Franco Colapinto makes his F1 debut for Alpine, replacing Jack Doohan for at least the next five races.
For Lewis Hamilton, this race is a milestone of its own—his first Grand Prix in Italy driving for Ferrari, the team he joined in January. All eyes will be on how the seven-time champion performs at the legendary Italian venue.
After a year off due to 2023’s devastating floods, Imola returns to the calendar with high stakes, compelling storylines, and a championship fight that is heating up fast.
