Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – Villeneuve, Pironi, Prost, Senna, Hakkinen, some moments that have marked these champions at Imola

28 Formula 1 Grand Prix have taken place on the Imola circuit since it was included in the official calendar in 1981.

Without interruption until 2006, the race was titled: San Marino Grand Prix.

Since the COVID crisis and its return to the calendar in 2020, this is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, named after the region that bears a large part of the financial cost related to the organization of the event.

If 1994 remains etched in our memories as one of the most tragic weekends in this sport, there are other noteworthy events to be mentioned.

1999, Mika Hakkinen’s first mistake.

Freshly crowned with his first world title the previous year, Mika Hakkinen arrives as the top favorite for this third race of the 99 season.

The McLaren Mercedes MP4-14 is performance-oriented, especially in the exercise of the flying lap.

The Finnish driver secured his third pole position in as many races. He will achieve 11 out of 16 in 1999.

The stakes are high, as during the opening round, both silver arrows retired. And it’s Eddie Irvine who takes the lead in these Italian lands, but the Vantaa native is known for not fearing the pressure.

However, towards the end of the 17th lap, while being a strong leader, Mika Hakkinen made his first piloting mistake of the year 1999. A rare error from the Finnish driver, which he would repeat at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. He abandoned his car in the last chicane and handed the lead of the race to his teammate, David Coulthard.

The Scotsman will have to concede later in the race against Michaël Schumacher, who will take advantage to take the lead in the championship. The duel is on…

1982: an edition marked by a story of betrayal.

This 1982 edition is first and foremost marked by the boycott of the race by the FOCA teams following the exclusion of two cars (Brabham and Williams) after the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The FOCA, Formula One Constructor Association, was created in 1970 by Bernie Ecclestone who wanted the teams to associate in order to better manage the ever-increasing economic benefits that this sport generates.

Thus, the start of the race is only given for 13 cars. The 14th, Derek Warwick’s Toleman-Hart, is experiencing a battery failure even before the start of the race.

The Ferraris are clearly the fastest and are engaged in a fierce battle at the top. A battle where Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve exchange blow for blow. Towards the end of the race, the Italian pit wall decides to freeze the positions to secure a one-two finish on home soil. Gilles Villeneuve is then in the lead.

Unaware of a French attack, the latter is caught off guard, and the battle resumes with even greater intensity. But this time, the atmosphere is less friendly. And in the end, it is Pironi who emerges victorious.

On the podium, the faces are closed. Villeneuve felt betrayed by his friend and refuses to celebrate this one-two finish with his team.

Resentment will pursue them until the next Grand Prix in Zolder, where Gilles Villeneuve dies in a violent track crash…

1989: history repeats itself!

In 1989, the McLaren MP4-5 succeeded the ultra-dominant MP4-4 and its fifteen victories in sixteen races. Despite the change in regulations banning turbo engines, this new single-seater, powered by a 3.5L Honda V10 engine generating 675hp, proves to be very fast and as dominant as its predecessor.

Thus, 15 out of 16 pole positions will be achieved at his wheel, including 13 for Ayrton Senna alone.

Despite a victory by Nigel Mansell on Ferrari in the opening round in Brazil, the Woking drivers are still the favorites for this second race. The Brazilian driver secures the pole position, but Frenchman Alain Prost is right behind him, also qualified on the front row.

In order to avoid the troubles encountered by Ferrari in 1982, McLaren decides with its drivers that whoever takes the best start will have the race won. Indeed, this non-aggression pact allows positions to be frozen right from the beginning of the race.

However, it was Alain Prost who had the best start, and his opponent Ayrton Senna had no intention of respecting that agreement. He therefore attacked the Frenchman at the first corner and won the second race of the season.

It was a turning point in their relationship. A political war erupted at the end of this race. This war would only escalate until its tragic outcome in Suzuka at the end of the season, which saw the coronation of Alain Prost, but also his departure from McLaren to Ferrari.

In Imola, the bond between these two exceptional drivers has definitively broken.