Imola layout to be revised

I've already explained it some posts ago, now the one where Rubens crashed doesn't exist anymore, and Variante Bassa now indicates the last chicane (known as Chicane del Traguardo too)

So, we'll have a slightly longer bit of straight and a kink into the start/finish. No doubt the current tarmac will become the entrance to the pits, so that seems a neat arrangement and gives a longer pit lane. I think that will give better racing, too. A circuit with effectively four chicanes and no straights long enough for decent passing appeals to no-one. How often have we seen JV, JPM and Taku try a "suiscidal" down the inside to the first chicane at Imola?

JPM : once, on the outside in 2001

I remember the 'old' layout was something like this (the red bits):



I can't remember if the Variante Alta was there always, or if it was a straight run from Minerale to Rivazza?

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RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

That's right, Muks_C, and yes Variante Alta was already there!
@Briere Yeah JPM passed a Jordan in 2001, didn't he?!...

yeas he did, trulli was the victim

I guess "variante" means chicane in Italian, someone help e here, please. From 1954 to 1972, the circuit had no "variantes" at all. Check www.racingcircuits.net. Someone made a GP3 track with exactly that layout.

In 1973, the circuit got its first chicane: Variante Bassa, which was very similar to the old Bus Stop at Spa. But, unlike it, the first the part of it was faster the the second one. Although not as fast as Barrichello thought it could be in 1994. A lot of other circuits got their chicanes at the time: Silverstone, Monza, Zolder, Anderstorp. A year later, Variante Alta was added. That was probably when the new chicanes got their names.

The layout wasn't changed until 1981. Another chicane was made at Acqua Minerale. I have a video (I think 1990) showing Mansell during free practise just ignoring the chicane and going straight through the grass. It wasn't the first time he had done that as the grass showed proof.

The layout was changed again in 1994 because of the terrible 1994 San Marino GP. Tamburello and Villeneuve got chicanes where Senna and Ratzenberger had their fatal accidents. Rivazza was modified. But the other two alterations were interesting. Variante Bassa and Acqua Minerale became faster. Variante Bassa lost its first part and Acqua Minerale became similar to its original layout, but more challenging.

You can also see some propositons for Rivazza that were not used.

Yes Trulli, thanks Slash!!

Yes pedropadilha, "variante" can be translated with "chicane", variante bassa means low chicane and variante alta means high chicane. Btw, it's Acque Minerali and not Acqua Minerale, as it's plural..

"It wasn't the first time he had done that as the grass showed proof."

I have to concur with Nigel here,cause that chicane was freeping annoying.Quite why they had it there escapes me to this day.

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I have looked into my old VHS's with season highlights and it was really in 1990 that Mansell used his very expensive new Ferrari lawnmower at Acque Minerali. (Thanks, kimiraik)

pedropadilha Wrote:
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> I have looked into my old VHS's with season
> highlights and it was really in 1990 that Mansell
> used his very expensive new Ferrari lawnmower at
> Acque Minerali. (Thanks, kimiraik)

Thanks to you for your info!

From Grand Prix 2 i surmise that the old layout was this

Yep that chicane Acque Minerale was a pain in the arse as was the Variante Bassa.

The blue bit shows the old straight piece the tarmac still exsists me think. Wonder how they'll try straigtening it out though. Make a tighter kind nearer Rivazza or have two smaller kinks at Bassa and Traguardo

yeah i remember that layout from GP2.

and i still use that extra bit of track (blue) in GP4 when i want to catch up or cause a high-speed crash!

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RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

if they're gonna change imola they should change the tamburello to the 'original' shape. and then they should change villeneuve so that the passing would be possible there. And the variante alta should be bigger, again to make the passing possible.

edit: I made a picture (I was a little overacting in variante alta):

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/2006 02:44PM by anze89.

There is only one solution for the Imola track:

People, go play GP2 again and you will see there are two chicanes before the final straight, variante bassa is the first as Briere wrote, that's where rubens flew off and nearly hit some pylon. That place was dangerous even in GP2 :P

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yes, look at Loppers map above, it has the right-left of Bassa chicane (where Rubens crashed in '94), then left-right of Traguardo chicane.

about removing the Tamburello chicane, the run-off is still a problem, as there is a river or something behind the barrier, so they can't have enough of a run-off area.

so it looks like they'll never re-open Tamburello as long as the river is there.

but i agree with the rest of the changes, get rid of Villenuve chicane and straighten out the bassa/traguardo area.

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RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

Muks_C Wrote:
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>
> but i agree with the rest of the changes, get rid
> of Villenuve chicane and straighten out the
> bassa/traguardo area.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------------------------------
> -------

wud be so fun to watch the cars blast through that!

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

about removing the Tamburello chicane, the run-off is still a problem, as there is a river or something behind the barrier, so they can't have enough of a run-off area.

the safety has increased so much in the last decade that if senna would crash in one of today's cars he would probably just walk away, so the run off area isn't the problem if you ask me

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/2006 05:08PM by anze89.