Grand Prix 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion - CANCELLED!

There was a time when a Grand Prix was named after a country or a continent. I presume this was because as the organisers describe the season as a World Championship this suggests that it involves nation states or some sort of supranational collective. Previously, to give Italy a second Grand Prix, particularly at the circuit named after the founder of the most famous F1 team (and his son), the Imola circuit hosted the San Marino Grand Prix, a micro state which sits within Italy's borders.

Back in the day, even when the United States hosted two races they were the US Grand Prix East and West. But as countries host multiple races any pretense of a country being the host has disappeared with a Miami Grand Prix, a Las Vegas Grand Prix (back again from the horror show in the 1980's), and now one named after a region of Italy.

Don't get me wrong, a country with the F1 sporting history of Italy deserves to hold multiple races, but I do find it intriguing that the FIA make no effort to reign in the push by Liberty Media to brand all and everything associated with F1, and allow races to be named after pretty much whatever the organisers want if it helps them turn a buck.

Before the days of someone turning up with a suitcase full of dollars and saying "I'd like a Grand Prix Please" you had to run non-Championship F1 race to get the appropriate licences for your circuit. The Imola circuit was just such a track and in 1979 it hosted the Dino Ferrari Grand Prix. 16 cars took part, including two Ferrari's and one car from most other teams on the grid. Williams were on the grid but with a private entry driven by a man calling himself Gimax. Niki Lauda won the race, with what was to be the last ever outing for a Brabham Alfa Romeo. Many thought this the likely last ever outing for Lauda as he walked away from the sport during practice at the next race in Canada declaring himself "fed up with driving round in circles". He came back in 1982, tempted by a large wedge of Marlboro money which would help his floundering airline out of a hole.

I thought this may have been the last ever non-championship race, but that honour belongs to Brands Hatch and the Race of Champions run in 1983. This was a proper motor race, not some nonsense in a football stadium.

Leaping back to 2023, here's the schedule for UK viewers. I also snipped the full name for the race and look forward to David Croft spitting out this mouthful after he has encouraged us to sign up for Sky Q, Sky Glass, Sky Colonic Irrigation, or "press the red button" to listen to some highly paid, incredibly privileged individuals bleat on about how driver X farted as they overtook and why that deserves a 5 second penalty.

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To the race! Verstappen fastest in each practice session, Verstappen pole, Verstappen win, Verstappen fastest lap, Verstappen telling us how tough it was trying not to show that his car has the performance to lap the entire field twice whilst Chrissy Horner insists it's all about the driver.

Enjoy.
 
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i swear that GP name has got longer every year

but the 1 thing i think of when i think of Imola is that surely they are 1 of the biggest winners of the global pandemic, because they were looking very unlikely to ever make it back on calendar, they had been off for 14 years, going the same way as magny cours, Istanbul park, Nürburgring as F1 history . then covid happens & we need a mainly european based season in steps Imola as a 1 off, then they are asked if they'd like to fill in for shanghai & then in a week before the 2022 season they signed a deal til 2025.
 
this does not surprise me, ive been watching the giro D'Italia & the weather has been dreadful they had 10 stages very few have been dry. todays was the worst, solid rain all day, riders soaked through & dropping like flies through colds, flu & covid


 
If there's any likelyhood of even a single drop of rain on race day they should cancel it now and run it as a virtual event.
 
If there's any likelyhood of even a single drop of rain on race day they should cancel it now and run it as a virtual event.
the irony that apparently this is the 1st weekend pirelli are bringing a new wet tyre. that should be much better in very wet conditions


which forgive me for not praising too much if at all. considering its taken them 11 years? to make something that close to being called usable. espically as in my opinion & the opinion of some drivers the fault for dragging F1 reputation through the mud. of now being scared to race in anything other than intermediate conditions is to with the dreadful wet tyres. that mean now that conditions we have raced in with no problem even as recent as fuji 2007. monaco 2008 Britain 2008 in this era of tyre would be abandoned, red flagged or large delay
 
Brilliant, so those teams in the midfield who had a chance of upsetting the order by using the softer compounds when the faster cars usually ran a harder one have bugger all chance of progressing out of Q1.

Another brilliant idea brought to you in the name of "sustainability"

Later on we'll talk to a team principle in the luxury of one of their million pound motor homes to find out why he thinks this is a good idea?
 
Yeah agree mate.

It's just not like F1, which is usually as tone deaf as its possible to be, to make such a reasoned decision.
 
liberty media have their faults but its surprising to see F1 have a heart as im used to F1 racing on regardless. its still strange to see them do the right thing

as under Bernie im more used to indy 2005 farces, we wouldve raced in russia & carried in Australia despite the global pandemic
 
There were some practical problems as well. This was how the paddock looked earlier today.

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I was just thinking about the additional loogistical problem that the cancellation creat3s. Teams would have expected to drive directly to Monte Carlo after the San Marino race weekend.

However, this is one of the most problematic places for F1 to set up shop ( and there’s much less opportunity to arrive “early”, when compared with permanent circuits.

So do F1 teams:
1. Go back home
2. wait it out at imola
3. park at a service station and eat Olympic breakfasts in the little chef for 4 days?
 
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