Editing Imola Circuit (section)

==1994 San Marino Grand Prix==
{{Main|1994 San Marino Grand Prix}}
{{see also|Death of Ayrton Senna}}

[[Image:Imola Circuit 1980-1995 Layout.png|thumb|200px|left|The circuit's layout at the time of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.]]
[[Image:Imola.svg|thumb|200px|left|The circuit layout changed after 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, used between 1995–2006]]

In the [[1994 San Marino Grand Prix]], during Friday practice [[Rubens Barrichello]] was launched over a kerb and into the top of a tyre barrier at the Variante Bassa, knocking the Brazilian unconscious, though quick medical intervention saved his life. During Saturday qualifying Austrian [[Roland Ratzenberger]] crashed head-on into a wall at over {{cvt|310|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} at the Villeneuve corner after his [[Simtek]] lost the front wing, dying instantly from a [[basilar skull fracture]]. The tragedy continued the next day when the three-time World Champion [[Ayrton Senna]]'s Williams' steering column broke and he crashed into the concrete wall at the Tamburello corner on Lap 7. [[Death of Ayrton Senna|Senna died]] in the hospital several hours after his crash. In two unrelated incidents, several spectators and mechanics were also injured during the event.

In the aftermath, the circuit continued to host Grands Prix, but revisions were immediately made in an attempt to make it safer. The flat-out Tamburello corner was reduced to a 4th gear left–right sweeper, and a gravel trap was added to the limited space on the outside of the corner. Villeneuve corner, previously an innocuous 6th gear right-hander into Tosa, was made a complementary 4th gear sweeper, also with a gravel trap on the outside of the corner. In an attempt to retain some of the quickness and character of the old circuit, the arduous chicane at Acqua Minerali was eliminated, and the Variante Bassa was straightened into a single chicane. Many say that the new circuit configuration is not as good as it used to be as a result of the new chicanes at Tamburello and Villeneuve.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/circuit_guide/4244433.stm|title=Circuit Guide - Imola|author=BBC|date=17 February 2006|access-date=1 January 2010|work=BBC News|archive-date=27 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327173627/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/circuit_guide/4244433.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/mar/03/formulaone3|title=Imola, San Marino|author=The Guardian|location=London|date=3 March 2003|access-date=26 April 2010|archive-date=8 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308044610/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/mar/03/formulaone3|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another modification made to the Imola track is that of Variante Alta, which is situated at the top of the hill leading down to Rivazza and has the hardest braking point on the lap. The Variante Alta, formerly a high-kerbed chicane, was hit quite hard by the drivers which caused damage to the cars and was the site of quite a few accidents. Before the 2006 Grand Prix, the kerbs were lowered considerably and the turn itself was tightened to reduce speeds and hopefully reduce the number of accidents at the chicane.

The Grand Prix was removed from the calendar of the [[2007 Formula One season]].<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news |title=San Marino loses Grand Prix race |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/5294664.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904111510/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/5294664.stm |work=news.bbc.co.uk |date=29 August 2006 |archive-date=4 September 2007 |access-date=27 March 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> SAGIS, the company that owns the circuit, hoped that the race would be reinstated at the October 2006 meeting of the FIA [[World Motor Sport Council]] and scheduled for the weekend of 29 April 2007, provided renovations to the circuit were completed in time for the race, but the reinstatement was denied.<ref name="f1.gpupdate.net">{{Cite web |title=Imola hopes to get back on 2007 calendar |url=http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/128578/imola-hopes-to-get-back-on-2007-calendar/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403185313/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/128578/imola-hopes-to-get-back-on-2007-calendar/ |work=f1.gpupdate.net |date=30 August 2006 |archive-date=3 April 2012 |access-date=30 January 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>