The Enlightenment of F1

Text, pictures /QIAN? JUN? MOTORSPORT? MEDIA

Editor/Shi Yulin

The drivers who participated in the imola circuit all praised this Italian circuit, thinking that its excitement and rich car-fighting opportunities added many highlights to the race and also brought some enlightenment to F1 today. This issue of "Car Fans" brings you a report from the scene.

after michael schumacher won the 26 San Marino Grand Prix, F1 has never been associated with imola. In the past 14 years, many fans hoped that imola could return to the racing calendar, but the globalization of F1 and Monza's stable position in the racing calendar let people down again and again.

For a special track like imola, the F1 Grand Prix will always belong here. Although compared with Monza, imola is still very young, but this track has never lacked the classic races recorded in history.

it is also an important part of Italian racing culture. Modena, the birthplace of Ferrari, is an hour's drive from the track. Faenza, the headquarters of Toro Rosso, is not far away. The statue of "Car God" Senna has always reminded people that F1 has experienced grief here.

apart from history, imola has brought wonderful memories to F1. Although the decision to leave the field made imola town lose the strong atmosphere of previous F1 visits, the combination of Ferrari and Italy always brought some special feeling.

The track features are not easy to overtake, especially the widened F1 car, which has limited space for drivers to compete for positions. But because of this, the performances of the top 2 drivers in the world on this challenging track have become particularly exciting.

in addition to the width of the track and the narrow buffer area, the characteristics of multiple corners make driving more difficult. Tan Brero and Villeneuve corners have completely different characteristics from the son corner of the new "Teal 'c" circuit, which requires drivers to turn corners in a radical style.

it is this characteristic that requires drivers to be close to the limit that makes this kind of "traditional" track the biggest test of drivers' skills. If there is a little mistake, it is no longer the huge buffer zone like Abu Dhabi and Paul ricard, but the ruthless retaining wall a few meters away.

The return of the p>22 season has made many fans who have witnessed F1 racing cars roaring past imola feel very happy. However, at a time when money is equal to the sub-station, how to raise the funds needed for imola to hold the race is the primary problem for it to regain its footing in the F1 race calendar.

the current F1 car with incredible downforce and power has brought a different scene to this legendary track. At the same time, the relatively "heavy" racing car also adds a lot of difficulty to driving.

"The speed of the car when driving around some corners is unbelievable." Lewis hamilton said, "We seem to be driving fighter planes again, not racing cars."

in some corners, F1 drivers, who are famous for their reaction speed, even rarely complain that they can't respond. "Sometimes my brain can't handle the picture in front of me. Sometimes I just turn my steering wheel by feeling and pray that I can pass it smoothly. " McLaren driver Lando Norris said.

this also makes it difficult for drivers to handle the extremely strict track boundary requirements. Especially in the corners marked by white lines, it is difficult for drivers to visually judge whether they have committed a foul. "When we turn the corner at such a fast speed, it is actually difficult for us to detect the position of the white line. To be honest, the shoulder is more effective in dividing the track boundaries. However, I prefer to use gravel areas to mark the boundaries of the track. " Carlos sainz said.

as the Spanish say, the traditional gravel or grass buffer area beside the track is more popular with drivers. Although this may make drivers make mistakes frequently, the excitement in the face of challenges makes many drivers eager to conquer.

"The outside of No.6 bend is full of gravel, so it is impossible for us to run big. I once lost some time when the tire went out a little, which was enough to' punish' me. " Norris said, "In fact, we prefer this style. If it's out, it's out, and there's nothing to dispute. "

if there is anything positive in 22, it is probably the return of these traditional tracks. At least remind people that corners can be very difficult and track boundaries can be uncontroversial.

Although, the 22 season means that people need to get used to the empty track above the stands. But when people came to the empty imola, the absence of fans seemed to be infinitely magnified. Even so, the fans gathered outside the track have brought a little excitement to this site that has been "occupied" by TIFOSI for countless times.

These fans gathered outside the retaining wall of the track, trying to occupy some positions where they can see the inside of the track and see their heroes shuttle through the difficult corners.

This is why everyone hopes that F1 can return to imola as soon as possible. Although many drivers think that the race will be dull, in fact, the emergence of virtual safety cars has brought a turning point for the race. In today's F1, instead of attributing "boredom" to the characteristics of the track, it is better to focus on the big gap between teams. If there are six cars fighting for the championship at the same time, I believe that "it is difficult to overtake" completely hinders the excitement of the game.

The difficulty and history of imola attract countless people. The madness of fanatical fans also made imola legendary again. Let us understand the importance of the track and fans in 22, and hope that this short visit can provide some inspiration for the future of F1.

This article comes from the author of Chejia, car home, and does not represent car home's standpoint.