Imola fighting to keep Emilia Romagna GP on the F1 calendar

Key figures involved in the promotion of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix are holding talks with Formula 1 to keep Imola on the calendar next year.

Imola’s contract with F1 expires at the end of this month’s race, but there is a strong desire from the regional government to sign a new contract extension for 2026 and beyond.

Last month, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali plunged the future of Emilia Romagna GP into doubt by saying it is “increasingly difficult to have two races in the same country.”

Monza already has a deal with F1 to host the Italian Grand Prix until 2031, which means if the series decides to drop one circuit from Italy, it would have to be Imola.

However, having brought the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari back on the F1 calendar due to COVID-related reasons in 2020, the promoters are now working hard to make the race a permanent affair on the calendar.

Michele de Pascale, the president of the Emilia-Romagna region, said there is a “strong interest” in keeping F1 at Imola next year, adding he doesn’t see a problem in Italy hosting two races on the calendar.

"For the institutions, it is not a question of budget,” he was quoted by the Gazette. "There is a strong interest in continuing. Negotiations have been underway for some time. Monza does not prevent Imola from being there".

The head of the sports department of the Council of Ministers, Flavio Siniscalsi, added: "The efforts of local and national authorities are crucial. We must encourage and strengthen inter-institutional collaboration."

Even the Republic of San Marino is involved in Imola’s bid to secure a new contract with F1.

Although Imola is located in Italy, the race ran under the San Marino GP banner from 1981 to 2006.

2025 race

Imola staged a presentation on Friday ahead of the fifth edition of the Emilia Romagna GP on 18 May.

The ceremony was attended by the mayor of Imola Marco Panieri, who expressed confidence that this year’s event will be a success.

While Ferrari will always be the biggest crowd-pull in Italy, Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s impressive debut at Mercedes is also bringing in more fans through the gates.

"We think the sales will exceed last year's numbers,” he said. “We have increased the capacity to 92,500 spectators for each day of the race, ticket sales are going very well.

“To reach the city at the Imola station, which we have just renovated, some Freccia Rossa trains will stop and 17 special regional trains have been arranged. Last year, out of 95 thousand spectators present on the Sunday of the race, 27 thousand came by train".

Imola has also updated some of the infrastructure facilities at the track, including the addition of three new pit boxes and a new hospitality area.

The organisers are hopeful that a successful 2025 event will convince F1 to keep Imola on the calendar next year.