Imola will always be remembered for the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. Ayrton's death at the Autodromo Enzo E Dino Ferrari brought safety issues back to the top of the Formula 1 agenda. The Tamburello corner where Piquet and Berger had crashed heavily in the past was criticised for the lack of run off area available to the drivers.
The track itself is actually some 50 miles from San Marino. After the accident at the start of the 1978 Italian GP which resulted in the death of Ronnie Peterson the Italian authorities looked for another venue. Imola hosted a non championship GP in 1979 which was won by Niki Lauda. The following year Imola was awarded the Italian GP in place of Monza.
When Monza was re established as the host for the Italian GP in 1981 Imola was awarded the newly formed San Marino GP
| Date | Grand Prix | Circuit Length | Laps | Total Distance | Start Time | Warm Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5 | San Marino | 4.892km / 3.041m | 63 | 308.196km | 14.00 | 09.30-10.00 |
