Barrichello and Button relish Imola challenge
Despite the modifications following the tragic deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in 1994, Imola remains an interesting circuit for the drivers. The straights are not so long that they place an absolute premium on outright power, while the chicanes and bumpy track surface demand good handling characteristics. Along with Interlagos and Istanbul, Imola also holds the distinction of being one of only three anti-clockwise circuits used during the year.
"The Imola circuit is a good one for the drivers,” confirms Rubens Barrichello. “I really like the layout and the challenge of setting up the car which is not easy. Imola has had its ups and downs for me; I have had a lot of support from the fans there in the past but there are also some very sad memories. Our difficulties during the last race in Australia have made us work even harder in testing over the last couple of weeks and there is a good feeling that we have made some solid progress. The whole team feels positive about this weekend and I share those feelings so we're hoping for a competitive race."
As the nature of the circuit changed post-1994, chassis set-up priorities have shifted from low downforce to maximise straight-line speed, to higher levels of downforce, which keep cornering speeds up.
"I've always really enjoyed racing in Imola,” enthuses Jenson Button. “The track has a mixture of different types of corners and a few chicanes and is quite challenging for the drivers. There's always a fun atmosphere and it's a track where I have great memories. In 2004 I qualified in pole position here, which was my first pole in F1 and finished the race in second place. It's good to be back in Europe following the first three races where we were able to achieve a podium position and some points. Obviously we were extremely disappointed with our performance in Australia, however we have made good progress in testing and I am confident we will be competitive in Imola. Hopefully it should be a good weekend for us."
