No driver has won at Imola from outside the top five on the grid, while all but two grid slots have previously scored. Here’s everything you need to know about each grid slot’s history at Imola!
IMOLA GRID STATS IN BRIEF
- No wins from outside the top five
- No retirements from 2nd since 1998
- Furthest back podium from 16th
- No points scored from 17th or 19th
IMOLA RACE RESULTS: GRID OVERVIEW
| Grid Slot | Last Win | Last Podium | Last Points | Last Non Finish | Best Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 | 2005 | 1st |
| 2 | 2020 | 2024 | 2024 | 1998 | 1st |
| 3 | 2021 | 2024 | 2024 | 2020 | 1st |
| 4 | 1995 | 1998 | 2024 | 2022 | 1st |
| 5 | 1981 | 2022 | 2024 | 2003 | 1st |
| 6 | - | 2003 | 2024 | 2000 | 2nd |
| 7 | - | 2021 | 2024 | 2004 | 3rd |
| 8 | - | 1994 | 2024 | 2021 | 3rd |
| 9 | - | 1997 | 2021 | 2022 | 2nd |
| 10 | - | 1993 | 2021 | 2004 | 3rd |
| 11 | - | 1985 | 2024 | 2001 | 3rd |
| 12 | - | - | 2022 | 2021 | 5th |
| 13 | - | 2005 | 2024 | 2020 | 2nd |
| 14 | - | - | 1997 | 2024 | 5th |
| 15 | - | - | 2022 | 2004 | 6th |
| 16 | - | 1991 | 1999 | 2004 | 3rd |
| 17 | - | - | - | 2020 | 7th |
| 18 | - | - | 2020 | 2002 | 4th |
| 19 | - | - | - | 2005 | 8th |
| 20 | - | - | 2020 | 2006 | 5th |
- 5 of the last 12 wins from pole
- Polesitter did not win until 1988
- 10 DNFs for the polesitter
Only five of the last 12 Imola races have been won from pole position. Currently on a streak of two wins, the Imola polesitter has never won more than three consecutive races at the circuit; with the longest streak of wins from pole here being between 1991 and 1993.
The driver starting at the front of the grid failed to win any of the first eight races at Imola and recorded just one podium finish during that time. Ayrton Senna was the first polesitter to win at Imola, doing so in 1988. The polesitter has retired from the race on ten occasions, most recently in 2005.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM POLE POSITION AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | DNF | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
- More top 10 finishes than any other grid slot
- 3 of last 7 races won from 2nd
- Just 7 DNFs in 31 races
The driver starting second on the grid at Imola has finished in the top ten on more occasions than drivers starting from any other grid slot. Three of the last seven Imola races have been won from second on the grid – including Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Lando Norris’ podium finish in 2024 – when he finished just seven tenths away from the race winner – was the first podium finish for the driver starting second since Hamilton’s 2020 win.
In 2021, Sergio Perez started second but finished only 11th, becoming the first driver to fail to score having started second at Imola since Mika Hakkinen retired at the 1998 San Marino Grand Prix. In 2022, Charles Leclerc finished sixth having started on the front row.
Only seven retirements have been recorded by drivers starting here in the 31 races held at the circuit.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 2ND ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 6 |
- 2020 marked first DNF since 1996
- 2021 marked first win since 2001
- 6 victories in total
In 2020, Max Verstappen became the first driver to retire having started third on the grid at Imola since 1996. In 2021, the Dutchman became the first driver to win here from third since Ralf Schumacher in 2001.
2020 marked the third consecutive race in which the driver starting third failed to score. After originally finishing on the final step of the podium, Jenson Button was disqualified having started third in 2005, while Rubens Barrichello finished only tenth having started third in 2006.
Six wins in total have been recorded from third on the grid at Imola in total and the driver starting here has finished on the podium in each of the last three races at the track.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 3RD ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | DSQ | 10 | DNF | 1 | 2 |
- 3 wins from 4th on grid
- 5 podiums from here
- 2 retirements in last 4 races
Three victories have been recorded from fourth on the grid at Imola: Didier Pironi in 1982, Alain Prost in 1986, and Damon Hill in 1995. There have been an additional two podium finishes recorded from fourth on the grid: a second place for Prost in 1983 and third for Eddie Irvine in 1998.
The driver starting here has retired twice in the last four Imola races. Between 1989 and 1993, the driver starting in this position retired in all six races. Pierre Gasly’s 2020 retirement was the first non-finish for this grid slot since 2001.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 4TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 4 | DNF | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | DNF | 4 | DNF |
- 1980 and 1981 races won from 5th
- Furthest back grid slot to win
- Podiums in 3 of last 5 races
Both of the first two F1 races at Imola were won from fifth on the grid. The grid slot has not won again since, and remains the furthest back position from which a race at Imola has been won.
Podium finishes have been recorded from fifth on the grid in three of the last five Imola races. Fernando Alonso finished as runner-up having started fifth in 2006, while Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris finished third in the 2020 and 2021 Emilia Romagna Grands Prix respectively.
In the last 14 races at the track, the driver starting here has retired on six occasions – but the 2003 San Marino Grand Prix remains the most recent time it has happened.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 5TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| DNF | 5 | DNF | DNF | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
- Two points finishes in last 6 races
- Four runner-up finishes
Daniel Ricciardo and George Russell are the only driver to score points from sixth on the grid in the last six Imola races, doing so in 2021 and 2024 respectively.
In the 11 Imola races before 2005, Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s DNF in 2000 was the only time that the driver starting here failed to finish in the top six, while David Coulthard’s sixth place in 2002 was the only time the grid slot did not record a top five finish in that time.
In the three races here prior to 2021, Takuma Sato was disqualified having originally finished sixth in the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix, Ralf Schumacher finished only ninth one year later and Alex Albon finished only 15th following a late race spin in 2020. Ricciardo finished a lowly 18th from here in 2022.
While no wins have been recorded from sixth on the grid at Imola, the driver starting here has finished as runner-up on four occasions – most recently in 2003.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 6TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| DNF | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | DSQ | 9 | 15 | 6 | 18 |
- 3 podiums in last 6 races
- One points finish between 1991 and 2004
In three of the last six races at Imola, the driver starting in seventh place has finished on the final step of the podium.
Alexander Wurz’s third place in 2005 ended a streak of eight point-less races for the driver starting from seventh, while Juan Pablo Montoya also finished on the podium in 2006. While Charles Leclerc couldn’t keep up the podium streak for the grid slot in 2020, Lando Norris finished third from this grid slot in 2021.
Before 2020, all of this grid slot’s last three points finishes were third places, with Gerhard Berger having also finished on the final step of the podium in 1996.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 7TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 7 | DNF | 10 | DNF | 16 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
- Scored in 6 of last 8 Imola races
- Only one podium finish, in 1994
- 9 top 5 finishes in total
The driver starting eighth has finished in the points in all but two of the last eight F1 races held at Imola. The best result from this position came in 1994, when Mika Hakkinen finished in third; the only podium recorded from this grid slot.
Daniil Kvyat equalled the grid slot’s best result since then with fourth place in 2020 – a position in which Damon Hill also finished having started eighth in 1999.
There have been nine top five finishes in total recorded from eighth on the grid at Imola, and there have been only two retirements from this position in the last 14 races at the circuit. Valtteri Bottas recorded eighth’s first non-finish since 2000 in 2021.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 8TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 15 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 4 | DNF | 9 |
- Retired in 3 of last 6 races
- Scored in 14 of 16 races before 2005
- Best result of 2nd in 1981
The driver starting ninth has failed to finish three of the last six F1 races at Imola and has not scored a point at the track since 2021. Since F1’s return in 2020, Lando Norris recorded an eighth place finish in 2020, Esteban Ocon finished ninth in 2021 and Fernando Alonso retired in 2022.
The grid slot has a high points scoring rate, with all but two of the 16 races before 2005 resulting in top ten finishes.
The best finish for a driver starting ninth at Imola is second, recorded by Riccardo Patrese in 1981. In 2021, Ocon became the first driver to start and finish ninth at Imola.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 9TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 | DNF | DNF | 8 | 9 | DNF |
- 10 DNFs in first 10 races
- 5 points finishes
- Only podium in 1993
All of the first ten Imola races resulted in non-classified finishes for the driver starting from tenth. In the tenth race at the circuit, in 1989, Olivier Grouillard was disqualified.
Since then, the grid slot has scored on only five occasions – three of those being in the last five races at the track. Karl Wendlinger finished fourth in 1994, Mark Webber finished sixth in 2006, Carlos Sainz finished seventh in 2020 and Lance Stroll finished eighth in 2021.
The best result from this grid slot is third place, recorded by Martin Brundle in 1993. Though those are the only points finishes from this grid slot, the driver starting tenth has finished inside the top ten every time they have reached the chequered flag except twice – in each of the last two races at the track. Mick Schumacher finished 17th in 2022, while Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th in 2024.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 10TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 8 | DNF | 7 | 9 | DNF | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 17 |
- No points between 1986 and 2004
- Scored in all of last 6 races
- Two podium results
The driver starting 11th at Imola scored in four of the first six races at the track. Two of those occasions were third place finishes for Elio de Angelis and Patrick Tambay in 1984 and 1985 respectively.
Then, between 1986 and 2004 the driver starting here failed to score in any race – though there were five top ten finishes during that period.
The grid slot has had an upturn in fortune recently, with points finishes in all of the last six races at the circuit. Jacques Villeneuve finished fourth in 2005, Giancarlo Fisichella finished eighth in 2006, Sergio Perez finished sixth in 2020, Carlos Sainz finished fifth in 2021, George Russell finished fourth in 2022 and Perez finished eighth in 2024.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 11TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 9 | DNF | 8 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
- Best result of 5th
- First points since 2003 in 2022
- DNFs in 3 of last 6 races
Eight drivers have scored points having started 12th at Imola. No driver starting here has finished in a better position than fifth. Both Derek Warwick and David Coulthard finished fifth having started 12th in 1989 and 2003 respectively. Coulthard’s fifth place in 2003 was the last points-scoring race for this grid slot until 2022, when Yuki Tsunoda finished seventh.
Three of the last six Imola races have resulted in retirements for the driver starting 12th. Esteban Ocon retired in 2020, while George Russell crashed out in 2021.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 12TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 6 | 7 | DNF | 5 | 10 | DNF | 12 | DNF | DNF | 7 |
- 6 points finishes
- First DNF since 2002 in 2020
- 2nd is best result
Only six drivers have scored having started 13th at Imola. In 2022, Sebastian Vettel became the first driver to score here since Michael Schumacher recorded the grid slot’s best-ever result with second place in 2005.
Other points scoring occasions came in 1980, 1981, 1999 and 2024. Lance Stroll’s ninth place last year marked the first time that the driver starting here scored for two successive races at the track.
In 2020, George Russell recorded the first retirement for the driver starting 13th at Imola since 2002.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 13TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| DNF | DNF | DNF | 12 | 11 | 2 | 11 | DNF | – | 8 |
- No points since 1997
- Best result is 5th
The driver starting 14th scored six times in the first 18 races at Imola but has not scored since 1997.
The best finish from this grid slot is fifth, recorded by Eliseo Salazar in 1982, Martin Brundle in 1987, Philippe Alliot in 1993 and Jean Alesi in 1997.
The driver starting here has recorded three DNFs in the last five Imola races.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 14TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 12 | 9 | DNF | 11 | 14 | 11 | DNF | 12 | DNF | 13 |
- Points in last 2 of last 3 races
- Best finish of 6th – in 1985 and 1992
Between 1993 and 2000, the driver starting 15th failed to finish all eight San Marino Grands Prix. Since that streak of non-finishes, the driver starting here has finished in the top ten three times – including in two of the last three Emilia Romagna Grands Prix.
The best finish from this position is sixth, recorded twice. The first time was in 1985 by Stefan Johansson, on a day on which he failed to finish the race, and by Pierluigi Martini in 1992.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 15TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| DNF | 11 | DNF | 14 | DNF | 8 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 |
- Furthest back grid slot to finish on podium
- Four points finishes
In 1991, JJ Lehto finished the San Marino Grand Prix in third place having started 16th. It’s the furthest back grid position from which a podium result has been recorded at Imola.
The driver starting here has scored on only three further occasions: Riccardo Patrese finished sixth in 1986, JJ Lehto (again) finished fourth in 1993 and Giancarlo Fisichella finished fifth in 1999.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 16TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 14 | 10 | DNF | 13 | DNF | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
- No previous points scored
- 3 top 10 finishes
- Best result of 7th
Statistically, 17th is the grid slot which is least likely to score points at Imola. This grid slot has never scored before at the circuit, though it has provided three top ten finishes.
The best finish from here is seventh, recorded by both Christian Danner in 1987 and Pedro Diniz in 1996. Johnny Herbert also finished tenth having started 17th in 2000.
Since 1997, the driver starting here has finished the race only five times: Tiago Monteiro finished 13th in 2005, Antonio Giovinazzi finished 14th in 2021, Pierre Gasly finished 12th in 2022 and Zhou Guanyu came home 15th in 2024.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 17TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 10 | DNF | DNF | 15 | DNF | 13 | DNF | DNF | 14 | 12 |
- 3 top 10 finishes in last 7 races
- First points since 1980 in 2020
The driver starting from 18th recorded six consecutive retirements in the San Marino Grand Prix between 1997 and 2002, but the grid slot has enjoyed better fortunes since then, with no DNFs since 2002.
Two top ten finishes were recorded from 18th on the grid in the last three San Marino Grands Prix, while Kimi Raikkonen scored points with a ninth place finish in the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Raikkonen’s points were the first for a driver starting here since Elio de Angelis finished fourth in the first World Championship race at Imola in 1980.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 18TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| DNF | DNF | DNF | – | 9 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 11 |
- No points but 4 top 10 finishes
- Best result of 7th
19th on the grid has never scored at Imola, though four top ten finishes have been recorded from the position. Ironically, the best finish from here is seventh, recorded by Mika Salo in 1999 – despite him failing to reach the chequered flag in the race.
Further top ten finishes from this grid slot have been recorded by Erik Comas, who finished tenth in 1991, Mika Salo (again) who finished ninth in 1997 and Esteban Tuero who finished eighth in 1998.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 19TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 11 | DNF | 11 | – | 15 | DNF | 16 | 11 | 17 | 16 |
- 3 points scoring races from 20th
- Best result of 5th, in 1984
Three drivers have scored having started 20th on the grid at Imola, with Antonio Giovinazzi becoming the latest driver to do so at the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Thierry Boutsen was first to score having started here, recording the best finish for this grid slot with fifth in 1984, while Kimi Raikkonen finished eighth in 2004.
The driver starting 20th also finished eighth in 1983, 1987 and 1992 – though that was before the position paid any points. The grid slot has been left clear four times: 1982, 2003, 2022 and 2024, while Jarno Trulli failed to start the race from here in 1997.
LAST 10 RESULTS FROM 20TH ON THE GRID AT IMOLA
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| 13 | DNF | DNF | – | 8 | DNF | DNF | 10 | 12 | – |
There have been only four Imola races in which drivers have started from the pit lane.
In the 2003 San Marino Grand Prix, Ralph Firman, Jos Verstappen and Justin Wilson all started from the pits – and all three drivers retired from the race. Sebastian Vettel suffered the same fate having started from the pit lane for the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
In 2022, Zhou Guanyu became the first driver to finish at Imola having started from the pits. He finished in 15th place. Fernando Alonso finished only 19th having started from the pit lane in 2024.
