F1 drivers make their pitch for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to stay on the calendar

Multiple storylines dominate the paddock as the Formula 1 grid arrives at historic Imola for this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

But one of the major storylines is the future of the race itself.

This is the final year the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is under contract with F1, and during Thursday’s media day several drivers made their pitch for the race to remain on the calendar.

Leading the way was Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, who declared it would “suck” to see Imola leave the schedule.

“Yeah, I mean, I enjoy coming here. There are a few tracks on the calendar that are very historical and great to drive,” said Stroll during the FIA Press Conference. “This is one of them. It would suck to lose it. But we have 25 races and a lot of countries want races. It’s tough to squeeze them all in. Hopefully this one stays — I like coming here.”

“Yeah, I mean it’s a great circuit. I’ve only raced here once, but it’s definitely towards the top end of my favorites. I think having two races in the same country, with how many bids we have from around the world, maybe doesn’t make that much sense anymore,” said Drivers’ Championship leader Oscar Piastri. “And when you have Monza as your second race in Italy … it’s pretty hard not to go to Monza. I think there’d be some riots if we didn’t!

“So for me, we just need to be careful to preserve the history. Zandvoort is going, Spa is going to be on rotation, which I’m not the happiest about. We just need to be careful not to lose these historical tracks. OK, maybe it’s not the best track to race on — not the best for overtaking — but in terms of the ultimate experience of driving an F1 car, this is at the top of the list. We need to be mindful of that.”

Franco Colapinto — whose return to the grid is another of the major storylines this week — declared his “love” of the historic circuit.

“I love Imola. I love Italy. I have some great memories and great history here,” began Colapinto. “I started in Monza — that was my debut in Formula 1 — and now it’s Imola. Still in Italy, but with Alpine. I love Imola. It’s a great track with massive history in Formula 1.

“I think we all like coming here. The history this brings to the sport, it’s a great track, and especially to drive a Formula 1 car here. There are specific corners — it’s such an old-school track, it’s very enjoyable to drive. So yeah, I’m going to try to enjoy this weekend and hopefully it stays,” added Colapinto.

Track action gets underway at Imola today, with the first two practice sessions before Saturday’s qualifying session for this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Whether it is the last Emilia Romagna Grand Prix remains to be seen, but the drivers certainly hope the race remains on the calendar.