Imola first held a grand prix in 1980 when the Italian Grand Prix needed a temporary home after dispute between the FIA and Monza. When the Italian GP moved back to its traditional venue a year later Imola was given its own race, the San Marino Grand Prix. The long slipstreaming run down to the Tosa hairpin made the track a great venue for racing.

The FISA-FOCA war meant the smallest ever field for a world championship grand prix for the 1982 race. Just 13 cars started after the English teams led a boycott. The race turned into a furious scrap between the Ferraris of JV's father Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi. Villeneuve was furious when Pironi broke a gentleman's agreement and took the lead in the dying moments of the race. Still angry, Gilles was killed in qualifying for the Belgium GP two weeks later.

For many Imola will always bring back bad memories of that dark weekend in 1994. During qualifying Roland Ratzenberger became the first driver in 12 years to be killed during a grand prix weekend, and then on Sunday the unthinkable happened. Ayrton Senna was killed when leading the race after crashing at the Tamburello. The tragedy rocked Formula 1 and forced a wholesale safety review of the sport. The character of Imola was changed forever in 1995 by a pair of chicanes which punctuated the mile-long drag down to Tosa from the start-finish straight.