Credit: Grantuking, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Credit: Grantuking, CC BY 2.0 Edited (via Flickr)
For decades, the Tamburello corner at Imola was one of the fastest in F1.
Drivers took it flat out; barely lifting, trusting the car, the tires and a lot of luck; that approach worked, until it did not.
Tamburello was redesigned in 1995, transforming it from a flat-out curve into a slow chicane, the reason was simple and unavoidable: SAFETY.
What Tamburello Was Like Before the Change – Temburello 1994
Tamburello, was a long left-hand bend taken at extreme speed, sometimes over 300 km/h, cars came through that corner at maximum speed they can get and; with almost no margin for error.
The problem was not just how fast it was, but what waited on the outside of the corner.
However, there was very little runoff, just beyond the edge of the track stood a concrete wall; and behind that wall flowed the Santerno River.
Unlike other circuits, Imola could not simply move barriers further back or add wide escape areas, the geography of the circuit made it impossible.
If a car lost control at Tamburello, there was almost nowhere for it to go.
A History of Serious Accidents
Long before 1994, Tamburello had already built a reputation inside the paddock.
Each crash followed a similar pattern; a sudden failure or loss of control, followed by a very fast impact because there was no space to slow the car down.
While drivers walked away from many of these accidents, the corner was increasingly seen as dangerous rather than challenging.
Tamburello accidents
In the years before 1994, Tamburello was already known for serious accidents.
Several toip drivers crashed there at very high speed, often during practice or testing.
The reason was; the corner was taken flat out, any small problem could turn into a big accident very quickly.
Nelson Piquet crashed there in 1987 after a tire problem and was not allowed to race that weekend.
Two years later in 1989; Gerhardt Berger lost control after a front wing issue and hit the wall heavily.
Also Riccardo Patrese and Michele Alboreto in early ’90s; crashed at the same corner and both during testing sessions.
All of these crashes happened at almost the same place, and they raised concerns inside the paddock. Many people felt that drivers had been lucky to escape without worse outcomes. After 1994, it became clear that Tamburello could not stay the same, and slowing the corner was seen as the only real solution.
Why Safety Changes Were Inevitable
After the events of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend, F1 entered a period of deep reflection.
Safety could no longer be delayed or debated; so finally the change came for the 1995, because Tamburello became one of the first corners to be addressed; its risks were already well known.
Officials faced a difficult problem, they could not move the wall due to the river, they could not widen the runoff in a meaningful way and the only solution was to; reduce speed!
How Tamburello Was Modified – Temburello 1995
For the 1995 season, Tamburello was completely reshaped. The fast, flowing bend was replaced by a left-right-left chicane. This forced drivers to brake heavily and negotiate the corner at much lower speed.
The surface around the corner was also changed. Where there had once been concrete, gravel was added to help slow cars that left the track. Barriers were improved, and the overall layout encouraged control rather than commitment.
Tamburello was no longer about bravery. It became about precision.
Part of a Bigger Safety Overhaul
The changes at Tamburello were not isolated. Imola as a whole was reworked. The Villeneuve corner was also slowed, barriers were updated, and safety standards across the circuit were raised.
These updates reflected a wider shift in Formula 1. Circuits were no longer judged only by speed and spectacle, but by how they protected drivers when things went wrong.
👉 Imola 1982: Ferrari’s Teammate Clash
Why Tamburello Never Went Back
Over the years, some fans and drivers have said they miss the old Tamburello. It was fast, dramatic, and unforgettable. But the reality is that the corner could not exist in modern Formula 1.
With its limited space and unforgiving surroundings, Tamburello in its original form would never meet today’s safety requirements. The redesign was not about erasing history, but about ensuring the future.
Tamburello changed because it had to. And in doing so, it became a symbol of how Formula 1 learned, adapted, and moved forward.
