The City of Imola motorcycle Grand Prix was a round of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship between 1996 and 1999.
History The first City of Imola Grand Prix was held in 1996 (2 years after 1994 Formula One San Marino Grand Prix tragedy that killed Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna), its official name being in Italian (Città di Imola).
It was the first time since the 1983 San Marino Grand Prix that a motorcycle grand prix race was held at Imola.
The amount of spectators who visited the inaugural Grand Prix that year was lower than expected, averaging at only 30.000 people. This was low compared to the events held in the past on the same circuit.
The race was nonetheless exciting when heavy rain suddenly hit the circuit at lap 18 of 25, causing the red flag to be brought out and the race to be suspended.
The results from lap 16 were counted and full points were rewarded because more than 75% of the race was ridden. The win went to the Australian Mick Doohan.
The event in 1997 was visited even worse: only around 28.000 came to see all sessions combined.
In 2000, the City of Imola Grand Prix was taken off the calendar, presumably because of declining spectator attendance.
Official names and sponsors 1996: Gran Premio IP Città di Imola 1997: Gran Premio Città di Imola (no official sponsor) 1998: Gran Premio Cirio Città di Imola 1999: Gran Premio Breil Città di Imola
Winners
Multiple winners (riders)
# Wins Rider Wins Category Years won 3 Mick Doohan 500cc 1996, 1997, 1998 2 Valentino Rossi 250cc 1998 125cc 1997
Multiple winners (manufacturers)
# Wins Manufacturer Wins Category Years won 9 Honda 500cc 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 250cc 1996, 1997, 1999 125cc 1998, 1999 3 Aprilia 250cc 1998 125cc 1996, 1997
By year
Year Track 125cc 250cc 500cc ReportRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturer 1999 Imola Marco Melandri Honda Loris Capirossi Honda Àlex Crivillé Honda Report 1998 Tomomi Manako Honda Valentino Rossi Aprilia Mick Doohan Honda Report 1997 Valentino Rossi Aprilia Max Biaggi Honda Mick Doohan Honda Report 1996 Masaki Tokudome Aprilia Ralf Waldmann Honda Mick Doohan Honda Report
References
Sources 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix (1st edition). Hazelton Publishing Ltd, 1999.