Last week, the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola hosted a round of the WEC, the World Endurance Championship—a true endurance racing series where events last for a minimum of six hours.
The event was undeniably a success, attracting an impressive crowd of 92,000 spectators. However, despite this strong turnout, complaints were not lacking. In particular, one of our readers raised a very important issue: the organization and overall hospitality at the circuit.
It seems that those managing the event had planned for a significantly smaller number of attendees. “An impressive number [of spectators], if not for the fact that the organization seemed to have planned for half of that,” the letter states.
Unfortunately, as a spectator who attended the event, I can only confirm this impression. The number of food stands was limited, and during peak hours the waiting times became extremely long. The restroom facilities were clearly insufficient for such a large crowd, and to make matters worse, many of them became unusable within just a few hours.
However, the most significant flaw of the event, in my opinion, was the lack of proper grandstands or designated viewing areas. For such a large number of people, not providing access to stands like Villeneuve or the Tosa grass area is, to say the least, a questionable decision.
During the six-hour race, many spectators were unable to find a comfortable place to watch, a situation that could easily have been avoided. Not to mention the long queues just to access the Tosa grandstand, without even knowing whether there would be any seats available.
That said, I do not want to convey an entirely negative message. The event itself was spectacular. The ticket prices were relatively low compared to events such as Formula 1, the cars were stunning, and it was a privilege to experience them from such close proximity.
I would also like to highlight that avoiding peak hours when buying food or merchandise makes a significant difference. Bringing your own food and drinks, and perhaps making purchases later in the afternoon, can reduce waiting times to almost zero.
“It’s not enough to bring people to the circuit—you also need to know how to welcome them,” our reader rightly wrote, and I could not agree more. Hospitality should be a top priority for an event of this scale. However, I remain confident that the circuit will take this feedback into account and improve in the coming years.
The Imola circuit itself, and the emotions experienced trackside—whether as a fan or as part of the workforce—are truly indescribable. It is undoubtedly a venue that deserves to continue hosting major motorsport events of this calibre.
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