Brought in as a stop gap last season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Imola circuit president Giancarlo Minardi didn't shy away from the fact he wants to see the track become a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar. The first thing that catches the eye about this year's race at Imola is the name. The race weekend will officially be known as the 'Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell'Emilia Romagna 2021', a name that you probably had to read more than once, but one that Minardi revealed holds a great significance. "You're right that the name of our Grand Prix is quite long this year," Minardi told RacingNews365.com . "Still, the name has great significance to us. "It says that Pirelli has committed to the name of the GP and that we also have the support of the region. We're all aware that Imola is located in an important part of Italy, the so called 'Motor Valley'. Everything that has to do with cars comes together in this region and that is why it is so important to show that as much as possible. "There is a story behind it, so the name of the GP is very important to us." Italians were hoping to welcome fans back to the circuit when drivers and teams arrive for the race on the weekend of April 16-18, however COVID-19 restrictions mean that won't be possible once again this year. "We are hard at work to organise everything as well as we can," Minardi continued. "Due to the necessary COVID-19 rules, it isn't easy to organise everything properly. "However, we will get everything done and during the Grand Prix weekend we will also be welcoming the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, which is of course great for our event. Unfortunately we can't welcome fans to the track just yet, but last year we were able to deliver a great spectacle and we are hoping to do that again this year." As for the future, Minardi is hoping to welcome fans back to the historic circuit on a regular basis as he is keen to see the event become a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar. "If the rules allow for more Grand Prix to be organised in a country, then we would very much like to welcome F1 to our circuit in the future as well as we are hoping for a permanent place on the calendar," Minardi stated. "That isn't possible at this time, but for now we will try to show that we can hold a well-organised GP and then we'll see what happens in the future."
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