F1 has announced the cancellation of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix due to flooding around the Imola circuit.
It has been determined that for the safety of all concerned, and with emergency services in the region already stretched, the event cannot go ahead as planned.
A statement from F1 and the FIA read: “Following discussions between Formula 1, the President of the FIA, the competent authorities including the relevant Ministers, the President of the Automobile Club of Italy, the President of Emilia Romagna Region, the Mayor of the City and the promoter the decision has been taken not to proceed with the Grand Prix weekend in Imola.
“The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region. It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time.”
On Tuesday, F1 personnel were ordered to leave the paddock at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari due to the rising flood waters.
Whilst the main F1 paddock was largely unaffected, the support paddock was underwater after the Santerno River, which is adjacent to the venue, breached its banks.
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F1 and the FIA, on the advice of the local authorities, then advised all personnel not to travel to the circuit on Wednesday.
Now, following talks on Wednesday morning between F1 management, the FIA, and local authorities, it has been decided the event has to be called off.
Thunderstorms were forecast for this afternoon and, although Thursday is expected to be dry, rain is forecast to return for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The main concern was not just for all those involved in the event, but also for the safety of the tens of thousands of people who were due to travel to Imola and the surrounding region, with many roads already inaccessible given the flooding.
Already, three people have been killed in recent weeks by the extreme weather in the Emilia-Romagna region, and many have had to flee their homes, with local emergency services stretched.
At this stage, given the condensed nature of the calendar, it is highly unlikely the event will return this year, meaning the season will be over 22 races and not what was due to be a record-breaking 23.
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