Preparations for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola are currently on hold due to localised flooding.
All F1 personnel have been advised not to travel to the circuit on Wednesday given the ongoing crisis in the region.
Heavy and persistent rainfall has created an emergency situation, which led to F1 staff in the Imola paddock being advised to leave on Tuesday afternoon due to the continuing rise of the nearby Santerno River.
Although the F1 paddock remained largely unaffected, the support paddock was under water (see picture above), prompting F1 and the FIA to heed local authority advice.
Discussions are currently taking place between F1 chiefs, the FIA, and the local authorities as to the best course of action for the coming days.
All teams have now lost valuable set-up time, whilst the weather forecast remains precarious.
Thundery showers are set to strike throughout Wednesday afternoon, and whilst Thursday is predicted to be dry, further rain is scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The main concern is whether the event can safely be staged given the tens of thousands of people that would descend on Imola and the surrounding region when many roads are already inaccessible given the flooding.
There are a number of options open to F1, from pushing ahead as planned, assuming the local authorities give the green light, to scaling back the planned racing programme, reducing the number of people allowed into the area, or a cancellation.
A further update is due on Wednesday afternoon local time.
The Alpine and AlphaTauri teams have already been affected.
Alpine confirmed on Tuesday night that members of its set-up crew had changed hotels due to the adverse weather. Mechanics and engineers are currently unaffected.
The town of Faenza, where AlphaTauri is located, has been badly affected by flooding. This has led to team members being forced to sleep in the team’s factory.
The team has also issued a Tweet asking for donations to assist with the Emergency Flood Relief Fundraising “to support families, companies and organisations most affected by the flood emergency”.
unfortunately, our town of Faenza has once again experienced significant rainfall and subsequent flooding
if anyone wishes to help those affected, you can do so by following the instructions below pic.twitter.com/rdXt4lQVHZ
— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) May 17, 2023
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