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F1 is confident of pitching up in Monaco next week without difficulty despite the horrendous issues surrounding the cancelled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
For a day and a half, on the advice of the local authorities, all F1 personnel were denied access to the paddock at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari due to concerns for their safety given the flooding caused by the nearby Santerno River breaching its banks.
Whilst the F1 paddock managed to escape relatively unscathed, the support paddock for F2 and F3 was underwater and had caused considerable damage, leaving the teams vulnerable in their preparations for Monaco.
With that in mind, the local authorities on Thursday allowed essential de-rig personnel only access to the circuit to begin the process of dismantling the motorhomes and equipment to ensure it can arrive on time in Monaco.
F1 is fully expecting all teams to be ready on schedule for the Monaco Grand Prix, with F2 and F3 also in attendance as it is understood water levels are receding and access to decamp will soon be allowed.
Certain F1 teams, such as Red Bull and Mercedes, have the luxury of being able to use additional motorhomes for Monaco.
Although Red Bull has the largest motorhome in F1 as it serves both itself and AlphaTauri, in Monaco it uses its floating construction, with two giant metal barges providing the platform.
At 800 tons, it cannot be put together in Monaco, but is instead built in the port of Imperia, Italy, where a crew of 70 takes 21 days to piece it together.
As for Mercedes, it also uses a different motorhome for Monaco as logistics do not allow the use of its main one for such a triple-header – with Spain a week after the race around the Principality.
For other teams, they face a race against time to deconstruct and make the 500-kilometre journey across to Monaco given the ongoing difficulties being faced in the Emilia Romagna region in which Imola sits.
Garage equipment should not be too much of a concern for the majority of the teams, however, as a different specification is required to fit the pit buildings in Monaco.
