The Italian region of Emilia Romagna is affected by heavy rainfall. The Formula 1 race in the region has therefore now been cancelled.
Update from Wednesday, May 17, 13:52 p.m.: Due to the heavy rainfall in northern Italy, those responsible have now agreed to cancel the race weekend in Formula 1. This was announced by the racing series on Wednesday, preceded by talks with the FIA and regional authorities. Formula 1 did not initially provide any information on the possibility of an alternative date later in the year.
"The decision was made because it is not possible to guarantee a safe event for fans, teams and for our staff," the statement said. It was also a "responsible" decision: "It would not be right to increase the pressure on local authorities and rescue workers in these difficult times."
First report from Tuesday, May 16, 19:25 p.m.: Imola/Munich – On Sunday (21 May), the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is scheduled to take place in Italy. For about two weeks, however, the region has been hit by rainfall and flooding. Does this mean that the Formula 1 race at Imola will literally fall into the water?
| Emilia Romagna Grand Prix | |
|---|---|
| Stretch: | Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari |
| In the race calendar since: | 2020 |
| Lap length: | 4,909 km |
| Record winners: | Max Verstappen (2x) |
Floods and rains: Will Formula 1 race at Imola?
It doesn't seem to be that bad yet, but the precipitation, which has been occurring since the beginning of May, is expected to last until the weekend. Twitter videos document the events in the city of 70,000 inhabitants in the southeast of Bologna.
In a clip shared with his community by French journalist and commentator Julien Febreau, large masses of water from the Fiume Santerno river can be seen making their way through nature. In addition, he also reports on an evacuation of the area around the racetrack and the people already present who are entrusted with preparations.
The picture on the left shows floods in Emilia Romagna on May 3. A Formula 1 race is scheduled to take place at Imola on Sunday. © Imago Images / Italy Photo Press; Imago Images / Shutterstock
Formula 1: Race track in Imola probably had to be evacuated
"All the teams at the Imola circuit have just been asked to leave the site within 30 minutes. Torrential rains and an incipient flooding of some areas are of course the reason for this," says Febreaue.
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The TV channel Sky also posted a similar video on Instagram, but notes: "There is no official cancellation of the Imola GP yet. The severe weather warning is only valid until tomorrow."
Formula 1: Emilia Romagna GP scheduled for Sunday
There has not yet been an official statement from the FIA regarding a possible cancellation of the race, and the rainfall is also expected to subside towards the weekend. A decision on the course of the race weekend will probably be made by Friday morning at the latest, when the first free practice session is scheduled for 13.30 pm.
Meanwhile, Mick Schumacher continues to have his sights set on the Formula 1 return. (masc)