After the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix had to be cancelled, fans will at least be able to experience a different type of race live on Sunday (21 May).
Imola - A few days ago, the FIA announced that the Formula 1 race at Imola could not take place due to floods and storms. Pictures showed the route completely flooded, at least eight people have died in the region so far. The security forces are fully occupied with taking care of the missing and injured - supervising a Formula 1 race? Not a chance!
| Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix | |
|---|---|
| In the race calendar: | since 2020 |
| Race length: | 309.049 km in 63 laps |
| Lap record: | 1:15.484 (2020, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes) |
| Most victories: | Max Verstappen (2) |
Yuki Tsunoda helps those affected directly on site after flooding
So far, unfortunately, it doesn't look like the race could be made up for. Formula 1 has a very busy racing calendar this year, only the time before the actual race would have been possible. The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix will therefore probably be cancelled without replacement. For the teams, this is more of a disadvantage in terms of upgrades and tests – but of course, the safety of the people comes first.
After individual teams, such as Ferrari, and even the entire Formula 1 had already decided to offer the flood victims the prospect of a monetary donation, the fans were even able to see a driver help on site. Yuki Tsunoda, the Alpha Tauri driver, stayed there after the race was cancelled and helped with the clean-up. He and some employees of Alpha Tauri supported the people in Faenza – where the team's factory is located – and cleared mud from the streets.
Verstappen revives old sim racing event series
Max Verstappen, driver at Red Bull, also wants to help the people of the region - but in a different way. Together with Team Redline, his sim racing team in e-sports, he organizes a return of "Real Racers Never Quit". These events were launched during the Corona pandemic, in which many professional drivers took part because they could not drive on a real race track.
Max Verstappen wants to offer the fans some entertainment even without a proper Grand Prix. But not only that: "On Wednesday afternoon we learned that the race at Imola would no longer take place, so Max himself came up with the idea of organizing a sim race that would fill the gap for the fans, but also raise awareness of what is happening in Emilia Romagna and try to support those affected by the storm," explained Team Redline Director Atze Kerkhof motorsport.com.
Raising funds for flood victims in Italy with online races
The aim of the online event is to raise funds that will then go to the same organization that supports Alpha Tauri. Max Verstappen will also participate and drive himself, along with some other professional drivers, including some drivers from Formula 2 and 3, as well as reserve drivers from Formula 1, such as Felipe Drugovich and Jack Doohan.
"There will be four races at Imola with four different cars that will take place one after the other," says Kerkhof, explaining the process. The spectacle of "Real Racers Never Quit" will take place on Sunday (May 21) at 15:30 CEST and anyone who wants to can watch the sim race live on Team Redline's Twitch channel. (lhe)