Aditya ChaudhuriFormula One has announced that, given the terrible weather conditions in the Emilia-Romagna region and with everyone affected by the floods, the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix race has been called off following discussions with the President of the FIA, Formula One, the Automobile Club of Italy, the Mayor of the City, the promoters, and the President of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
The region has been witnessing torrential rainfall and has been flooded for some time. With the safety of the fans and team personnel in mind, the decision has been taken to call off the race weekend.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said:
“It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected. I want to express my gratitude and admiration for the incredible emergency services who are working tirelessly to help those who need help and alleviate the situation – they are heroes and the whole of Italy is proud of them.
“The decision that has been taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and the F1 family as we need to ensure safety and not create extra burden for the authorities while they deal with this very awful situation.“
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, added:
“My thoughts and those of the entire FIA family are with those affected by the terrible situation in the Emilia Romagna region. The safety of everyone involved and recovery efforts are the top priority at this time.”
The race in Imola was supposed to be part of a triple-header, which now will become a double-header, with the next race weekend scheduled for May 28 in Monaco.
