Motoring

Imola GP called off as floods batter Emilia-Romagna region

Floods cause Imola Grand Prix to be cancelled

Heavy rains and flooding that have reportedly led to the deaths of five people in Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region, has resulted in the cancellation of this weekend Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the historic Imola circuit.

Decision had to be taken

In a short statement on Wednesday afternoon, Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali said extensive consultations with the president of the Automobile Club of Italy, the president of Emilia-Romagna Region, the mayor of the city, event promoter and members of the Italian government left it with no other option but to cancel the event as well as the supporting races.

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Due to the heavy rains that has seen 14 rivers bursts its banks since the weekend and 23 towns flooded by Wednesday, reports from the circuit have stated that the Santerno river that flows behind the Imola pitlane had breached its banks and flooded areas of the paddock.

“The average rainfall is 200 millimetres in 36 hours, but in some areas it has reached 500 millimetres. If you take into account that in one year the rainfall in that region is 1 000 millimetres, you will realise the power that the rainfall has had in the last 36 hours,” Italy’s Minister of Civil Protection Nello Musumeci was quoted by motorsport.com as saying.

_{A picture taken in Cesena on 17 May 2023, shows a flooded supermarket area after heavy rains have caused major floodings in central Italy, where trains were stopped and schools were closed in many towns while people were asked to leave the ground floors of their homes and to avoid going out. Photo by Alessandro SERRANO / AFP}

No end in sight

On Tuesday evening, event organisers advised teams to leave the circuit as the unrelenting rain continued to cause havoc, leading to calls from the Italian government to have the race nullified.

“The decision [to cancel] has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region,” Formula 1’s statement read.

“It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time.”

_{A speleological alpine rescuer looks in a car for missing persons near a supermarket in a flooded area in Cesena on 17 May 2023. Heavy rains have caused major floodings in central Italy, where trains were stopped and schools were closed in many towns while people were asked to leave the ground floors of their homes and to avoid going out. Five people have died after the floodings across Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region, a local official said. Photo by Alessandro SERRANO / AFP}

In the same statement, former Ferrari F1 team boss Domenicali remarked, “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”.

According to the latest report by AFP, residents of the city Forli near Bologna, located some 40km away from Imola, have been told to evacuate their homes admits rising water levels.

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