Due to flooding in the city of Imola, Italy, Formula 1 announced its decision Wednesday (May 17) to cancel this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. While the race has not been officially removed from the schedule going forward, no replacement date was selected.
F1 said it held thorough discussions involving the FIA President, race promoter and city officials before ultimately making the choice not to race.
“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,” F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said. “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.”
Heavy rain over the past few weeks has produced record flooding in the area, and concerns about the adjacent Santerno River overflowing ultimately played a factor in the decision.
There is the potential for the race to be rescheduled, though unlikely due to the packed summer schedule.
F1 will hit the track again next weekend with the famed Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, May 28.
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