The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been known as off this weekend due to main flooding within the area.
Discussions on Wednesday between native authorities and organisers of the race at Imola in Italy concluded that the occasion couldn’t proceed safely.
In addition, there was a need to not dilute the efforts of emergency companies coping with issues throughout the world.
F1 stated calling off the race was “the right and responsible thing to do”.
F1 president and chief government officer Stefano Domenicali stated: “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.
“The resolution that has been taken is the suitable one for everybody within the native communities and the F1 household as we have to guarantee security and never create additional burden for the authorities whereas they take care of this very terrible state of affairs.”The decision comes after a red weather warning was issued for the region on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There has been widespread flooding across the Emilia Romagna region. At least three people have been killed and authorities have warned people to move to higher ground.
Red Bull’s Alpha Tauri team, who are based in nearby Faenza, said in a statement they were “very involved about occasions unfolding over the previous hours in the entire Emilia Romagna space, with flooding and heavy rain inflicting appreciable injury”.
The assertion added: “The crew’s manufacturing facility is at present unaffected and every part is being carried out to make sure the protection of our staff and their households.”
The Ferrari factory in Maranello is just over 50 miles north-west of Imola and also in the affected region.
The track was evacuated on Tuesday as a result of the risk of flooding from the Santerno river, which runs next to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
F1 personnel were forbidden from entering the circuit on Wednesday as heavy rain had continued overnight and into the morning.
The Emilia Romagna GP had been scheduled to be the sixth race of the season and was the first of three events on consecutive weekends, followed by Monaco and Spain.
F1 will look at options for rescheduling the race but it is considered unlikely to make a return because of the crowded schedule.
There had been plans for a record 23-race calendar in 2023 but the cancellation of Imola means that the schedule will be reduced to 22, the same as last year.
Britain’s Lewis Hamilton said he hoped everyone in the region was able to “keep secure and look out for one another”.
“Thoughts are with these affected by this tragedy and the superb emergency companies engaged on the bottom,” Hamilton stated on Instagram.
World champion and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen said he supported the decision to call off the race, adding: “Our ideas are with all these affected by the extreme rainfall and flooding within the better Emilia Romagna area. We want you all energy to make sure your security all through this era.”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated: “My ideas and people of the complete FIA household are with these affected by the horrible state of affairs within the Emilia Romagna area. The security of everybody concerned and restoration efforts are the highest precedence right now.”
Mercedes’ George Russell stated: “Sorry for the followers that this weekend’s race has been cancelled however the security of everybody concerned all the time has to come back first.”
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
