Formula 1: a weather alert in Imola sets off the alarms ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

THE Formula 1 plans to play round six of his season this weekend, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prixin which Red Bullwith Max Verstappen AND Sergio Perez, will be looking to extend its huge dominance in the league. But bad weather threatens to complicate test development. Even if from FIA They have warned that there is no concern about it, some versions have indicated that the weather alert in force in the area could even force a cancellation. And the information that arrived this Tuesday from Imola reinforces this possibility.

According to several journalists who were already working on the spot, the torrential rains that have been recorded continuously since the beginning of the month have caused a great swelling of the river santero, which passes just behind the platform and is about to overflow. For this reason, the Italian authorities ordered the evacuation of the circuit and handed over to the team members and staff of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack to clear it, before cutting off the adjacent streets as a precaution.

“This is how the situation of the river that passes next to the circuit is now. The staff have been evacuated as a precaution”, wrote the Spanish journalist Alberto Fabrega In Chirpingalong with a video showing the situation at Imola.

Shortly thereafter, he shared an image comparing the level of the river last Saturday to the level of that stream this Tuesday. A level that would continue to rise in the next few hours.

In the Emilia-Romagna region a state of red alert has been in force since Monday night which warns of the possibility of strong winds, rain and thunderstorms with the risk of flooding and damage to infrastructure, including the possibility of landslides. 120 firefighters have already been mobilized in the area to deal with possible problems that may arise.

According to meteorological data, the heaviest rains will be recorded between Tuesday and Wednesday, with an average accumulation of 150 millimeters. And from Thursday the intensity of the precipitation is expected to decrease, although it would continue to be present throughout the weekend.

The difficult situation in the region could affect the sixth round of F1. And not only because it could affect the competition – last year we already ran with rain and a wet track in the first laps – but also on the setting of the event. Because, as a precaution, the National Crisis Unit He advised closing paths that could be covered by water in the event of flooding and asked citizens to avoid unnecessary travel or travel.

A few weeks ago, after a day and a half of uninterrupted rain, the Imola area suffered flooding due to the overflowing of rivers and landslides, which caused the death of two people.

The action at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is ​​due to get underway on Friday, at 8:30am in Argentina, with two free practice sessions. The last free practice session and qualifying will take place on Saturday, starting at 7.30. And Sunday, at 10, the race.