Formula 1: a climatic disaster forced the suspension of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the sixth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, which should have been held on Sunday at the Imola racetrack (Italy), has been canceled due to the climate emergency in the region.

The decision was adopted after talks between all the parties involved and after the vice president of the Italian government and minister of infrastructure, Matteo Salvini, considered that given the situation generated it was “appropriate to postpone the Grand Prix” to focus attention on the saving tasks.

In a statement released by the organization of the World Cup, he explains that after the talks held with the president of the FIA, Mohamed bin Sulayem, the relevant authorities, including the relevant ministers, the Italian Automobile Club, regional and local officials and promoters, “where the decision was made not to continue with the Grand Prix weekend at Imola”.

“The decision has been made because it is not possible to hold the event safely for our fans, teams and staff, and it is the responsible thing to do given the situation cities in the region are facing. It would not be fair to put further pressure on local authorities and emergency services in these difficult times,” the letter said.

The organization of the Formula 1 World Championship also addresses “its thoughts to the people and communities affected by the recent events in Emilia-Romagna” and “pays tribute to the work of the emergency services who are doing everything possible to help the necessary” .

a climate disaster

Already on Tuesday, the torrential rains that hit a large part of Italy even forced the evacuation of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack, the circuit where the Grand Prix was to have been held.

The overflowing of the Santerno river has surrounded the sports facilities with water, flooding several stretches of road near the track, as well as the car park and some grassy hills on which the stands for the public are installed.

The water, on the other hand, did not reach the circuit, even if the personnel who worked to complete the preparations before the big sporting event were evacuated. The boxes, commercial premises and press room have also been cleared.

“Let’s dedicate ourselves to relief efforts”, said Salvini before making the final decision, given that his goal was “to concentrate all efforts to deal with the emergency, also avoiding traffic overloads in a heavily affected area”.

According to the latest data, at least 8 people died after the floods that devastated entire centers in the region and where there are more than 5,000 displaced people and major problems with electricity, telephone and traffic.

“The number of victims has risen to eight,” Irene Priolo, vice president of Emilia-Romagna, told the press on Wednesday, after the authorities gave a death toll of five. The president of the Region, Stefano Bonaccini, spoke of “many missing”.

The streets of many villages were submerged by water after heavy rains in the area, and many inhabitants found themselves stranded and forced to take refuge on the roofs of their houses.

According to the Minister of Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, 50,000 people have lost electricity and about 5,000 have been evacuated with the help of rafts and helicopters.

The Minister of Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, gave a first assessment of the situation in the area in a press conference, which he defined as “critical”, but which could improve this afternoon with the end of the rains.

In total, 24 municipalities in the region were flooded, especially in the provinces of Forlì, Cesena and Ravenna, because “all the rivers of Emilia Romagna have overflowed”.

Stefano Domenicali, president and general manager of Formula One, assured that “it is a tragedy to see what happened in Imola and Emilia Romagna, the city and the region” in which he grew up.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the floods and with the affected families and communities. I want to express my gratitude and admiration for the incredible first responders who are working tirelessly to help those in need and ease the situation – they are heroes and all of Italy is proud of it”.

“The decision that has been made is the right one for everyone in the local communities and for the F1 family, as we need to ensure safety and not create an extra burden on the authorities as they deal with this dire situation,” said Domenicali.

Meanwhile, Ben Sulayem also assured that his thoughts and those of the FIA ​​family are with those affected and that “the safety of all involved and the recovery efforts are the top priority at this time”.

With information from EFE