Why has the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix been cancelled?
The F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been called off and we're here with the latest updates.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been cancelled just days before the race, which was scheduled to take place this weekend.
F1 teams were expected to wheel their cars onto the circuit at Imola this Friday for practice sessions, but authorities have called off the entire weekend due to extreme weather in the region.
Heavy rain in the area has caused widespread flooding around the river Santerno. Around 5,000 residents have been evacuated from the area and five people have died, according to local officials.
There had been question marks over whether the race could be held safely for drivers, teams, staff and fans, but the decision has now been made. There will be no racing in Imola on Sunday.
RadioTimes.com brings you more detailed information and the latest updates with regards to the situation in Imola, including the full Formula 1 statement, below.
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Why has the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix been cancelled?
Local authorities were expecting around 100mm of rainfall across the Imola region of Italy during the first half of this week.
Rivers have burst their banks and landslide warnings have been issued throughout the area.
Sharpening the focus on the circuit at Imola – the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari – it has been reported that while the majority of the paddock remains undamaged from the elements, some facilities have been affected and staff were evacuated from the site on Tuesday to await further instruction.
Speculation continued to build on Wednesday morning, and Formula 1 broke its silence with a statement confirming the race will not go ahead.
Formula 1 announced: "The Formula 1 community wants to send its thoughts to the people and communities affected by the recent events in the Emilia Romagna region.
"We also want to pay tribute to the work of the emergency services who are doing everything they can to help those in need.
"Following discussions between Formula 1, the President of the FIA, the competent authorities including the relevant ministers, the President of the Automobile Club of Italy, the President of Emilia Romagna Region, the Mayor of the City and the promoter the decision has been taken not to proceed with the Grand Prix weekend in Imola.
"The decision 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.
"It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time."
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
