Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Citing safety concerns due to weather and flooding, F1 has canceled the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Formula 1 announced on Wednesday morning the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The region around Imola in northern Italy has been battered by heavy rain and flooding in recent days. The track was evacuated for a period of time on Tuesday due to concerns regarding flooding, and a few Alpine team members were force to change hotels due to flooding concerns.
With more rain forecast for the rest of the week, including on race weekend, there was growing speculation in recent days that F1 would be forced to cancel the Grand Prix.
The decision was announced on social media on Wednesday morning. F1 stated that because it was “not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel” the decision was being made to cancel the Grand Prix:
Teams such as Haas and Alpine shared the news, and their concern for those in the region impacted by the conditions:
We will not be racing in Imola this weekend.
Our thoughts are with the people affected following the heavy rainfall and flooding in the Emilia Romagna region. #HaasF1 https://t.co/1K9slmkyGF
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) May 17, 2023
BWT Alpine F1 Team fully supports the decision taken by @F1 to not proceed with the 2023 Emilia-Romagna GP.
Our thoughts are with those who are impacted by the ongoing flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region.
#Alpine pic.twitter.com/xRCZUWQgA0
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) May 17, 2023
Earlier on Wednesday AlphaTauri released this statement regarding their factory, which is located in the area:
At this time, there is no word on a new date for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, or if the event will simply not be held this season. There are upcoming breaks in the calendar, including in June and August, where F1 could insert a rescheduled race at Imola.
