“F1 Cancels Emilia Romagna GP for Safety Reasons Amid Floods”

F1 has formalized the decision to cancel the Emilia Romagna GP, scheduled at Imola over the weekend, following the floods that hit the region. “The decision – announces F1 on its twitter profile – was taken for the safety of the fans and the teams. It is not right to cause further pressure on the local authorities and on the forces involved in the emergency”.

“The F1 community – reads the note from company that manages the rights to the World Cup – wishes to express its closeness to the population and communities affected by the recent events in Emilia Romagna. We also pay tribute to all the rescue workers who are doing everything in their power in this moment of need”. “After talks with the president of the FIA, the competent ministers, the president of the Region, the ACI, the mayor of the city ​​and the organizers, the decision was made not to run the Grand Prix“, the official announcement. “The decision – is the conclusion – was made due to the impossibility of safety conditions for the fans, the teams and our staff. It is the right thing to do, given the situation in the cities and towns of the region. It would not have been fair to bring additional pressure on local authorities and relief forces at a difficult time.”

“It is such a tragedy to see what happened in Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the city and region where I grew up, and my thoughts and prayers are with the flood victims, families and communities affected.” Stefano Domenicali, former Ferrari team principal and now CEO of F1, thus expresses his pain for the bad weather emergency, which among other things led to the cancellation of the Imola GP. Domenicali expresses “gratitude and admiration for the incredible rescue services that are working tirelessly” for those who “need help: they are heroes, all of Italy is proud of them”. “The decision 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 additional burdens for the authorities as they deal with this dire situation,” added Domenicali.

Also the president of the International Automobile Federation, Mohammed Ben Sulayemjoined in condolences for the victims: “My thoughts and those of the whole FIA ​​family are with those affected by the terrible situation in Emilia Romagna. The safety of all those involved and the efforts for their mass safety are the top priority right now.”

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