HBehind the Tamburello curve, where Formula 1 idol Ayrton Senna crashed before the eyes of the world in 1994, the Santerno river has burst its banks menacingly. In the paddock of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, where construction work for this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was due to be completed, there was a standstill on Wednesday. A little later, what was already feared became certain: the race weekend in Imola was cancelled.
This was announced by the racing series on Wednesday, preceded by talks with the world automotive association FIA and regional authorities. “The decision was made because it is not possible to guarantee a safe event for fans, teams and our staff,” the statement said. It was also a “responsible” decision: “It would not be right to further increase the pressure on the local authorities and rescue workers in these difficult times.”
fatalities and missing
The Santerno river, which is close to the race track, has burst its banks. According to official information from Wednesday morning, 14 rivers in Emilia-Romagna are flooded. Several roads have been closed, at least five people have died, and more people are missing. On the advice of the authorities, nobody should come to the race track on Wednesday, after the pit lane and the TV area had been cleared as a precautionary measure the day before. The heavy rain should only be over on Thursday night.
The cancellation is understandable: The Ferrari home game is a crowd puller, but the situation in the region is confusing, fire brigade and rescue services are in constant use. In relation to the microcosm of Formula 1 alone, however, the safety of access roads, parking lots and grandstands must be guaranteed. Those responsible could not and did not want to do that. Italy’s Transport Minister Matteo Salvini had previously advocated a postponement. “We should focus on the relief effort,” he said.
A weather-related cancellation is a novelty in Formula 1. And yet it shows a learning effect after two laps were driven behind the safety car in 2021 in the Belgian Spa under the most adverse conditions – albeit far from a natural disaster – in order to at least formally have a “race ‘ to deny. It is unclear when the race can be rescheduled. In the further course of the year the appointment calendar is full, but there are still gaps.
The city of Faenza, where the factory of the Formula 1 racing team AlphaTauri is located, is also affected by the flooding. He immediately called for help and set up a donation account. And Scuderia Ferrari showed “sympathy” to the “people of Emilia Romagna and Marche who are struggling with the destruction caused by the heavy rains and floods.”