Formula 1 Cancels Race After Deadly Floods In Northern Italy

Formula 1 announced that they've decided to cancel this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The reason? Deadly flooding has hit northern Italy.

According to Reuters, torrential rain and flooding have killed eight people and caused thousands to evacuate the Emilia-Romagna region. This has led to massive flooding as well as landslides in the region.

"We are facing catastrophic events that have probably not been seen before," the president of the Emilia-Romagna region Stefano Bonaccini said. "Extraordinary amounts of rain have fallen on land no longer capable of absorbing them."

This flooding also impacted the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, also known as Imola. Formula 1 cars were scheduled to be on track beginning on Friday. However, as you can see from this footage, the circuit isn't currently in Grand Prix shape.

F1 President Says Cancelation Is The Right Decision

On Wednesday, Formula 1 announced that they decided to cancel the race.

“It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected," F1 president Stefano Domenicali said in a statement. He then went on to thank first responders currently working in the region.

“The decision that has been taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and the F1 family as we need to ensure safety and not create extra burden for the authorities while they deal with this very awful situation.”

Sky Sports reports Formula 1 will probably not reschedule the race this season. This is because already has a packed schedule. The 2023 calendar was set to feature a record 23 Grand Prix before the visit to Imola was canceled. That now drops to 22 races, barring any further cancellations.

One F1 team, AlphaTauri, is based in the nearby city of Faenza. The team said that their factory hasn't suffered any damage. They are also working to assist employees and their families.

F1 will reconvene for one of the series' marquee events, the Monaco Grand Prix, from May 26 to 28.

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