Andy Rush, a 27-year-old Red Bull mechanic, posted stories on Instagram with extremely tasteless and inappropriate sarcasm about the flood affecting Emilia Romagna and the decision to cancel the Imola Grand Prix. The employee of the Milton Keynes team thought it appropriate to make fun on social media, despite a region in distress, with 13 confirmed deaths, nearly 20,000 displaced people, and dozens of towns completely flooded.
Imola GP: Red Bull mechanic mocks the flood in Emilia Romagna on Instagram
Two days ago, around lunchtime, Formula 1, after a meeting with the authorities and ACI President Angelo Sticchi Damiani, officially announced the cancellation of the Imola weekend. The authorities decided to prioritize the people affected by the flood rather than continue with the on-track action.
It was a wise decision widely agreed upon by fans and professionals in the field. The decision was made despite many people incurring significant expenses for tickets, accommodation, and transportation. However, Andy Rush did not share the same opinion and criticized the decision made by Formula 1 with a highly distasteful irony.
In the first of the two incriminated Instagram stories, the former Mercedes and Aston Martin mechanic filmed the ground, showing some colleagues in front of him with suitcases in hand. Additionally, he added a brief comment saying, “100% too wet.” The comment is obviously ironic since the track itself is not flooded.
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What was heavily affected by the recent heavy rains were the pits and, especially, the F2 paddock, captured completely underwater by a drone. Not satisfied, Andy Rush posted a second story, pointing at the smiling green emoji while rating the service provided by Bologna Airport.
Criticism naturally poured in immediately. The mechanic quickly found himself forced to delete the stories. Furthermore, he had to make his Instagram profile private due to the numerous insults received.
It was certainly an act of poor taste, considering the extremely delicate situation of the people in Emilia Romagna at this time. A response from Red Bull is now expected, as they surely cannot let the matter go unpunished.
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