Flood, Imola: “Too early to speculate on race status, unpredictable developments.” Access to circuit remains prohibited. Access to circuit remains prohibited.

Severe weather ravages Emilia Romagna
At the moment, the tragic death toll from the relentless severe weather in Emilia Romagna stands at two (in Forlì and Ronta di Cesena). One of the cities most affected by the flood is Faenza, where several people have sought help from the roofs of their homes after the Lamone River overflowed. Many areas of the city are without electricity. Over 900 people have been evacuated in Emilia Romagna, as the wave of bad weather also hit Marche and Abruzzo.
The alert level remains at red, with schools and public buildings closed and trains stopped between Forlì, Rimini, and Ravenna.

Formula 1 GP at Imola: the situation
In such a tragic scenario, the race scheduled for this weekend at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari understandably takes a back seat. At the moment, the Grand Prix is in doubt, as reported by the organizers in a press release issued at 06:13 this morning:

“Below, we provide updated information regarding the flood at the Imola F1 Circuit Dino and Enzo Ferrari. Currently, the staff has been evacuated due to the overflow of the Santerno River, which flows near the circuit. The forecasts indicate further rainfall. The continuation of the race will depend on further developments, which are currently unpredictable. On Tuesday, May 16, the water level of the river caused flooding in part of the paddock, interrupting the race preparation works. The progress of the works will be influenced by the decrease in water level and the possibility of resuming the race preparation.”

Last night, there were rumors of a possible evacuation from the hotel where the Alpine team was staying, but the French team downplayed the situation, stating that it involved a couple of staff members responsible for equipment assembly who changed hotels due to the bad weather.

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For the Formula 1 team personnel who were evacuated yesterday as a precaution, access to the Autodromo remains prohibited until further notice. The Formula 1 paddock and pit boxes have not suffered any damages so far, while lower areas, such as the one dedicated to Formula 2, are flooded.