Emilia Romagna has been severely hit, with the region overwhelmed by weather events and a blow to the economy that will not be alleviated in the short term. In light of what is happening, the cancellation of the Imola weekend was entirely inevitable and was immediately hoped for by the people of Imola, despite the economic losses.
In retrospect, the decision was promptly made by the authorities, a sign that goes beyond mere formalities; organizers and Formula 1 did not exert any adverse pressure. Similarly, the immediate refund for ticket holders is part of a very serious approach. Fortunately, Imola will not have to pay any fees or penalties to Formula 1. On the contrary, Ferrari and Formula 1 themselves have quickly donated 1 million euros each as a “tangible sign of solidarity,” said Stefano Domenicali, a native of Imola, who brought the home circuit back on the calendar. “Others will donate,” revealed the President of the Emilia Romagna region, Bonaccini.
While Emilia Romagna is facing the emergency, the sport must go on and has quickly moved to Monaco, which will host the next round of the 2023 Formula 1 championship. The teams have completed the dismantling work and have been easily on schedule. These operations were not particularly complex since most of the materials had been put on standby. Much of the personnel, apart from accredited media, never even entered the circuit. The problem was only related to possible damage after widening and the road network, but nothing worrying. Imola was not severely affected as we are seeing in the areas between Faenza, Forlì, Cesena, and Ravenna.
Scuderia Ferrari continues its work at the factory, and President Elkann has been in Maranello for a few days for a series of meetings. It is easy to imagine that certain discussions have addressed the competitiveness of the Maranello team’s Formula 1 car in the short and medium term, among other things. Some sources indicate that after mutual reassurances, discussions about extending Charles Leclerc’s contract are now closer, as confirmed earlier today by Formula 1 expert Giuliano Duchessa in an article for the Italian website formu1a.uno.
Another issue on the Ferrari Racing Division meeting agenda, involving Benedetto Vigna and Frederic Vasseur, concerns Laurent Mekies’ gardening leave and the subsequent move of the Frenchman to AlphaTauri. This is still an unresolved matter. According to formu1a.uno, there is no agreement with Red Bull, so it is expected that Laurent Mekies will remain in his position regularly, even in Monaco and Barcelona. If he were to resign, like Mattia Binotto, someone with his profile within the team would have to observe a 12-month gardening period, but it does not seem to be the case.
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Certainly, Ferrari is in no rush to release the French racing manager without the appropriate conditions for an exchange.
However, Giuliano Duchessa informs that Enrico Balbo, Paul Monaghan, and Pierre Wachè are not the mysterious names coming to the Maranello team from Red Bukk. The Austrian side has quickly moved to strongly deny the rumors. Nevertheless, persistent voices of confirmation continue to be heard from Maranello regarding the arrival of high-profile technicians at Scuderia Ferrari. And it should not be underestimated that Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have received important assurances in this regard.
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