Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix canceled as floods hit northern Italy

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - This weekend's Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been canceled as serious floods hit northern Italy.

In a statement on Wednesday, Formula 1 said that the competition's organizers, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the local authorities of the Emilia-Romagna Region agreed that they will not proceed with the Grand Prix at Imola this weekend because of heavy flooding in the area.

"The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region. It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time," a Formula 1 statement said.

Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, an Imola native, said: "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."

"My thoughts and those of the entire FIA family are with those affected by the terrible situation in the Emilia Romagna region. The safety of everyone involved and recovery efforts are the top priority at this time," FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.

At least three people were killed and thousands of others displaced after torrential rains poured over the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna, local authorities said on Wednesday.

Emilia Romagna region, whose capital is Bologna, is a center for the food industry, and famous automobile production such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and Pagani, as well as Ducati motorcycles.

The heavy rains caused some 14 rivers to overflow, flooding streets and homes and causing severe disruptions to train traffic.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, round 6 of the 2023 F1 season, was due to be held on Sunday at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

The first Grand Prix at Imola was held in 1980 as the Italian Grand Prix. The venue previously hosted the San Marino Grand Prix in 1981-2006.

The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari returned to the F1 calendar in the 2020 season to fill the gap as many other races in that year were canceled for the COVID-19 pandemic.