Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: Imola race called off because of major flooding

Formula 1 staff were told to leave the track on Tuesday and to stay away on Wednesday

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been called off this weekend because of major flooding in the region.

Discussions on Wednesday between local authorities and organisers of the race at Imola in Italy concluded that the event could not proceed safely.

At least eight people have died and 5,000 people have had to be evacuated following widespread flooding across the Emilia Romagna region.

F1 said calling off the race was "the right and responsible thing to do".

F1 will look at options for rescheduling the race but it is considered unlikely to make a return because of the crowded schedule.

"It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in," F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said

The decision comes after a red weather warning was issued for the region on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Red Bull's Alpha Tauri team, who are based in nearby Faenza, said in a statement they were "very concerned about events unfolding over the past hours in the whole Emilia Romagna area, with flooding and heavy rain causing considerable damage".

The Ferrari factory in Maranello is just over 50 miles north-west of Imola and also in the affected region.

Ferrari team principle Frederic Vasseur said in a statement: "Emilia Romagna is our homeland and it's heartbreaking to see what people are going through at the moment."

The track was evacuated on Tuesday as a result of the risk of flooding from the Santerno river, which runs next to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

F1 personnel were forbidden from entering the circuit on Wednesday as heavy rain had continued overnight and into the morning.

The Emilia Romagna GP had been scheduled to be the sixth race of the season and was the first of three events on consecutive weekends, followed by Monaco and Spain.

There had been plans for a record 23-race calendar in 2023 but the cancellation of Imola means that the schedule will be reduced to 22, the same as last year.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton said he hoped everyone in the region was able to "stay safe and look out for each other".

"Thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy and the amazing emergency services working on the ground," Hamilton said on Instagram.

World champion and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen said he supported the decision to call off the race, adding: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by the severe rainfall and flooding in the greater Emilia Romagna region. We wish you all strength to ensure your safety throughout this period."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: "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."

Mercedes' George Russell said: "Sorry for the fans that this weekend's race has been cancelled but the safety of everyone involved always has to come first."

'Worst night in the history of Romagna'

Officials say some areas of Emilia Romagna have received half of their average annual rainfall in just 36 hours.

This has caused rivers to burst their banks, submerging thousands of acres of farmland under water and flooding towns, with 5,000 people having to be evacuated and some rescued from roofs by helicopter.

"It's probably been the worst night in the history of Romagna," the Mayor of Ravenna, Michele de Pascale, told RAI public radio.

"Ravenna is unrecognisable for the damage it has suffered."

Further rain is expected in the region over the coming days with river levels still rising.

In some areas, it has not been possible to gauge the rainfall because the amount exceeded what their instruments could record.

It is the second time this month that Emilia Romagna has experienced severe weather, with at least two people dying during storms at the beginning of May.

Months of droughts have reduced the land's capacity to absorb water and worsened the impact of the floods, meteorologists say

Italian authorities say thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in the Emilia Romagna region

It is thought that between 200-500mm of rain fell in some parts of the region in 36 hours