Formula One on Wednesday canceled this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix after heavy rain and deadly floods in northern Italy made the continuation of the race at Imola unsafe.
Officials in Italy this week warned residents of the region to seek higher ground after heavy rains caused flooding rivers to overflow, cities were flooded and power and cell phone networks were disrupted. At least eight people have died and more than 5,000 have fled their homes.
It rained nearly 50 centimeters in 36 hours in some of the hardest-hit areas, and nearly two dozen rivers have already burst their banks.
In a statement, given the extent of the destruction and ongoing rescue efforts, Formula 1 had no choice but to cancel. The decision was made “because it is not possible to hold the event safely for our fans, teams and staff, and given the situation in the cities and communities in the region, it is the right thing to do and it is the right thing to do.”
“It would not be right to put even more pressure on local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time.”
The race at Imola would have been the sixth of the current Formula 1 season, a globetrotter circuit that took place in Miami two weeks ago and will move on to Monaco by the end of the month. It is unclear whether the canceled event can be made up for; Formula 1’s packed schedule leaves little room for flexibility considering how time-consuming and tedious it is to move it from country to country.
If the race in Imola is not postponed, Formula 1 will contest 22 races this year instead of the originally planned 23.
Earlier this week it had become clear that the race was in jeopardy. Scenes of dramatic rescues of residents from flooded cities – using helicopters, small boats and even on the backs of rescue workers – have dominated Italy’s national newscasts for the past two days.
Schools in the area have canceled classes, trains have been halted and roads and highways have been closed. Aerial photos showed flooded fields, muddy roads and inundated cities.
Formula 1 had previously ordered its teams to stay clear of the Imola circuit, which runs along the Santerno River, and residents who had not left the city were warned to move to higher floors. Photos from the route Pictures posted by journalists showed that the paddock area was flooded.
The entire Emilia-Romagna region faces more rain and flooding this week, followed by months of clean-up and repair work.
“It is such a tragedy to see what happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the city and region where I grew up,” said Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 chief executive. “My thoughts and prayers are with the Victims of the floods and the affected families and communities.”
“The decision taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and for the F1 family,” he added, “as we must ensure safety and not place any additional burden on the authorities as they deal with this terrible situation.”