Floods in Imola: 2023 F1 Emilia-Romagna cancelled

In May 2023, the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy was hit by very heavy rain, causing serious floods and landslides. The Santerno River, which runs close to the Imola race track, overflowed. The local authorities warned that there was a very high risk of more flooding and landslides.

On Tuesday, 16 May, the Formula 1 paddock at Imola was evacuated for safety reasons. Although the F1 paddock itself stayed mostly dry, the F2 and F3 paddocks were flooded.After the night of 17 May, all the roads leading to the circuit were underwater. The staff responsible for setting up the race could no longer reach the track, making it impossible to prepare for the race weekend as planned.

On the same day, after a statement from the F1 promoter and local authorities, it was officially confirmed that the Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna was cancelled. The organisers said they fully supported all the people affected by the disaster and that it was impossible to guarantee the safety of fans and to run the event peacefully in such conditions. They also stressed that cancelling the event would avoid putting extra pressure on emergency services, who were already working hard to help those affected by the floods.

At the time of the cancellation, Max Verstappen was leading the Drivers' Championship with 119 points, followed by Sergio Perez with 105 points and Fernando Alonso with 75 points. Red Bull Racing was leading the Constructors' Championship with 224 points, ahead of Aston Martin and Mercedes.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was supposed to be the sixth race of the 2023 season. It was also set to test a new qualifying format where drivers would have to use hard tyres in Q1, medium tyres in Q2, and soft tyres in Q3. Teams were also given fewer sets of tyres than usual to help reduce environmental impact.

Because the Formula 1 calendar was already very full, there was no space to reschedule the Imola race later in the year. As a result, the race was cancelled completely, and no points were awarded.

The floods had a devastating effect on the Emilia-Romagna region, causing the deaths of at least 14 people and forcing thousands to leave their homes. The damage to towns, roads, and buildings was severe.

To support the local community, Formula 1 and Ferrari each donated €1 million to help with recovery efforts. Some teams and drivers also auctioned special items to raise more money for the victims.