The 2023 season was cut short to 22 races after China’s cancellation and the unfortunate flooding of Imola. The Emilia Romagna region of Italy was flooded after the area experienced several months’ worth of rain in two weeks. This forced the organizers to cancel the Imola GP. However, the circus is slowly becoming a bad omen for the country as the upcoming race at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is under threat once again because of floods.
This time, the floods have primarily affected the fashion capital of the world Milan. A video on Reddit highlighted how excess water has flooded the streets. Cars are submerged to the bonnet and it is even proving difficult for heavy-duty vehicles to commute.
History is repeating itself as several regions experienced heavy downpours from May 14th. This caused the Lambro River to overflow affecting Milan and neighboring regions.
right in time for the imola GP, Italy (Mailand region) experiences yet another catastrophic flooding.
byu/overlydelicioustea informula1
So far, there has been no news of any casualties and rescue operations are underway. An unconfirmed number of people have been evacuated from affected areas.
With many buildings and all roads submerged, the impacted regions have come to a standstill. Looking from the F1 lens, the Emilia Romagna region has an Orange warning for Rainfall and Thunderstorms according to Crisis 24.
However, the website also highlights the approximate weather data which indicates the storm will subside by 17th May. Only time will tell if that will be the case. This will leave Imola two days to prepare for the arrival of F1 teams.
Although, Formula 1 is not the priority, a full recovery from these unfortunate turn of events and the safety of the residents is. The world of F1 proved that with their concern for the locals with last year’s incident.
F1 stars raise their voices in unison after the Imola GP disaster
Formula 1 called off the event by admitting it was the right and responsible thing to do. As quoted by BBC, CEO Stefano Domenicali also highlighted his worry about the tragic events in the region where he grew up. Faenza-based then-AlphaTauri expressed their sympathy in a statement.
Lewis Hamilton issued a message pleading everyone to stay safe and look out for each other. His soon-to-be Ferrari boss, Frederic Vasseur also spoke in solidarity as Maranello is just 50 miles north-west of Imola. Max Verstappen shared his thoughts and prayers for the residents.
However, the F1 stars are global citizens and do not limit their regards just when it comes to F1. The recent flood victims of Brazil also received the same reception from the two aforementioned world champions.
Verstappen and his girlfriend shared their grief for the flooding and also contributed to the relief fund. Sharing a special bond with the country, Hamilton the honorary citizen also contributed with a donation.
It’s always endearing to witness the F1 stars using their massive platforms to spread the word and help however they can. Nonetheless, they would ideally hope that they also get to race in Imola with the flood situation not worsening as much as last year.
