The 2023 Emilia Romagna GP was canceled due to heavy flooding in the region. Many F1 drivers and personnel got united and raised funds for flood victims, including Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc auctioned his Monaco GP-worn race suit, gloves, shoes, and helmet. The amount amassed with it was donated to the noble cause’s proceedings. In total, the Monegasque driver raised over $464,000 for the victims.
The entire F1 grid united in another grand effort to show solidarity with the affected families. The sport probably made the best use of trophies and champagne allotted for the canceled race and raised a huge sum.
How Formula 1 raised $311,782 for victims of Emilia Romagna?
F1 decided to auction off the trophies and champagne that were destined for the 2023 Emilia Romagna GP. The sport auctioned the top 3 finishers’ trophies, the winning constructor’s trophy, polesitter’s award, and celebratory champagne.
The auction of the Imola F1 trophies, signed by the drivers and team principals, has raised £247,171 for the Emilia-Romagna flood relief fund according to F1 Authentics #F1 pic.twitter.com/4JmAfStMs2
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) June 13, 2023
The award will be signed by all drivers and team principals on the 2023 F1 grid. Together F1 has raised over $311,782 for Emilia-Romagna Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection.
The winner’s trophy alone fetched $ 76,000, with the runner-up trophy selling for $47,202 and the third-place trophy for $40,440. The Pirelli’s pole position trophy raised $51,528, and the sparkling wine from Ferrari Trento brought in $14,133.
Drivers like Charles Leclerc, Yuki Tsunoda, and Max Verstappen also made efforts to raise funds for the victims of the devastating floods. Meanwhile, the entire F1 fraternity united for a unique fundraiser to support relief efforts in the region.
How did Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris contribute?
Charles Leclerc was one of the many to have made active efforts to aid the ones affected by the disaster. His team Ferrari, based in Maranello, in the Emilia Romagna region, pledged over $1 Million to the relief efforts.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who is a native of Imola, confirmed that F1 would donate over $1 Million to relief efforts. F1 also donated the food that would have been used in hospitality to be distributed to those in need.
🎥: Yuki Tsunoda lending a hand to the people of Faenza! 🇮🇹 . In the aftermath of heavy rains, he rolled up his sleeves and joined them in shoveling mud. True humility and solidarity. Keep shining on and off the track, Yuki! #CommunityFirst #F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/ODFdy1xcc6
— F1 Naija 🇳🇬 (@f1_naija) May 18, 2023
Many other drivers played their part in helping the victims of the devastating floods. Drivers like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris generated funds by live-streaming a virtual race.
Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri assisted the locals in the flood-affected Faenza, where his team’s base was located. The Japanese driver was seen helping the locals with the cleanup efforts.
The flooding caused about 15 deaths and displaced more than 50,000 others. The region is estimated to suffer damages costing around $7.5 billion. While F1’s contribution to the efforts might have been a small slice of the pie, it shows how far collective effort from the sport can add up during such times.
