The F1 world is hot on the news after the upcoming Imola GP has recently been canceled due to inclement weather. But with that cancellation comes the chances of another Grand Prix being canceled due to the same reason.
Earlier on Wednesday, FIA and F1, after consultation with all the teams and related organizers of the GP, decided to call off the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. This has come after heavy rain caused a flood that impacted the northern Italian region severely.
The decision has been taken not to proceed with the Grand Prix weekend in Imola#EmiliaRomagnaGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/4taauGnFEA
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 17, 2023
As per reports, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure, Matteo Salvini called in for the postponement of the much coveted Imola race and asked to shift the focus to rescue efforts as the death toll is on the rise.
Which other GP may be canceled for the same reason?
As per schedule, the next race in the F1 calendar was the Monaco Grand Prix. The race in the Principality is supposed to take place from May 26 to May 28. But things don’t look good for the time being.
With heavy rain in the Imola region of Italy, there are chances that Monaco will have a similar weather calamity during the last week of May. As per Aston Martin Updates, there will be constant rain in the region.
Imola is cancelled, next race weekend will be in Monaco
Monaco next week: pic.twitter.com/BgC2MQlIHE
— Aston Martin F1 updates (@startonpole) May 17, 2023
There are chances of precipitation that range from 40% to a maximum of 80% next week. If things don’t improve and remain this way, the race might likely be postponed, and in the extreme case, it’ll be canceled yet again.
Given, the track of Monaco is a street circuit, this further increases the risk of crashes and injury. With a cost cap in place, teams are also likely to stay away from agreeing on a race that involves high risk.
Imola GP cancellation and its repercussions
After the cancellation of Imola GP, the F1 authority, the teams, and the drivers have all come ahead to share their reactions to the flood-affected situation. The F1 fraternity, as a whole, pledged to lend their support to the affected areas.
The teams have all shared their individual statements on their social media. This was followed by the drivers who took to their own social accounts as well as team handles to open up about the situation.
Notably, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton came up ahead with other drivers, to wholeheartedly support the decision. They shared that safety comes first in any situation even though they wanted to race.
