Team personnel forced to move as Imola rains continue

Several Alpine team personnel were forced into moving hotels owing to inclement weather ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with the Formula 1 race since being cancelled.

"A couple of members from our set-up crew have had to move hotel in Imola due to the adverse weather," said an Alpine source.

"The main team (mechanics, engineers) are in a different hotel in a nearby town and are not impacted."

Several areas surrounding Imola are currently subject to intense rainfall, which has caused flooding, and the heavy rain is expected to continue until approximately Wednesday evening.

Sources present at the Imola track were told to leave the circuit yesterday, although this was believed to be a precautionary measure rather than due to any immediate risk. Images of the sodden F1 paddock also emerged online.

However, shortly after midday on Wednesday 17th May, F1 announced that the Grand Prix had been called off owing to the flooding concerns - with it "unlikely" a return later in the year could be made.

In the town of Cesena, some 50km from Imola, residents of heavily flooded streets took to rooftops to await rescue by helicopters, according to Associated Press.

Earlier this month, at least two people in the Emilia Romagna region were killed when heavy rainfall caused rivers to burst their banks.

"Absolutely relentless"

RacingNews365.com Editorial Director Dieter Rencken is currently in the Emilia Romagna region and offers the following observation:

"I drove down on Tuesday from Bergamo, and the rain has been absolutely relentless. You could see flooding on the side of the roads.

"Last night, my Airbnb host flagged up the fact that there's a red alert in the village of Brisighella, up in the mountains.

"Apparently the bridge over the only road connecting to Faenza is flooded, or in danger of being flooded, and accordingly, the road where the AirBnb is has been closed.

"My AirBnb host wrote to me this morning to say he's got no lighting and no water at the moment, and therefore he's had to cancel."

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is a native of Imola whose personal history with the circuit dates back to his youth.

After originally falling off the calendar in 2006, Imola returned to F1 in 2020 – the same year Domenicali was appointed F1 CEO.

In early 2022, organisers announced that the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix would remain on the calendar until at least 2025.