Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix called off due to weather

Twitter

The Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at Imola will not be held this weekend due to extreme weather in the northern Italian region, organisers said on Wednesday.

At least three people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes as devastating floods hit the Emilia Romagna region, authorities said on Wednesday.

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini had earlier called for the race to be postponed "to concentrate all efforts on coping with the emergency".

The race was scheduled to be the sixth round of the season and the first in Europe.

"The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region," organisers said.

"It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time... We also want to pay tribute to the work of emergency services who are doing everything they can to help those in need."

Formula One personnel were asked to leave the circuit on Tuesday amid fears of flooding as water levels rose in the Santerno river that runs alongside the track. The paddock remained closed on Wednesday.

Cars were not due to be on track until Friday but advance team and technical personnel had arrived to set up the garages and hospitality.

The Grand Prix, a home race for Ferrari, was scheduled to be the first triple-header of the season, with Monaco and Spain following on successive weekends.

Red Bull have won every race so far and double world champion Max Verstappen is 14 points clear of teammate Sergio Perez.

Italy's civil protection agency had issued a red alert weather warning for the region on Monday.

More from Sports

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • Off Script with Chris, Robbie & Sonal

    5:00pm - 7:00pm

    The UAE’s alternative take on news, entertainment and sport. Join Chris, Robbie and Sonal as they cut through the clutter to bring you the news, entertainment and sport stories that actually matter.

  • Extra Time

    7:00pm - 8:00pm

    Chris & Robbie bring you the latest from the sporting world plus interviews with upcoming and legendary sporting stars.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Flying Taxis

    It sounds like an episode of The Jetsons, but the sight of flying taxis whizzing around our cities could be much closer than you think.

  • Tough penalties for deliberate tax evasion

    The UAE has said that tougher penalties will come into force from 1st August for not keeping proper corporate tax records.