Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2023 cancelled due to local flooding

The 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola has been called off due to flooding in the region.

The event was scheduled to be shown live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend.

Following discussions between Formula 1, the President of the FIA, the competent authorities – including the relevant Ministers, the President of the Automobile Club of Italy, the President of Emilia-Romagna Region, the Mayor of the City and the promoter – the decision has been taken not to proceed with the Grand Prix.

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected.

“I want to express my gratitude and admiration for the incredible emergency services who are working tirelessly to help those who need help and alleviate the situation – they are heroes and the whole of Italy is proud of them.

“The decision that has been taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and the F1 family as we need to ensure safety and not create extra burden for the authorities while they deal with this very awful situation.”

The first floods occurred between 2 and 3 May 2023, killing two people and leaving another missing. Other heavy floods occurred on 16 and 17 May 2023, killing at least nine people and displacing 13,000 others.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the first of a triple header. The Formula One circus will now make its way to Monaco for the Grand Prix on Sunday 28th May, before moving on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix on 4th June 2023.