The 2023 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, set to take place from May 19-21, has been postponed.
Due to excessive flooding, Formula 1, the President of the FIA, the President of the Automobile Club of Italy, the President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Mayor of the City, and other authorities of the sport have made the collective decision to not proceed with this year’s event in Imola. The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix would have marked the sixth race of the 2023 Formula 1 season, also serving as the first race following the Formula 1 Crpyto.com Miami Grand Prix 2023.
The decision was based on the safety of the fans, teams, and personnel due to the scale of destruction in local towns and cities across the region.
President and CEO of Formula 1 Stefano Domenicali shared, “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.”
While Formula 1 cars are designed to operate in varied weather conditions, F1 officials can still deem a race as unsafe for competition. The 2022 Formula 1 season saw several races affected by the weather including Monaco, Singapore, and Japan. The last race deemed unsafe for competition was the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix in Spain.
While it remains unclear if the cancelled event in Imola will be rescheduled, the action-packed Formula 1 season provides little flexibility. If the race is not rescheduled, the 2023 Formula 1 season will have 22 races instead of the record 23 it had planned. For anyone wanting to donate to the relief efforts across the Emilia-Romagna region, for more information click here.
The next stop for the 2023 Formula 1 season is Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo from May 26-28. Stay up to speed and explore the season schedule.
