Formula 1, and especially its Italian community, regret the tragic events that have prevented the holding of the Emilia Romagna GP. Ferrari, whose factory in Maranello is just 80 kilometers from Ímola, issued a statement: “The team supports the decision to cancel the grand prix. Although it is our home race, the most important, the main priority is the safety of those who live and work in the affected areas. Fréd Vasseur, at the helm of the team: “On behalf of all of us who work at Ferrari, I want to express my sincerest affection for all those affected by this terrible tragedy. Emilia Romagna is our home And it’s heartbreaking to see what people are suffering right now.”
Closer to the epicenter of the floods is the headquarters of Alpha Tauri, in Faenza: “We are very concerned about the events of the last few hours in Faenza and in the entire Emilia Romagna region, with floods and a lot of rain that have caused considerable damage. The factory of the team is not affected at the moment and every effort is made to ensure the safety of our employees and their families.” Haas also speaks in the first person, part of his staff operates from a building attached to the Ferrari facilities: “Our circuit staff have themselves seen the impact that (the floods) are generating in the area. We support the decision of F1 and FIAwe will keep the local community in mind and their safety is paramount.”
“It’s a hard day”
Among the pilots, Carlos Sainz is in Italy, where he lives near Maranello, and posted a message on his social media channels addressed to the tifosi: “It’s still raining. It’s a hard day when the GP in Imola is cancelled, but in the end, the most important thing is that you can help all the evacuees and all those who are suffering from this extreme weather. We were excited to race in front of the tifosi but there are a lot of F1 races and everyone’s safety is the most important priority. If we can help, we will.” Charles Leclerc also wrote: “Strength and courage to all at this difficult time.”