Major floods in Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region have led Formula 1 organizers to cancel this weekend’s planned race at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, located near the town of Imola.
The organizers said the safety of teams and fans couldn’t be guaranteed and it would not be right to put further pressure on local infrastructure, including local emergency services.
“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,” Stefano Domenicali, F1’s CEO and a native of the region, said in a statement.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that at least three people have died and thousands were forced to evacuate their homes due to the floods.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is the sixth of 23 rounds on the 2023 F1 calendar. The organizers haven’t said whether there’s the possibility the race will be postponed.