The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was called off on Wednesday due to heavy flooding in the northern Italy; Formula 1 personnel were told to leave the track on Tuesday afternoon before event organisers and F1 announced the scheduled sixth round of the season would not take place this weekend
Friday 19 May 2023 13:39, UK
Ferrari have donated £870k (€1m) to the Emilia-Romagna region's fundraising effort after heavy flooding led to the cancellation of the Formula 1 race in Imola.
F1, along with Italian authorities, decided on Wednesday that the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which had been scheduled to take place from Friday through to Sunday, would not go ahead.
At least nine people have been killed by flooding in the region, while thousands have been evacuated from their homes, with rescue efforts taking place on Thursday to reach towns and villages that were cut off from highways, electricity and mobile phone service.
Ferrari, whose Maranello base lies within the region 50 miles north-west of Imola, have donated to the Emilia-Romagna Region's Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection.
"In times of difficulty, Ferrari has always stood by its community," said Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna.
"We wanted to provide a concrete and immediate response to the most urgent needs of the population of Emilia Romagna, which has been tried by a serious environmental disaster.
"With the coordination of the local authorities, to whom our heartfelt thanks go for their tireless work, this aid will bring comfort and a tangible sign of the solidarity of the entire Ferrari family."
Ferrari explained that their donation will be used "with a particular focus on projects for environmental recovery and the management of hydrogeological instability."
Lewis Hamilton was among several drivers to endorse F1's decision to call off the race, and posted a message of support via his Instagram account insisting that "safety comes first".
"Hoping everyone in Emilia Romagna is able to stay safe and look out for each other right now," the seven-time world champion wrote.
"Thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy and the amazing emergency services working on the ground.
"I know we all understand that safety comes first. I can't wait to see you all at the next race."
AlphaTauri, whose factory is in Faenza, a city less than 20km from Imola that has been hit by this bout of floods along with ones earlier in the month, expressed concern over the situation.
"Scuderia AlphaTauri is very concerned about events unfolding over the past hours in Faenza and indeed in the whole Emilia-Romagna area, with flooding and heavy rain causing considerable damage," a team statement said.
"The team's factory is currently unaffected and everything is being done to ensure the safety of our employees and their families.
"Our sympathies go out to all those affected and we continue to monitor the situation, to see what can be done to help those in need as we await further developments."
The cancellation of the race in Imola means F1's original 24-race schedule for 2023 is set to be reduced to 22, with the Chinese GP, which was slated for April, having been unable to take place due to the country's Covid-19 restrictions.
The Emilia Romagna GP was scheduled to be the first of a triple-header of European races, meaning the season is set to continue in Monaco next weekend, before moving on to Barcelona for the Spanish GP.
