Imola GP to go ahead despite severe storms in Emilia-Romagna region

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola will go ahead as planned despite severe storms in the region this week.

The region of Italy located in the north of the country has been hit by torrential rain which has caused flooding and landslides.

The Italian fire and rescue department confirmed that they had assisted 400 people since the storm began earlier this week while news agency ANSA reports that 250 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Two people, including a man in his 80s, have also died while another is unaccounted for.

AlphaTauri, whose base is in the impacted Fazena area,sent out a statementbefore the Miami Grand Prix expressing their support to those affected by the storm including some of its own staff members.

A team representative told PlanetF1.com that the storm would have no impact on their race preparations this weekend in Florida.

But concern naturally turned towards the race at Imola which is set to host the next grand prix after Miami. The track, which is 40km from the nearby city of Bologna, will host Formula 1 from May 18 to 21 and an official has confirmed it will go ahead as planned.

“We confirm that, at the moment, the storms that hit our region this week haven’t caused any disruption to our track and to the event,” a spokesperson told PlanetF1.com.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was first held in the COVID-affected 2020 season and has featured on the F1 calendar ever since.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was victorious in 2022 in what proved to be his second of a record 15 victories on his way to his second World Championship.

The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari hosted the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 to 2006 and also the Italian Grand Prix in 1980. It is one of two Italian venues on the F1 2023 calendar.