F1 2023: Emilia Romagna GP cancelled due to heavy rains and flooding

The sixth round of the 2023 season of Formula 1 has been cancelled due to flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region. Teams were previously asked to evacuate the circuit because of the threat of heavy rains and the Deputy Prime Minister had also urged Formula 1 to postpone the race entirely. The entire region has been under red alert leading to many residents evacuating their homes. As of now, there is no word on whether the race in Imola will be rescheduled for a later date or skipped altogether.

After initial concerns and speculations, a Twitter post from the official Formula 1 handle confirmed the news of the race being cancelled. According to the post, the President of FIA, the President of Emilia-Romagna Region, the Mayor of the City and the promoter came to the conclusion that they would not proceed with the race weekend.

The excessive rains and flooding of various streets have severely affected the movement of people. Not only would it be hard for fans to reach the track, but it would also pose potential safety hazards. It was also agreed that the local authorities already have their hands full because of the relief work and hosting the race would further burden them.
Pirelli had plans to introduce a new wet tyre for this race and the new qualifying format was also going to be tested this weekend. Under the new rules, teams would have a total of 11 tyres, as opposed to 13 and would have to use the hard compound tyre in Q1, medium in Q2 and soft in Q3. Another major talking point of the race would have been the much-anticipated upgrade package that Mercedes was bringing for the W14. This was the first upgrade that the team was planning to bring for this season and set their car on a new development trajectory to improve its performance. With the Imola GP cancelled, the next race will be held at the historic Monaco circuit on May 28 and is the home race of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.