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The 2023 F1 Emilia Romagna GP will be canceled due to extremely adverse weather conditions and severe flooding in the Imola region. The decision was taken by F1, the FIA, the heads of the Automobile Club of Italy, and the President of the Emilia Romagna region.
Since the announcement, there have been talks about when the race could be held in 2023. However, the president of the ACI (Automobile Club of Italy), Angelo Sticchi Damiani, has even worse news for the sports community.
Speaking to TuttoSport, Damiani confirmed that the race cannot be held in the 2023 season since most of the track is submerged in the flood. He stated that it will take around two years to recover the entire track and make it suitable for racing once again. He said:
"It has been decided to cancel the Imola GP. 99% will recover in 2026 after the extension of the contract."
This is grave news from the ACI president, as Imola was set to be on the race calendar for at least 2025. If this statement is true and accurate, there won't be a Grand Prix or any other kind of racing in Imola for quite some time.
Prior to this, there were speculations that the 2023 F1 Emilia Romagna GP could be shifted to the first weekend of August, essentially shortening the summer break. However, it is now confirmed that the race will not be held this year.
F1's official statement announcing cancelation of the 2023 F1 Emilia Romagna GP
After the massive flooding in the Emilia Romagna region, F1 and the FIA had a meeting with the heads of the ACI and the Emilia Romagna region regarding the race. Eventually, they came to the conclusion that they should cancel the race since the track itself was submerged in water.
F1 released an official statement that read:
"Following the talks between Formula 1, the President of the FIA, the competent authorities - including the competent Ministers, the President of the Automobile Club d' Italy, the President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Mayor of the City and the promoter – the decision has been made not to proceed with the Imola Grand Prix weekend."
"The decision has been made because it is not possible to hold the event safely for our fans, teams and staff and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation facing towns and cities in the region. It would not be fair to put additional pressure on local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time."
Almost all the official social media accounts of teams and drivers also extended their condolences to the people suffering in the Emilia Romagna region. They stood behind the decision taken by the sport to cancel the race.
