Formula One organisers have decided to cancel the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend due to the flooding in the region.
At least eight people have died so far and thousands evacuated from their homes as torrential rain battered Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region, triggering widespread floods.
The F1 race was scheduled to be held from May 19 to 21 at Imola. But the FIA released a statement saying that the race won't take place due to the current situation in the region.
FIA statement:
"Following discussions between Formula 1, the President of the FIA, the competent authorities – including the relevant Ministers, the President of the Automobile Club of Italy, the President of Emilia-Romagna Region, the Mayor of the City and the promoter – the decision has been taken not to proceed with the Grand Prix weekend at Imola.
"The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region.
"It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time," the F1 statement read.
F1 president's message:
Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali also condoled the loss of lives.
“It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected.
“I want to express my gratitude and admiration for the incredible emergency services who are working tirelessly to help those who need help and alleviate the situation – they are heroes and the whole of Italy is proud of them.
“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,” Domenicali said.
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