A statement said the decision had been taken because it is not possible to guarantee the safely of fans, the teams and personnel due to the extreme weather “It is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region,” it added.
“It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time”.
Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said it was “such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected,” he continued.
“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”.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “My thoughts and those of the entire FIA family are with those affected by the terrible situation in the Emilia-Romagna region. The safety of everyone involved and recovery efforts are the top priority at this time.”
Emilia-Romagna has received an average of 200 millimetres of rainfall in the last 36 hours, with some areas receiving upwards of 500 millimetres since Tuesday. In context, average annual rainfall in the region is 1000 millimetres.
Rain is expected to continue through the week and into the weekend.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and transport minister Matteo Salvini had earlier on Wednesday called for the race to be postponed following meetings with local associations to focus efforts on recovery.
Imola’s cancellation is the second of the season, following China’s withdrawal from the calendar with COVID-19 concerns, and reduces the schedule to 22 rounds.
Some have suggested the sport will look into rescheduling the race later in the year, though that appears unlikely considering the packed calendar.
ANSA
