The Imola paddock had to be evacuated on Tuesday because of heavy rain in the area, casting doubts over Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Images on social media showed the rapidly rising Santerno river adjacent to the circuit before the announcement was made around 3pm BST for all F1 personnel to evacuate the paddock with immediate effect as a precautionary measure.
Further heavy rain is expected to fall for the remainder of Tuesday and throughout Wednesday, which is expected to further exacerbate the situation.
⚠️ Il vient d'être demandé à toutes les équipes présentes sur le Circuit d'Imola d'évacuer les lieux dans les 30 mn. ⚠️
— Julien FEBREAU (@Julien_FEBREAU) May 16, 2023
Les pluies torrentielles et un début d'inondation de certaines zones en sont évidemment la raison principale. pic.twitter.com/7ItwrFSA33
Italian officials had already issued flood warnings for the region for Tuesday and Wednesday with schools closed and people warned not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
The region has been beset by heavy rainfall for weeks but Formula 1 bosses are proceeding as though Sunday’s grand prix will go ahead with teams coming into the region during the course of this week.
Operational plans are already being put in place to deal with the wet weather.
