The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix has been called off due to severe flooding in northern Italy.
The region has been inundated by heavy rain for the second time this month, leading to widespread flooding in Imola and nearby towns, blocking road and rail access through the Emilia-Romagna region.
On Wednesday local authorities confirmed five people had died. At least two more are still missing.
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“The Formula 1 community wants to send its thoughts to the people and communities affected by the recent events in the Emilia-Romagna region,” F1 said in a statement.
“We also want to pay tribute to the work of the emergency services who are doing everything they can to help those in need.
“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 in 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.”
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who was born in Imola, paid tribute to the efforts of those helping to restore order to the area.
“It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in,” he said. “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 on 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.”
The Emilia-Romagna region has received an average of 200 millimetres of rainfall in the last 36 hours, but some areas have been dealt upwards of 500 millimetres since Tuesday. Average annual rainfall in Emilia-Romagna is 1000 millimetres.
The entire area is on red alert, the maximum level for severe weather conditions, and will remain at the elevated level until at least Friday night. Rain is expected to continue through the week and into the weekend.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister had earlier on Wednesday called for the race to be postponed following meetings with local associations to focus efforts on recovery.
Faenza, home of the AlphaTauri team, has emerged as one of the worst-hit towns, with parked cars completely submerged by water rising through the streets.
Several Alpine mechanics had to be relocated from their hotels overnight owing to building damage in Imola.
Though F1 personnel have been banned from travelling to the circuit, photos appear to suggest the track itself is largely undamaged, though the paddock area is underwater.
The circuit precinct sits on the southern bank of the Santerno River, which has risen considerably in the last two weeks, and there is concern the sustained high water level has weakened the embankments, which could lead to further flooding and landslides.
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.
There have been suggestions that the sport would look into rescheduling the race later in the year, though that would appear unlikely considering the packed calendar.
The season will resume next week with the Monaco Grand Prix.