Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
The Emilia-Romagna region of Italy has been ravaged by wet weather this month, and the extreme conditions are posing a challenge for series racing at Imola this weekend.
The fifth round of the Formula 2 season and the third round of the Formula 3 season will be taking place at Imola, and many teams had been scheduled to arrive in the circuit’s support paddock on Wednesday morning.
But their entry in to the venue has been postponed and left some “not sure yet when we’ll be allowed” in to the paddock after the Santerno river that runs right next to the track burst its banks today and caused moderate flooding of nearby land.
The river’s water level this afternoon was higher than the paddock, but perimeter barriers thankfully prevented the flood from spreading into the venue. However an abundance of rain left some patches of the paddock submerged by a few centimetres of water, and with the risk posed by the rising river level it was decided in conjunction with local authorities to request that those already working at the track evacuate it for the rest of the day.
There are daily weather warnings being put out by the region’s civil defence service following several weeks of flooding and landslides in Emilia-Romagna, which has led to fatalities, and forecasts indicate more rain is on its way this weekend.
It is understood that Formula 1 intends to go ahead with its grand prix at Imola as planned, with a high probably that wet weather would likely impact the schedule if sessions are red flagged or delayed, and Formula Scout has reached out to the promoter of F2 and F3 for comment on if their plan for the weekend has already been effected when it comes to track time.