Imola GP: Formula 1 has recently donated a sum of €1 million to help Emilia Romagna flood relief. This news has come days after FIA called off Imola GP because of a drastic threat of flooding and storms in the region. The 6th round of 2023 championship was scheduled between 19th-21th May at Ferrari home track. However, a week before the same, Italian region started grappling with torrential rain and flood warnings, putting lives and safety of thousands in jeopardy. Follow Formula 1 Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Reports related to flooding of various rivers started coming in soon after, including Santerno which is close to the commune of Emilia Romagna. Instead of earlier predictions that it might settle within days, it caused havoc in the entire region. Till now, the drastic circumstances in the area has reportedly killed 13 people, while relief forces have evacuated thousands so far.
Recently Ferrari F1 team also donated a sum of 1 million Euros to support the Emilia Romagna Flooding fund. “Ferrari supports the flood-affected community and is donating 1 million euros to the Emilia-Romagna Region’s Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection, joining the regional fundraising campaign,” said the statement by the Red Team.
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Formula 1 Community comes together to support Emilia Romagna Relief
Emilia Romagna was a highly anticipated race weekend both for fans and the F1 teams. Importantly, Mercedes and Ferrari were all set to bring upgrades in this race. This was arguably their most significant bid this season. Now, The delay might cause them major impact in the constructors’ championship dynamics. However, looking at the situations, the decision of all the stakeholders seems to be the most appropriate. Entire F1 community has uni vocally supported the decision.
Drivers including Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have given out their statement of concern for the local people. Most recently, in a welcome move, F1 has donated £870,000 (€1m) Emilia-Romagna Region’s Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection for community support and rehabilitation. Moreover, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who hails from Emilia Romagna, opened up about this unfortunate incident.
“The situation facing the communities in the region is terrible, but I know that the resilience and passion of the people in the region, like so many across Italy, will prevail through this crisis. My thoughts, on behalf of the entire Formula 1 community, are with everyone affected and we want to thank the emergency services for their incredible work,” remarked the Italian boss.
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