Threat of extreme weather impacts Imola preparations

Formula One personnel preparing for this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix were asked to leave the Imola paddock on Tuesday after a severe weather warning was issued in the area.

The Emilia Romagna region, in which the Imola circuit is situated, received a red alert from Italy’s Department of Civil Protection on Monday evening. The alert warned of heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the potential for flooding and landslides in the area during the same period.

The red alert comes just weeks after Emilia Romagna was badly affected by extreme weather, resulting in two fatalities in the area.

As the water level of the nearby Santerno river continued to rise on Tuesday, preparations in Imola’s paddock were put on hold, with teams and F1 personnel told to return to their accommodation.

As much as 150mm of rain could fall over Tuesday and Wednesday, although the forecast looks less extreme for the race weekend, which is due to get underway with first practice on Friday.

The weather has raised the possibility of disruption to the event, although teams are travelling to the event as planned.

Car parks and fan areas are among the areas most at risk of being affected by the weather in the build-up to the race weekend.