Preparations for Imola continue to be disrupted due to heavy flooding
F1 teams have already been instructed not to make their way to the Imola paddock following heavy rainfall in the Emilia Romagna region.
The overnight rain has impacted the area very badly with the connecting roads to the circuit completely flooded.
The situation has been made worse because of the nearby Santerno River as water levels rose - the river is in close proximity to the Imola circuit.
According to reports on social media, the Imola F1 paddock itself has seemingly remained unaffected, but the F2/F3 paddock area has been impacted.
However, with fans and journalists making their way to Emilia Romagna over the next 24 hours, getting to the circuit seems impossible given the current situation.
AUTOSTRADA TRA FAENZA E IMOLA, non muovetevi e non prendetela per spostarvi #imola #allertaRossa pic.twitter.com/Q2uspTCvfd
— Lucy (@lucy_addictions) May 17, 2023
Given the worsening conditions around the circuit, there’s some doubt over whether this weekend will go ahead as originally scheduled.
With personnel being unable to enter the paddock on Wednesday, preparations for the rest of the weekend have been put on hold.
F1 may be forced to run a condensed schedule, to give time for conditions to improve and local authorities to be satisfied with regards to safety.
While conditions are expected to improve, it’s likely the flooding has caused significant damage.
F1 are expected to provide an update at 1pm UK time.
