Formula 1 teams and drivers react to Emilia Romagna events

NewsDesk 6 min read

Formula 1 teams and drivers react to Emilia Romagna events

The Formula 1 weekend Emilia Romagna this weekend has been cancelled due to the devastating flood that hit the Italian region, and teams and drivers have sent out their messages of support.

GrandPrix247 was the first to report regarding the terrible weather conditions at Emilia Romagna which seemed to be a threat to this weekend’s Formula 1 event in the Northern Italian region, and as it transpired, the race has been cancelled, the right decision by all means, as despite our love of racing, the safety and well being of the people of Emilia Romagna remains paramount and that is where the focus should remain for the coming days until their ordeal is over and they can recover, getting back to their normal lives.

We at GrandPrix247 send out our heartfelt wishes to the community at Emilia Romagna, and our thoughts remain with them, as we hope to see them recover from the trying times they have endured.

Following the cancellation of the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, F1 teams and driver sent out support messages to the community of the region.

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali commented on the events in his home country; he said: “It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and 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 of 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,” Domenicalo concluded.

Ferrari

Ferrari added in a statement: “We fully support the decision of Formula 1 and the FIA to cancel the Imola GP. Even though it’s our home race and therefore even more important to us, the main priority at the moment has to be the safety of all those living and working in the affected areas.”

Mercedes and their drivers

Mercedes said: “The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team fully supports the decision by Formula 1, the FIA, the race promoters and local authorities to not proceed with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend.

“The safety of people in the Emilia Romagna region must take priority, alongside allowing local authorities and emergency services to continue their vital work helping those in need.

“Our thoughts are with the victims, families and communities who have been affected by the flooding in the region,” the Mercedes statement concluded.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell commented on twitter in the following video:

Red Bull and Max Verstappen

Red Bull commented: “Following the heavy rain that has been affecting northern Italy, we support the decision taken by F1 to not proceed with the Grand Prix in Imola this weekend. Safety to all those involved and in the region is paramount and has to take priority.

“Our thoughts are with those affected by the ongoing flooding in Emilia-Romagna and with the emergency teams serving in the region at this difficult time,” the reigning World Champions added.

Max Verstappen sent out a message on social media and his website saying the double F1 Champion is “supportive of the decisions made by F1 and local authorities to cancel the Grand Prix”, adding the his “thoughts are with all those affected by the severe rainfall and flooding in the greater Emilia Romagna region”.

Verstappen’s message concluded wishing the people of Emilia Romagna “All strength to ensure their safety throughout this period”.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack said: “Due to recent events, Formula 1 and the FIA have decided in line with advice from the local authorities not to proceed with the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend.

“The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team respects the decision of the organisers. The safety of our personnel and our fans is paramount. Our thoughts are with everyone affected. We look forward to racing next weekend in Monaco,” Krack added.

Alpine and Esteban Ocon

Alpine said on twitter: BWT Alpine F1 Team fully supports the decision taken by F1 to not proceed with the 2023 Emilia-Romagna GP.

“Our thoughts are with those who are impacted by the ongoing flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region,” the team added.

Esteban Ocon added: “My thoughts are with all the people of the Emilia-Romagna area, affected by the heavy rain and flooding. I am disappointed not to be racing in front of the incredible Italian fans this weekend, but the absolute priority is the safety of those on the ground and the emergency services bravely helping those in need.”

McLaren and Lando Norris

McLaren said: “F1 has confirmed that the ImolaGP has been cancelled due to extreme flooding in the area. Our immediate thoughts are with the people of Emilia-Romagna as the destruction caused by the heavy rain affects the lives of so many here.”

Lando Norris tweeted in support of the people of Italy and Emilia Romagna.

AlphaTauri and Yuki Tsunoda

AlphaTauri, whose team base is Faenza within Emilia Romagna said: “Scuderia AlphaTauri is very concerned about events unfolding over the past hours in Faenza and indeed in the whole Emila-Romagna area, with flooding and heavy rain causing considerable damage.

“The team’s factory is currently unaffected and everything is being done to ensure the safety of our employees and their families. Our sympathies go out to all those affected and we continue to monitor the situation, to see what can be done to help those in need as we await further developments,” the team added.

Yuki Tsunoda tweeted in support as well. Check out below:

AlphaTauri are helping in raising funds to support the affected community in Faenza, their home town where their factory is located. Check out their tweet below:

Haas and their drivers

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner said: “Our entire team’s thoughts are very much with the people affected by the flooding in the Emilia Romagna region – many of our track personnel, having already seen for themselves the impact
it’s having on the people and the area.

“We are fully supportive of Formula 1 and the FlA’s decision to not proceed with this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. We will continue to keep the local community in mind, their on-going safety is paramount, and we express our thanks to the authorities and emergency services in the region for their tireless efforts at this challenging time.”

Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg both sent out supportive tweets.

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo tweeted in support of AlphaTauri’s fund raising campaign for Faenza.

Williams

Williams said on twitter: “The decision has been taken not to proceed with the Grand Prix weekend in Imola. Our thoughts are with those affected by the flooding in the region.”