Media Production Editor

Organizers have canceled the Italian Grand Prix scheduled for May 21 due to intense rains and floods across the region. The race track, Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, is located in a drought-prone region of Northern Italy called Emilia-Romagna. However, a week before the scheduled race, fourteen rivers exceeded their banks, flooding many cities across the region, including the city where the Grand Prix is normally held. The governing body of Formula 1, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and authorities in the region determined that the best course of action was to cancel the event to avoid a large influx of people into the region, which remains under red alert for inclement weather.

The race was shaping up to be a dramatic one, with hundreds of thousands of people scheduled to watch at the track over the weekend. For fans, the cancellation means waiting an extra week for the next Formula 1 (F1) race. The next race on the F1 schedule is the historic Monaco Grand Prix, situated on the Mediterranean coast in the south of France.

For the FIA the consequences of the floods and cancellation go deeper than waiting another week. The FIA will most likely not reschedule the race as rescheduling would throw off the carefully planned logistics set in motion months before the season was even set to begin.

The race before the Imola Grand Prix was the Miami Grand Prix. A mostly uneventful race on the Miami International Autodrome saw Max Verstappen of Red Bull take first place, followed closely by his teammate Sergio Perez. Fighting took place in the middle of the pack, with the top drivers mostly holding their top spots early on in the race. No major crashes occurred, and even Ferrari came away unscathed. Fans were eager for the race in Imola, but now they will have to wait until May 28.

The race in Monaco has a heritage stretching back to the early days of F1. It is the stereotypical F1 event, set against a backdrop of the Mediterranean and the old buildings of the city. Monaco has hosted many famous F1 drivers, including Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna.

At Imola, workers continue to rescue families from flooded villages, and authorities have told the crew and staff at the track to stay away and stay safe. F1 and the FIA have a difficult road ahead since they have to move equipment west to Monaco and decide whether or not to reschedule the race.