Formula 1's dilemma: Should you want racing at Imola at all?

"Despite the bad weather and given that the weather forecast is improving, the race weekend is not at risk," the spokesman for the Italian circuit said on Tuesday afternoon. A lot of rain, thousands of evacuations, and, a lot of inconvenience in the Emilia-Romagna region further on, Tuesday's posed question, in a slightly altered form, is once again relevant: Should Formula 1 want a Grand Prix to be held in the affected area this weekend at all?

The images from Imola are not the kind you wish to see in the run-up to a Grand Prix, where many millions of euros worth of cars and materials are on hand. Admittedly, the heavy rainfall is expected to abate (not stop) after today, which makes the Italian organisers assume just a day earlier that the Grand Prix can go ahead on Sunday.

New problems

An additional problem, though, is that F1 staff had to leave the circuit in the afternoon on Tuesday and will not be allowed back all day on Wednesday either due to flood risk. The construction of the garages and hospitality units at the circuit is therefore hugely delayed. Whether it will be possible to make up the accumulated backlog during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, for example, is uncertain. Working on a soaking wet circuit in the dark creates new safety problems.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Formula 1 also raced at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari for a shortened Grand Prix weekend: one free practice session on Saturday, followed by qualifying and the Grand Prix on Sunday. If there will be racing this weekend, there seems to be no getting away from reducing the number of sessions. Cancelling the Formula 2 and Formula 3 races seems the only right move anyway, as the paddocks of the junior classes are completely flooded.

Where to leave the fans?

So, as mentioned, the weather should improve slightly over the remainder of the week although it will not dry. Even if the water subsides in the coming days, the problems have not gone away with it. In Imola, parking for spectators has always been a problem, it is already certain that a lot of places to park the car are going to remain closed. Trains cannot take the Tifosi from nearby Bologna to Imola because of the storms. Certain areas are also expected to be impassable for fans.

The images from Emilia-Romagna province are heartbreaking. People who saw their belongings destroyed by the swirling waters. Emergency services in the region currently have their hands full. Can Formula 1 expect the police, fire brigade and ambulance staff to abandon the affected population to run a Grand Prix in the best possible way on Saturday and Sunday? Asking the question is actually answering it.

More will become clear on Wednesday afternoon at 13:00 [UK time] about the course of the Grand Prix weekend in Imola.