Domenicali on cancellation: 'Decision taken the right one for everyone'

The Grand Prix in Imola will definitely not take place. The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, has been hit by severe weather, resulting in flooding and evacuations. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says it is the right decision not to allow the Grand Prix to go ahead, stating that the safety of all involved is the top priority at the moment.

It has been raining very hard in the Italian region for days, leading to a red weather warning. The FIA and Formula 1 have tied the knot to prevent the Grand Prix from going ahead. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Salvini called for the Grand Prix to be postponed and that safety is paramount. Domenicali concurred.

Domenicali on emergency

The F1 boss himself grew up in the affected Italian region and it pains him to see the current state of the region. "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," the CEO told Formula1.com.

'Right decision'

For a while it looked like the Grand Prix would go ahead as normal, a spokesman for the Imola circuit told GPblog. Nevertheless, the situation is so serious that it has been decided not to let the GP in Imola go ahead. Domenicali argues that this is the right decision.

"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."