With the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix cancelled following deadly flooding across the region, Formula 1 now turns its attention to the next event on the calendar – the iconic Monaco street circuit.
Monaco is just a 500 kilometre drive from Imola, with the gear used at the Italian race set to be used at next weekend’s Grand Prix.
With only a limited number of team members allowed into the circuit on Thursday to begin the pack down and identify the impact of the flooding, concerns have emerged over whether the Monaco Grand Prix will be impacted.
Footage earlier this week showed the Formula 1 television compound and several trucks under water, although the sport’s management team claim that critical electric gear survived the water damage.
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“Nothing is flooded in the paddock but the traces of the floods from the previous days are clearly visible,” Bild newspaper reported on Thursday.
“We were supposed to leave Imola on Sunday evening, which gives us a margin now,” Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur told France’s Auto Hebdo.
Even drivers weren’t spared the disruption, as AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries found himself stranded temporarily on his way to the team’s homebase near Imola.
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The Dutchman explained that members of the McLaren team helped rescue him, as returning to the highway wasn’t an option and the hotels were fully booked.
With it looking almost impossible to reschedule the Imola Grand Prix this year, promoters have confirmed that ticked can be transferred to the 2024 race or refunded over the disruption.
“A natural disaster such as a flood is considered force majeure, so the organiser does not have to pay the race fee that otherwise would have been due to Formula 1,” Bild claimed.
“In Imola’s case, it is about €20 million.”