Following the cancellation of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Ferrari have donated €1 million to help support the relief efforts in the region, following the deadly floods and landslides which have resulted in the loss of several lives.
It was announced on Wednesday by Formula 1 that this weekend’s sixth round of the 2023 season had been cancelled, due to the extreme weather being experienced.
Emergency services in the Emilia-Romagna region are currently being stretched to their limits, with much of the area having experienced horrific flooding following torrential rainfall.
The region has been experiencing horrendous rainfall for multiple weeks, resulting in several key roads being blocked.
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It ultimately wasn’t correct nor safe for a Grand Prix to be held given the current conditions being experienced, with several F1 personnel having actually become trapped in their hotels due to the flooding.
Whilst the Grand Prix has been cancelled, AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda has been seen helping a village recover from the flooding, with the Japanese driver playing his part in the relief efforts.
Those relief efforts have received a huge boost thanks to Ferrari, who were going to celebrate their home Grand Prix this weekend.
It was announced by the Scuderia that they’d be donating €1 million, to ensure that those who need help are able to receive it.
“In times of difficulty, Ferrari has always stood by its community,” said Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna.
“We wanted to provide a concrete and immediate response to the most urgent needs of the population of Emilia-Romagna, which has been tried by a serious environmental disaster.
“With the coordination of the local authorities, to whom our heartfelt thanks go for their tireless work, this aid will bring comfort and a tangible sign of the solidarity of the entire Ferrari family.”
The race will not be rescheduled later in the year and will instead next be seen in 2024, with the expectation being that the cancelled Grand Prix will result in it being moved to 2026.
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Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur shared his and the team’s “deepest sympathy” to all those impacted by the devastating rainfall, with the region being “our homeland”.
“On behalf of everyone working at Scuderia Ferrari I would like to express our deepest sympathy to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy,” said Vasseur.
“Emilia-Romagna is our homeland and it’s heartbreaking to see what people are going through at the moment.”