The president of the Italian Automobile Club has provided an important update on the likelihood of a rescheduled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2023 – and it's looking unlikely that the race will take place this year.
F1 found out about the potential threats facing the event at the start of the week when authorities placed the Emilia Romagna region under a red weather warning.
These problems were exacerbated on Tuesday and Wednesday when the region was hit by intense rainfall and flooding, leading to local evacuations.
Ultimately, F1 made the decision to cancel the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend, although whether or not it will be rescheduled in 2023 remains to be seen.
Unfortunately for those hoping to see F1 cars back on the tarmac of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, it looks like there will be no rescheduling of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for 2023.
As reported by TuttoSport, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, the president of the Italian Automobile Club, said: “The Imola GP is cancelled, [with] 99 per cent chance it will be re-scheduled for 2026 after the contract extension.”
This is in line with the comments of Sky Sports News reporter Craig Slater, who explained: "Almost impossible that it will be [rescheduled]. That's the guidance that I've been given."
He went on to explain that there are no alternative options for F1 to slot the race in later this season.
"The calendar, it's so congested that you would have to eat into Formula 1's August summer break and there's no appetite to do that," Slater added.
The Emilia Romagna is still scheduled to take place, as contracted, in both 2024 and 2025.