Stranded in Imola, some teams might struggle to make it to Monaco

Since Wednesday, the Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna has officially been canceled due to flooding in the city of Imola. The drivers have reacted to this cancellation, understanding that the stakes are greater than the sport.

The next appointment is in Monaco, in a week. Despite being geographically close, according to Pierre Gasly’s engineer, Karel Loos, the F2 and F3 could have difficulty getting to the Principality.

Our paddock in F1 is not flooded, but the same cannot be said for Formula 2 and Formula 3.

Karel Loos is a track engineer for the French Alpine racing team. In recent years, he has been working alongside Fernando Alonso.

“It is regrettable for Formula 1 that we cannot race in Imola, but everyone understands the decision. The people there are deeply affected by the natural disaster,” said Karel Loos.

« For now, our trucks cannot leave. Our staff onsite are also stuck. We are waiting to be able to return to the circuit to pack everything up and ship it to Monaco for the next race.

The COO of F2 hopes that the conditions will improve

Mr. Codello, Managing Director of F2 Operations, stated that with only a few days apart between the races in Imola and Monaco, logistics could now become a major issue due to adverse weather conditions.

He said, “The Formula 2 and Formula 3 need two days to prepare, while Formula 1 needs a little more time.”

I hope that the situation will improve and that we will be able to leave Imola on Thursday, but there is no precise plan yet.

I imagine that the airport in Bologna will not only be flooded, but also filled with people wanting to go home. But there aren’t many flights, so the only thing we can do for now is to stay calm. The emergency applies to everyone, Mr. Codello added.