“Our people on site are stuck,” F1 team afraid they might miss Monaco GP due to shifting woes amidst poor Imola weather
Some F1 teams have revealed they are in deep trouble with the shifting issues from Imola to Monaco because of the poor weather conditions.
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This week, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled due to terrible floods in Imola, resulting in the F1 paddock being completely waterlogged. Even though the crew members of the various participating teams and even the drivers had arrived for the race, they were asked not to visit the paddock since Wednesday because the weather posed a risk to everyone. As the situation did not become any better during the next few days, the concerned authorities decided to stall the preparations for the Imola GP.
In the subsequent days, several drivers took to their social media to share links to donation drives for providing relief for the victims of the Imola flood. Yuki Tsunoda was spotted lending a hand to mop the floors of the AlphaTauri Headquarters in Faenza, situated close to the flood-impacted area. Other racers also contributed in their own ways, with Max taking part in sim-racing to raise money for donation. But now, they have to gear up for another week of racing–in Monaco.
The Monaco GP is one of the most historically significant races in the F1 calendar. The principality of Monaco is home to many current and former F1 racers and the race there is often crowded by numerous celebrities. But, ahead of such a high-profile event, some F1 teams are worried they might not even make it to Monaco on time for the Grand Prix. Alpine engineer Kael Loos has said, “At the moment, our trucks cannot leave. Our people on site are also stuck. Now have to wait until we can get back to the track to pack everything up and ship it to Monaco for the next race.”
Monaco GP for Formula 2 and Formula 3 might be cancelled
As Monaco is gearing up to welcome the entire Formula One franchise for a weekend of brilliant racing amidst the streets of the country, there is a chance the F2 and F3 races in Monaco will be cancelled. This is because the shifting of the F2 and F3 paddocks from the flood-impacted region of Imola to Monaco has still not been possible.
Formula 2 Direct of Operations Marco Codello said, “I hope the situation will improve and we will be able to leave Imola. I imagine that Bologna airport will not only be flooded with water, but also filled with people who want to go home. But there aren’t many flights, so the only thing we can do right now is to stay calm.”
The Monaco Grand Prix will mark F1’s third consecutive street race after Baku and Miami. The fans are not too happy with so many street races on this year’s calendar since the drivers do not get enough space on the narrow tracks to enjoy some overtaking. On the other hand, the racetrack at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, where the Imola GP, allows for some high-speed overtaking that all the fans were anticipating ahead of the race. But unfortunately, it was cancelled due to the flood.
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)