Ferrari have donated €1million to the Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region in response to the devastating floods that have hit the area.
Heavy rain has lashed the location for a few weeks and a fresh deluge at the start of this week has left many fleeing, with homes and businesses severely damaged by floods.
Several people have lost their lives due to the extreme weather and, with the emergency services stretched as they respond to the situation, F1 has decided to cancel the race, due to take place at the iconic Imola circuit in the region, ahead of this weekend.
The right call, allowing emergency services to focus fully on the relief effort and the recovery has been handed a sizeable boost by one of the country’s most famous automotive brands; Ferrari.
The Italian marque is donating a seven-figure sum that, as per a statement, will be used to help the local population:
“The funds will be used, with the coordination of the territorial authorities, to help the local population affected by the recent flooding, with a particular focus on projects for environmental recovery and the management of hydrogeological instability.”
Speaking via the statement on Ferrari’s website, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna added:
“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.”
A fine gesture from the group and hopefully it’ll go some way to helping the area, and the people in it, recover and move on from the devastation they have faced.
F1 had no other option than to cancel the event this weekend, which was due to have support races from F2 and F3 as well, and it is unlikely that we will race at Imola at another point this year given the packed schedule.
Monaco is up next for the travelling circus, and access has been given to essential personnel today to the Imola circuit to pack down the paddock and get it ready to travel to the principality – this week’s events are not expected to impact the arrival date of the equipment for next week’s race.
