The Formula 1 community has been taken aback by the footage of heavy rainfall and flooding in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, which has caused significant damage to infrastructure and impacted thousands of people.
F1 News has been dominated by updates on the situation in Imola, which eventually culminated in the decision to cancel this weekend’s scheduled Imola GP.
Considering the scale and devastation of these floods, the focus has quickly (and rightly) shifted away from the racing action to the livelihoods that have been impacted by these unprecedented changes in weather conditions.
Tributes and messages of support have poured in from across the paddock, with images of Yuki Tsunoda helping the Faenza community (near the AlphaTauri factory) going viral on social media.
To help support local communities and assist in the distribution of resources, Ferrari has announced it will donate 1 million euros to the communities of Emilia-Romagna.
In a recent statement, the Italian squad outlined how these funds can be used for the recovery from the unprecedented flooding:
“Ferrari donates 1 million Euros to the Emilia-Romagna Region’s Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection, joining the regional fundraising campaign.
“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.
“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.”
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
