Unfortunately, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been cancelled due to severe flooding in the region, including in and around the Imola circuit.
Not a common occurrence, but there have been times in the past where, for one reason or another, an F1 race has been cancelled. Below are three instances in which a race didn't go ahead.
2020 Australian Grand Prix
Before the global COVID-19 pandemic took over the world, round one of the 2020 F1 World Championship was scheduled to take place in Albert Park, Australia as had been custom for several years.
Pre-weekend Alpha Tauri and Ferrari, the Italian based teams, expressed concern with the race going ahead given how the virus had ripped through Italy, and how China had postponed their race several weeks earlier before eventually being cancelled.
On the Thursday, McLaren announced that a team member had tested positive for the virus, while four Haas team members quarantined after testing negative but showing flu like symptoms. Drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton were public in their criticism of plans to race. McLaren withdrew from the race on the same day.
Just hours before F1 cars were due to hit the track for FP1, the Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews announced fans would be banned from attending. Early on Friday, the race organisers and F1 confirmed the race would not go ahead and that the start of the F1 season would be delayed indefinitely.
After cancelling it emerged that only three teams Red Bull, Alpha Tauri and Racing Point were willing to race should it go ahead. 14 McLaren team members also ended up in quarantine after displaying symptoms, and Australia would then not return to the calendar until 2022.
2011 Bahrain Grand Prix
Civil unrest in Bahrain in February 2011 broke out as part of the Bahraini uprising which led to that year's GP2 Asia series race at Sakhir being cancelled after medical staff due to be at the circuit were redeployed to hospitals in Manama.
On the 21st of February, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Chief Executive of the Bahrain International Circuit and Crown Prince of Bahrain, announced the postponement of the Grand Prix, and organisers were given a deadline of May 1st to decide whether or not the race could go ahead.
A further month's deadline was given, but by 9th June the race organisers officially announced they had abandoned their bid to race on the 2011 calendar.
The 2012 race was also subject to protests but did go ahead, with Sebastian Vettel winning for Red Bull ahead of the Lotus pair of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.
1985 Belgian Grand Prix
Damage to the circuit led to an initial postponement of the 1985 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on the 31st of May.
Cars took to the track on Friday, but the nature of the turbocharged cars, wide slick tyres and warm weather saw the track heavily damaged during the practice session.
Repairs were made overnight, but after 25 minutes of the Saturday practice session all on track activity stopped and drivers investigated the track, at 6pm and an announcement was made by driver's representative Niki Lauda at 7:30pm that the race would be postponed.
The race eventually went ahead in September, with Ayrton Senna winning for Lotus, ahead of Nigel Mansell's Williams and the McLaren of Alain Prost.
Hopefully, we'll not get any repeats like this again, but some things can't be helped!
📸 Image credits: Sky Sports, BBC Sport, Formula Motorsport Limited.
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