The Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been cancelled ahead of this weekend due to extreme weather in the Imola region of northern Italy.

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Heavy flooding has sparked red weather warnings across the region with 5,000 local residents forced to evacuate from the area and five people have died, according to local authorities.

Formula 1 staff were reportedly evacuated from the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit on Tuesday afternoon as conditions worsened.

Sport pales into insignificance during perilous situations such as this, but motorsport fans will be interested to know how this could affect the F1 season and what it could mean for a potentially rescheduled race in Imola.

RadioTimes.com brings you some potential options, precedents already set in situations like this, and the most likely courses of action with regards to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2023.

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When will the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix be rescheduled?

Arguably the first question to ask should be: will the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix be rescheduled? And it can't be counted as a certainty that it will be run in 2023.

The general precedent for cancelled races is that they are not rescheduled for later in the season. The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix was called off due to political unrest in the country and was not held there until 2012.

The 2023 Chinese Grand Prix was announced on the initial season calendar but was cancelled prior to the start of the season due to an ongoing zero-COVID policy in the nation and it has not been rescheduled for later in the campaign.

Of course, races cancelled throughout the COVID pandemic were not rescheduled, they simply didn't happen.

It remains to be confirmed, but in this cramped season – of all seasons – it feels unlikely that there will be Formula 1 racing at Imola in 2023.

It is highly likely that the circuit would be ready for racing this year, but the nature of the calendar offers very few opportunities to reschedule.

There are 17 races to cram into 26 weeks once the teams arrive in Monaco at the end of May. Finding a fresh place for Imola may be too much of a stretch for 2023.

If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.

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