Hamilton was right to put humanitarianism ahead of motor racing as Ricciardo becomes Netflix star

The last time a race was canceled on the eve of the event was a much more marginal decision. With Imola just canceled, thoughts turned back to a long night in Melbourne in March 2020.

On that occasion, there was concern that Covid had entered the McLaren camp. It turned out that only one mechanic had contracted the virus, and to think that that isolated incident, with his close contacts also quarantined, prompted the evacuation of a continent’s Formula 1 circus.

I was outnumbered at the time and believed the race should have continued. Everyone had flown to the other side of the world, so why not continue, with or without crowds?

But the lockdown was working its way to every door and was already in effect in Italy, further fraying Ferrari’s nerves. Masks crept up. A colleague recited mass grave figures from Iran. And, as pertinent as anything, Lewis Hamilton gave a rousing intervention a few hours before the cancellation, saying F1 was only in town because ‘cash is king’.

It was a feverish atmosphere around the world and the choice to scrub the target first round of the season was easy to understand, even if I didn’t completely agree.

The situation this week about leaving Imola was much simpler and handled in a timely manner.

After weeks of torrential rain and much destruction in the Emilia-Romagna region, another red weather alert was put in place on Monday evening.

But at that stage, longer-term projections suggested an improvement as the race weekend approached. Based on this, Formula 1 bosses reasonably delayed their judgment on how to handle the event.

There was a major deterioration on Tuesday, however, as rainfall significantly exceeded even the gloomiest of expectations. Hard-hit areas were predicted to receive 100mm of rain that day and an average of 150mm by the end of Wednesday.

Forget that, by Wednesday afternoon the figure had reached 250mm in the mountains south of Imola. That was clearly a danger to the rivers they fed.

Figures aside, the developing scene was one of destruction and tragedy. At least nine people have died, thousands have been driven from their homes. Where some of us simply thought it was little more than a takeout job on a Sunday, was clearly too serious for that.

Stefano Domenicali, F1’s CEO, who turned down the race on Wednesday morning, was better placed to determine that than anyone else (unlike his predecessor Chase Carey: he was stuck in the air as the sport debated all night where race in Melbourne). ).

Domenicali grew up in the region and was there this week to lead meetings and spend time with family.

He was on site at the track in his raincoat as he made his ruling and inspected the track and surrounding area. He then used the conference room at Imola to consult with the local organisers, authorities and leaders.

Not only was there the danger just ahead of the Santerno River bursting its banks, or even fans or F1 staff being endangered by a landslide, but also local and wider sensitivities that had to be taken into account.

What would it have been like for the victims of the flood or the outside world if Formula 1 had continued unperturbed? The sport would understandably have been denounced as the preserve of privileged plutocrats playing in a golden cage while chaos reigns everywhere.

Fortunately, on Thursday morning, conditions were deemed safe enough for key personnel to return to the paddock for a bit of rigging. They, trucks and various equipment are not going home but to Monaco, the venue of next weekend’s race.

By reputation, if not really, the sun always shines there.

Lewis Hamilton was right when he greeted the drenched people of Emilia-Romagna and put humanitarianism above motor racing.

His reaction was all the more commendable as he had long looked forward to the race as a possible rebirth of his and Mercedes’ fortunes.

It was intended that he and George Russell would enjoy the introduction of a new floor, front suspension and sidepod. Other teams had upgrades coming, including Alpha Tauri with a new floor.

All teams would have much preferred to try their tweaks, big or small, in Imola rather than the uniquely tight and winding streets of Monaco. The cramped principality will not only cause more accidents and thus damage new parts, but it is also less suitable for getting feedback on the changes.

Mercedes, I’m told, will debut their upgrades in Monaco regardless of restrictions, but Barcelona, ​​next week, could prove more instructive regarding a Lewis/George revival.

Daniel Ricciardo is harassed on every track he turns up on. He waves and he speaks and he smiles. He is a star of Netflix and a genuinely kind man.

But what he doesn’t do anymore is race. During the interviews he gives as reserve driver and Red Bull ambassador, he only talks about the desire to return in that capacity.

And a renewal of his Formula 1 dream looks increasingly unlikely, not least judging by how he has been barred from a seat at AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s sister team.

This after brief talk of him as a possible replacement for the struggling Nyck de Vries, who has been given the chance to prove himself or face the ax in the coming rounds in Monaco and Spain.

The fact is that when Ricciardo, 33, returned to Red Bull after being sacked by McLaren last season, his form on the simulator was surprisingly off. The Australian had lost confidence and it showed in his underperformance.

That is certainly part of the reason Red Bull motorsport adviser Helm Marko spoke of a comeback. Asked about the possible opening of AlphaTuari, Marko said: ‘Ricciardo is not a problem.’ Which sounded convincing.

An absurdity about the Imola race is its full name: Formula 1 Qatar Airways Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna 2023.

Let’s hope they don’t get any ideas about a ‘Made in Wales’ Grand Prix at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.