Italian government stops fans from attending F1's Emilia Romagna GP
The Italian authorities have made a late decision to ensure that this weekend's Formula 1 Emilia Romagna GP is run behind closed doors


The circuit had been given permission last month to sell 13,000 tickets and operate VIP hospitality both for local sponsors and guests of the regional authority that is backing the race.
However this week a decree from the office of prime minister Giuseppe Conte, known as a DCPM, ordered a raft of new COVID-19 measures.
It includes a clampdown on crowds at events, as well more general restrictions such as closure of restaurants and cafes across the country after 6pm.
In the past two days the governor of the Emilia Romagna region, Stefano Bonaccini, talked directly to both the prime minister and the minister of health in search of an exemption for the race, but none was forthcoming.
Imola had detailed plans to ensure effective social distancing by spreading fans around the grandstands, and having been given the go-ahead to take spectators had spent money on the necessary preparations.
While it had not sold all of the 13,000 tickets on offer, the track was expecting a late rush because people were holding back in case of a cancellation or the sort of crowd restriction that has now been imposed.
"The government has banned our fans and we are very disappointed for that," Imola boss Uberto Selvatico Estense told Autosport.
"We're very sorry also for the inconvenience we are facing for this decision.

"The governor of Emilia Romagna was talking to the minister of health today, but they denied any waiver to the decree.
"It's not easy to explain to the fans that the government has changed their opinion in a very short time, because just one week ago they confirmed that we were allowed to have fans.
"So we went further with all the organisation, all the stuff that we were preparing. We spent a lot of money just to be ready for this opportunity.
"It's late, just four days left to the event, so it's a very short time to tell people that we cancelled the attendance.
"Now we have to explain to the spectators that it's not in doubt that we will reimburse the tickets.
"We will face some trouble for sure with people who will try to enter. They bought a ticket and don't understand why they are excluded now."
An F1 spokesman told Autosport: "We had hoped to welcome fans to the race this weekend but completely understand and respect the decision taken by the authorities. We hope our fans still enjoy the race from home."
The Imola crowd ban comes soon after a similar decision in Turkey, while in Germany spectators from certain areas were only allowed in if they could produce a negative COVID-19 test certificate.
There was also a late restriction on numbers in Portugal, and before the race the police stopped letting ticketed fans in, claiming that the venue had reached the allowed capacity.

Gasly to remain with AlphaTauri for 2021 Formula 1 season
Horner explains why Gasly never considered for Red Bull F1 return

Latest news
De Vries cleared of wrongdoing in dispute over €250K loan
Nyck de Vries has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an Amsterdam court over a claim launched against him by real estate magnate Jeroen Schothorst relating to a €250,000 loan.
Horner admits Red Bull’s real RB19 will be ‘somewhat different’
Red Bull boss Christian Horner says the real RB19 that will appear in Formula 1 testing in Bahrain later this month will be ‘somewhat different'.
Horner hints at closer links between Mercedes and Williams F1 teams
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has hinted that there could be a closer relationship between the Mercedes and Williams Formula 1 teams in the wake of James Vowles’s move.
Ford remains committed to WRC amid F1 return
Ford has stated that it remains committed to its programme in the World Rally Championship following confirmation of its return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2026.
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.