Imola is not the first: F1 races cancelled due to politics, pandemic and weather since 2011

The cancellation of the 2023 Imola Grand Prix did not come as much of a shock. Formula 1 had to react to the challenging conditions in the Emilia-Romagna region as floods caused damage to the area and the Imola circuit.

According to reports, eight people have already lost their lives, and F1 chose the safety of everyone involved - personnel, teams, drivers, fans - over any form of racing, i.e. the Grand Prix weekend.

But the Imola GP is not the first race cancelled in F1 history. We look at four races that were scrapped at the last minute.

for those who are complaining about the cancellation of the Imola GP, these are the conditions that Emilia Romagna is currently facing pic.twitter.com/gbxn0SRKyn

Bahrain, 2011

Bahrain first made its F1 debut in 2004. It was a spectacular event as the sport began its Middle Eastern venture, with more races in other countries in the region following. But the Bahrain race had always been a matter of debate, given the country's stance on human rights.

In 2011 things reached boiling point. Human rights groups and activists in the region and Northern Africa had been embroiled in harsh political turmoil with authorities, with many people losing their lives. A month before the race was to take place, it became achingly bad.

READ: Playing cars in a flood? Safety first as F1 calls off Imola GP rather than tempt Mother Nature

In the week leading up to the race, F1 delayed the decision-making process, confirming the race's cancellation almost at the last minute. The sport decided to cancel the race after Nabeel Rajab, vice-president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, confirmed that protesters were targeting the race.

The race returned in 2012, but it too occurred under a cloud of political