What was supposed to be a crucial day of preparation for the teams ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix will leave the pits and paddocks empty as preparations are derailed by unprecedented weather conditions in Italy.

Multiple sources from the team have revealed that authorities have asked them not to travel to Imola while the situation is assessed.

The downpour triggered widespread flooding and the Emilia Romagna region remained under a red weather alert until at least Wednesday night.

While river levels near Imola started to drop after crossing red flood limits late on Tuesday night, problems remained at the venue.

Several areas of the track have been flooded, including the F1 TV compound. While the worst has passed for the F1 pits and paddocks for now, images circulating on social media show the support paddocks have been flooded.

There were suggestions on social media on Tuesday night that the Alpine team had been forced to leave their hotel in Imola due to flooding, but this was dismissed by the team.

A spokesman said: “Due to inclement weather several of our set crew had to move to a hotel in Imola. The main team (mechanics, engineers) were in another hotel in a nearby town and were not affected.”

Officials from F1, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and local authorities met on Wednesday morning to discuss how best to deal with the difficult situation around Imola and how to approach this weekend’s race.

An update is expected later Wednesday.

view of wet track

Photography: Steve Etherington/ motorsport pictures

With conditions improving from Thursday, there is a good chance track events will continue without disruption.

The biggest problem, however, will be dealing with the infrastructure around the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, with many roads around the site closed due to localized flooding.

Crowds expected for the first European game of the season could put pressure on nearby facilities and authorities could face challenges getting people in and out.

Possibilities can range from moving forward with no changes to the schedule and organization, to reducing the number of people allowed in, or compressing weekend schedules to give venues more breathing room to prepare.

F1 teams had already lost half a day of preparation when they were told to leave the track on Tuesday, and Wednesday’s loss will leave them even further behind.