Unused Imola F1 GP trophy raises £247,171 at charity auction

In an attempt to bring relief to the region, the unused F1 trophies for the top three positions and the winning constructors' of the Emilia Romagna GP were auctioned at a charity event.

The 2023 F1 Emilia Romagna GP, which was set to take place last month, was canceled following torrential rain and flooding in the region.

Formula Imola, which promotes the race, agreed with the Italian body ASN and F1 to donate these memorabilia, which also included the Pirelli pole position award and Ferrari Sparkling wine in the charity auction which raised £247,171.

As per Motorsport.com, all the items were autographed by the 20 current race drivers over the Spanish GP weekend in Barcelona, with the trophies also signed by the 10 team principals.

The auction was run by F1 partner Memento Exclusives, with the proceeds donated to the Emilia-Romagna region's Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection.

Regarding the sale of the pole position award, Pirelli head Mario Isola said:

"Once again the F1 community has shown great generosity, collecting through this auction a sum to be donated to those who are still suffering from the damage caused by the bad weather in Emilia-Romagna, which has been very serious and whose consequences will weigh heavily on the population for a long time. Any help, even a small one, can help and we are happy to have made our contribution."

Memento CEO Barry Gough also added:

"We are pleased to have been able to support the Emilia-Romagna Region's Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection and help raise an incredible sum, to be donated to this worthy cause. These items were all 'once-in-a-lifetime' pieces, and to have raised £247,171 from them is absolutely fantastic."

Mercedes F1 driver comments on the dynamics between the new generation of drivers

George Russell recently stated that the dynamics between him and the current crop of F1 drivers are unique as they have all raced against each other since their karting days.

The Mercedes driver said:

“I think we all know each other pretty well. We know each other’s driving styles, and we know the risks one another take. I first raced against Max and Charles, and Esteban [Ocon] actually, in 2011. I actually raced against those guys before I ever raced against Alex [Albon] or Lando [Norris], which is a bit interesting considering the nationality differences."

“But, equally with Alex and Lando, [we] grew up in go-karting watching other races. So, I’d always be watching Alex racing in the age category above, or Lando in the category below. We know each other and probably that does contribute to how we race one another.

It is fascinating to see how these drivers have come so far in their careers and reached their goal of racing against each other at the pinnacle of the sport.