De Vries thanks helpers - including McLaren team member - after flood struggles
Deadly flooding in the northeast of Italy resulted in this weekend’s race at Imola being called off on Wednesday.
The Emilia Romagna region has been impacted by heavy rainfall, leading to 14 rivers bursting their banks. At least nine people have died and as many as 10,000 people have been evacuated.
De Vries revealed the difficulties he experienced as he tried to get to his team’s factory in Faenza, which is one of the areas badly affected by flooding.
The Dutchman, who faces an uncertain F1 future, thanked people who helped him on his journey, including a member of the McLaren team who offered him his hotel room.
“Tuesday evening 11.30pm. It’s raining intense, Faenza is already flooded, and I am unable to get to my hotel,” de Vries wrote on Instagram.
“Returning to the highway is no option either. Stuck in a little village with one fully booked hotel.
“Fortunately McLaren got stranded there earlier and their front jack Frazer was kind enough to give me his room.
“The following morning the hotel lobby turned into an emergency shelter for people who were forced to escape their homes during the night.
“Post F1 announcement, I only saw one potential option to get home, which was driving via Firenze.
“After an adventurous drive through the mountains, thanks to the help from local people and authorities in different villages, I finally got home safely.
“Thank you to every single person who has been kind enough to help me. It was truly heart-warming to see so many look out for each other.
“My thoughts are with those who continue to be affected by this tragedy. I’ll be back soon in Faenza to meet my team and the people from the region.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
