Imola, September 15, 2026 – “It broke my heart in 2023 to see this region I love with such great damage. But everyone was super united and that helped a lot. On my part, I am happy to have left a small mark in such a dear region. You are the heroes. And I hope to see you again here at the end of the year.” These are the words of Charles Leclerc, who arrived today at Spazzate Sassatelli to inaugurate the new multifunctional civic center at via Cardinala 22, largely made possible thanks to the donation from the Ferrari driver. Today, Tuesday, September 15, the ribbon cutting marked the conclusion of a particularly significant intervention for the district, severely hit by the May 2023 flood.
Charles Leclerc’s speech
“I am very emotional because I remember very well in 2023, seeing photos because I was not here, how much the situation had broken my heart,” said Charles Leclerc. “Seeing this region, which I love so much and where I have spent so much time as a Ferrari driver, with such big damage… but one thing I saw is that you were all super united in a very difficult moment. This touched me a lot. I also remember that Yuki was there, helping on the streets and that also made a big impression on me. Today I am really happy to see you all here. The environment is very different compared to those photos and I really hope this facility will live, in the best way with children, families. I am really happy to see you all here together and I am happy to have left a small mark in a region that is very dear to me, but you are the heroes who have certainly gone through a very difficult time. So the respect goes more to you than to what I have done, but thanks anyway for the welcome and I hope to see you again at the end of the year!”, concluded Leclerc amid applause from those present, referring at the end to the increasingly concrete possibility that Imola will host the last Gp of the season.
The ceremony
The ceremony was accompanied by the Banda musicale Città di Imola, which performed the Italian and Monegasque anthems, and the blessing of the bishop. Then spoke the president of the Emilia-Romagna Region Michele de Pascale, the mayor of Imola Marco Panieri and Irene Curcio, representing the residents of the district. At the end, the ribbon cutting together with Leclerc.
The new civic center
The new building, built on the lot of the former schools, measures about 128 square meters and houses a multipurpose room, a small room, restrooms, and the heating plant. The structure is classified Nzeb, with very low energy consumption, and includes design solutions dedicated to efficiency and brightness of the environments.
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The total investment is almost 530 thousand euros, largely financed through Leclerc’s donation, raised with a charity auction after the flood.
The inauguration comes with a few weeks’ delay compared to the initial forecast: in January the Municipality had indicated the end of June as the completion date. The new civic center adds to the polyclinic already opened in recent months at the intersection of via Cardinala and via Benelli, also built thanks to resources linked to the driver’s donation.
