F1 News: Beloved Mascot Of Formula One Dies
It has sadly been confirmed that the Imola cat, Formulino, has passed away.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola has boasted a whiskered celebrity, "Formulino." The grey tabby, seen around the F1 circuit since its 2020 return, was believed by many to have an influence over race outcomes. Beyond being the circuit's beloved mascot, Formulino’s interactions with F1 icons have become legendary anecdotes.
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As he elegantly strolled through the pits, he was often greeted by F1 luminaries. Notably, Lewis Hamilton, once paused in his race preparations to pat him. This was spotlighted by Mercedes' tweet, which humorously stated Hamilton had been "blessed by the Imola cat."
However, not all share the same affection. Presenter Ted Kravitz, alluding to Formulino’s rumoured charm, told Sebastian Vettel, "It’s good luck if he comes and sees you." Vettel’s candid response was, "I don’t like cats." Ironically, in the subsequent race, while Hamilton triumphed at Imola, Vettel faced a pit stop debacle, finishing at P12.
Italian blog MemasGP shared the sad news to social media, writing:
"We hear some bad news that saddens all the friends of the Imola racetrack.
"Formulino, the mascot cat that had made insiders and many fans fall in love with him, including us, is no longer with us.
"Bye Formulino." [Translated]
Fans have been reacting to the news on Reddit. One fan commented:
"It's a pity that Formulino couldn't see the last race of his life this year at Imola, he survived the floods but never got to meet the drivers again."
Another fan commented about the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix which was cancelled due to severe flooding in the region. They posted:
"RIP Formulino. Always looked forward to his antics on race weekends and enjoyed his rivalry with Vettel. Shame we didn't see him this year cause of the cancelled race"
Someone else posted:
"I'm ridiculously sad over a cat I've never met"
Rest In Peace Formulino.