F1’s Much-Loved Imola Cat Has Sadly Passed Away

This is the saddest of news. The iconic Imola cat, named Formulino, has reportedly passed away. You don’t tend to go to racetracks and find cats lingering around, but the Imola circuit was different. Formulino was the secret cat king of Imola paddock ???? He was often spotted wandering in and out of teams’ garages and around the media pen and even had his own paddock pass. When the Emilia Romagna GP was cancelled this year from flooding, many fans were anxious to know Formulino was safe – and the circuit confirmed he was. But unfortunately, it was reported on Sunday that he had passed away. Something the Imola cat is most known for deciding the fate of F1 drivers; if you were welcoming of Formulino, you would have great fortune, which Lewis Hamilton discovered in 2020. Mercedes let Formulino wander into the Mercedes garage and have a good look around, a quick hello and a stroke from Lewis, and just hours later, he was able to pull off the ultimate overcut and push on into the lead, taking his first Imola victory. Sebastian Vettel, however, learnt the hard way. Formulino visited him as he spoke to Sky Sports F1 in the media pen. Ted Kravitz told Vettel it was good luck, but Vettel responded: “I don’t like cats, but maybe I like this one. I have nothing to offer it. He’s a bit overweight, though.” AND BOOM. He finished 12th in the race after a 13-second pitstop caused by a faulty wheel nut. Since he became known to F1 fans, the circuit started an Instagram account for Formulino to share his adventures. He will be extremely missed ????