Spectators set for return to F1 tracks this season
May 31 - With 135,000 spectators gathering for the Indy 500 last Sunday, the question of how many fans can attend the next races in Formula 1 is now in the spotlight.
While this weekend's grand prix at Baku will be a 'ghost race', it is believed three areas of 5,000 people will be able to make up a total capacity of 15,000 spectators per day at the subsequent French GP at Paul Ricard.
After that comes the Austrian double-header, with race promoter Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko predicting the current limit of 3,000 per day at the Red Bull Ring will be lifted.
"I have no doubt that everything will go smoothly, after we proved last year that we are able to conduct the race safely under the most stringent restrictions," he told the German-language formel1.de.
"We have developed a scheme to reduce the level of contact and welcome more fans."
Current rumours indicate that a total per-day of capacity of 40,000 people may be possible.
"We will find a solution here," sports minister Werner Kogler is quoted by Kleine Zeitung newspaper. "It is a huge area of several hectares."
Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz added: "This is a very important and prestigious event for Austria."
A big crowd is expected at Silverstone for the first ever 'sprint qualifying' event, and the promoters of the Dutch F1 GP at Zandvoort are also hoping for a full house.
"We have every confidence in a race with a full house," circuit boss Robert van Overdijk told De Telegraaf newspaper.
"It is now starting to look very good for us. We were already positive, but now we are even more optimistic."
But Another Dutch F1 GP official, Jan Lammers, warned: "We need two months for the build-up, so we need to know whether it is a 'go' or 'no go' in the first week of July.
"But when you see what has changed this month, it gives us hope for the coming month."
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Yes, 135,000 at Indy, but remember that was only 40% capacity and Indy is reasonably priced and easily accessible to millions of people. BTW, good race. I preferred Herta or Veekay but the old guy gave us the best ever post race celebration.
IMO, F1 needs to get people into the stands this season or fans might begin to realize that they don't need to spend thousands of dollars to see a race. Yes, the F1 motherland will draw a huge crowd to the airport, but everybody else better start pedaling fast or risk forever losing eyeballs to TV and streaming services. Again IMO.
RoR Do the drivers do to keep the prize money like Simon Pagenaud $2,669,529 in 2019? is this ontop of there normal salary, if so i can see why the drivers love indy?
Shrop', all those dollars make great press, but it's mostly BS. Drivers get a base salary, expenses,performance bonuses and a negotiated portion of the purse, usually 30-40%, back in the day. Now, I'm not sure, but certainly not the advertised amounts. One thing is still true. These kids still rate a winning car over $$$. Racers will (I hope) always be racers first.
BTW, happy Memorial Day. It is not just a US holiday.
The spectator capacity at probably all Euro F1 races means a full house, take say dutch,belgium, german ,french and silverstone all within a few hours of each other for fans.
its the right holders race fees that are threatening races spain/germany and liberties quest to have 30 races a year lol
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