F1 confident of seeing "meaningful crowds" at grands prix this year

Formula 1

F1 confident of seeing "meaningful crowds" at grands prix this year

The majority of the 2020 races were behind closed doors

Ian Parkes

Friday 26 February 2021 09:38

Formula 1 is confident of welcoming back "meaningful crowds" this year despite the uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic in particular parts of the world.

The UK has moved swiftly to vaccinate its population, which has resulted in suggestions Silverstone could see a full-house for the British Grand Prix in mid-July.

Other countries, however, are not at such an advanced stage which is why F1 is guarded as to when and where spectators will be seen in the grandstands again.

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The sport's global director of race promotion Chloe Targett-Adams claims F1 has at least made "a good optimistic start to the year", and that "we are hopeful we will start to have fans back as we track through our races".

Asked at the BlackBook Motorsport Virtual Summit whether spectators would be more prevalent from July onwards, Targett-Adams replied: "At this stage, I'm still hopeful and optimistic that the bulk of the season will see spectators, but I think it's very territory-specific, location-specific.

"You look at the UK, we're in such a positive place. The government has done a great job with the vaccine rollout.

"It enables then for planning around the British Grand Prix with our Silverstone promoter and feedback from UK government at this stage to enable that to go ahead on the basis there will be fans attending.

"Obviously capacity is still to be determined and we follow the government's lead on that.

"But equally, other countries have a different trajectory and it may be now, I see in my mind a more mixed year.

"It may not be a kind of gradual build-up through Q3 and Q4, but more we approach each race and see where that particular territory is at that particular time."

Targett-Adams has no doubt that towards the end of the season, and with the likelihood the pandemic is under control in many of the countries F1 is due to visit, that races will be watched by considerable numbers of fans at the track.

"I think in general we are hopeful that by the end of the year, at least in the majority of locations, we should be having fairly meaningful crowds and operation of our hospitality," added Targett-Adams.

"We're hopeful and we're planning on fans being back at our races this year."