Grand Prix of Portugal is going to admit fans: '50.000 people is feasible'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
The Portuguese Grand Prix will return to the Formula 1 calendar in October. Portimao is preparing for the first Formula 1 race on the circuit and will also welcome fans.
The coronavirus has had a great impact on the world and that was no different for Formula 1. The season was postponed and then returned in a smaller form without fans. On that new calendar the circuit in the Algarve has been published, where fans will be welcome again at the end of October.
Formula 1 fans in Portimao
''Until the end of September, no fans are welcome at sports events in Portugal, but after that they will be. We've already done a simulation with 250 people how this works in a grandstand and we know how people have to go to their seats, to the toilet and stuff like that'', says Paulo Pinheiro, circuit manager of Portimao at Speedweek.com.
The circuit can seat 96,000 people, but will only open the circuit for 50,000. ''We have to make sure we don't overload it. More fans also means more toilets, bars and places to withdraw your money. With 50,000 people, that pressure's a lot lower. We certainly don't want to fill more than two thirds of our seats'', concludes the circuit manager.