The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya announced that tickets for the 2022 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix had been sold out after spending two years with limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that almost 300,000 (277,836 in total ) had come to the venue during the weekend in Barcelona.
However, says F1, it soon became apparent that the venue was not ready for ‘no tickets’, with long queues forming around the limited food, drink and toilet stalls.
This was especially so on Saturday and Sunday, with, in addition, serious traffic congestion on the access roads to the track, even paralyzing some routes, and fans had to struggle to find parking.
Montmeló’s small train station also struggled to transport the thousands of fans who flocked to and from the city center during peak hours.
The setbacks in the influx of the public were aggravated by the heat, since Catalonia experienced the hottest week of the year, reaching 35º C during the weekend, forcing many fans to face the weather without adequate provisions. .
Many expressed their discontent via social media, with some even suggesting that they would not return for race day despite having purchased a ticket. Hours after the appointment, a Formula 1 spokesman in conversation with Motorsport.com described as “unacceptable” the congestion problems, and urged to launch a plan to avoid a similar collapse next year.
“The huge number of fans at this event, both on and off the circuit, created traffic problems,” said the spokesman for motorsport’s top flight. “We have made it known to the promoter that this is not acceptable, and that it needs to be fixed for next season.”
Several parts of the Montmeló circuit had been renovated for this course, but some of the key places for spectators have remained practically in the same state over the years.
As the site of Max Verstappen’s first Formula 1 victory and a popular tourist destination, the Spanish Grand Prix has seen an increase in the number of Dutch fans traveling to Catalonia in recent seasons.
The improvement in the results of Ferrari with Carlos Sainz at the controls, and the return of Fernando Alonso to the Great Circus, has also caused local fans to once again fill the stands of a track that has hosted races since its creation back in 1991.
