A respected specialist publication has questioned the official spectator figures published by the organisers of Sunday's highly controversial Bahrain grand prix.
The Sakhir circuit said 28,000 paid for tickets to the country's first grand prix since 2010. "It looked like fewer," said Reuters' Alan Baldwin. The facility's capacity is 46,000.
In a summary piece by journalists Bianca Leppert and Michael Schmidt, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claimed the grandstands were so empty on Sunday "each driver could have shaken the hand of every spectator in the grandstand half an hour before the race".
Baldwin agreed: "When formula one drivers performed their usual parade around the circuit on the back of a flatbed truck ahead of the grand prix, they waved at rows of empty seats". (GMM)
Reports question Bahrain spectator figures
- Published on 25 Apr 2012 16:35
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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M. Verstappen
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L. Hamilton
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 11
L. Norris
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Feb 12
C. Leclerc
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A. Antonelli
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
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