Without Valentino Rossi for the first time after 26 years in the championship, without Marc Márquez, out for surgery, and without the attraction of a fiery rivalry between two intimate antagonists, this weekend's Catalan GP in Montmeló foresees a sensitive decline of assistance.
"Around 50,000 people waited for the number of tickets sold", advanced the director of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Josep Lluís Santamaria. "We are not disappointed, it is the trend that we are seeing in other Grand Prix this year," said the manager.
The decrease in the influx of the public is notorious, compared to the last pre-pandemic years, in which attendance at MotoGP races (figure for Sundays) stabilized around 90,000 spectators: 91,734 in 2019, the last edition normal. “We already sensed it from the rate of ticket sales, slower than in 2019,” says Santamaria, who attributes the decrease in popular interest to the “absence of two leaders that we had and that are not seen now,” as they are Rossi –with a large parish in Montmeló– and Márquez –far from his best moment and now, absent–.
“I think the Rossi effect is noticeable; and on the contrary, the Quartararo effect was positively noted at Le Mans (110,000 spectators)”.
The CEO of Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta, disagrees with the reading, ruling out a general reduction in attendance at races this year. Although the data points to this: Jerez, 58,000 spectators; Mugello, 43,600… Two strong places that have punctured, to which Montmeló will join.
“I've been in this for 30 years and there have always been ups and downs… It's not natural that Italy, with the Ducati at the front, with Aprilia, with outstanding riders, has those numbers. Something was not done right. But I don't think there will be a general decrease, look at Le Mans with more than 100,000…”, says Ezpeleta.
The reduction in attendance, however, will also have a positive effect on the organization: it will help to avoid the problems of overcrowding that occurred at the Circuit during the F-1 GP, when a massive turnout with unexpected figures (54,000 the Friday, 120,000 on Sunday) with excessive heat for mid-May.
Even so, the managers of the Circuit have taken preventive measures: the public transport offer and the signage of the car parks will be improved to reduce collapses, "generate less chaos and facilitate evacuation"; the entry of refrigerators and drinks will be allowed, "but not cans"; Water sprinklers will be installed to mitigate the heat and there will be more drinks and ice cream stalls, according to Santamaría.
