Hundreds of thousands of excited Formula 1 fans poured into the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday, keen to watch Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen battle it out at the front as a full house of spectators returned to the track for the first time since 2019.
The pandemic meant the 2020 event was run behind closed doors, and only around 1,000 were admitted 12 months ago as the easing of restrictions began.
But while the return of fans and the increased revenue they bring is exactly what the circuit and promoters needed, the organisers seemed ill-equipped to accommodate them all. Reports started circulating regarding traffic congestion in and around the circuit, problems with public transport and queues at food and drink stalls, some even reported to have run out of water.
F1 fan Lena Ferle, who attended the race, explained to RaceFans that while metallic and glass bottles were not accepted into the venue, attendees were encouraged to bring their own plastic bottles. She found a maximum size of 1.5 litres was imposed, to the surprise of several fans who had turned up with larger containers widely-used in Spain.
“I didn’t understand the 1.5 litres rule because some people brought big canisters,” she explained. “They had to leave them at the entrance.”
Air temperatures hit 37C at the track on Sunday, and Lena found thirsty fans soon depleted the circuit’s supplies.
“We brought water and snacks, but not a lot because we had to carry the bags around the whole circuit. The buses dropped us off at the main gate [but] the gate we were supposed to get in was a 30-minute walk uphill in the sun.
“As soon as we settled in the general admission, one of us would go and get some stuff to eat and drink because we knew the queues would be bad by midday. We were okay with that, but we could watch the queues getting longer and longer, either for the bathrooms or the stalls for water and food.
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