A Formula 1 show run in the heart of Barcelona was greeted by protesters unhappy with their neighbourhood being shut down to promote this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Ahead of this weekend’s event, several Formula 1, F2, F3 and F1 Academy drivers took part in a ‘live roadshow’ demonstration run as part of the F1 Barcelona Fan Festival. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jnr, Alpine reserve Jack Doohan, Catalan F2 racer Pepe Marti and Nerea Marti were among the drivers who participated in the event.
The event was the first of its kind to be held in Barcelona, which has hosted the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya every season since joining the calendar in 1991. The demo run closed down the Passeig de Gracia major road in the Eixample district of the city with several adjacent roads also shut down for Wednesday.
A group of protesters, reportedly numbering around 400, demonstrated against the showrun event. Banners were displayed by objectors with slogans reading ‘Prou Formula Fum! La ciutat no està en venda!’ – ‘Enough Formula Fume! The city is not for sale!’ and ‘Stop contaminacio! Menya cotxes! Mes salut!’ – ‘Stop contamination! Less cars, more health!’.
The Barcelona-based road traffic safety group Prevencion de Accidentes de Trafico (Association for the Prevention of Traffic Accidents), posted a sternly-worded critique of the event.
“We reject the Formula 1 exhibition in the centre of Barcelona, which prioritises a city model based on large events and motor culture over the health and well-being of the residents,” the group said.
“We denounce that this type of mega-event promotes and builds an economic and city model contrary to the well-being of the residents. The city cannot be a stage for motor competitions, with smoke, noise, speed, and thousands of visitors.
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“The World Health Organization and the Public Health Agency of Barcelona agree on the impact of poor air quality and noise on people’s health, which are the causes of many illnesses we suffer from: asthma, sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases, premature births, cancer, stroke, diabetes, etc., leading to the premature death of 2,000 people every year. Given this problem, great economic efforts and substantial changes in habits by citizens and the administration are required. It is necessary to impose mobility restrictions, specifically on the vehicles that can circulate in the city….
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