Brazilian GP 2021 Attendance: How Many F1 Fans Will Attend the Sao Paulo Race at Interlagos?

The 2021 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, commonly known as Brazilian GP, got underway at Interlagos earlier on Friday, with Lewis Hamilton securing speed king only to face disqualification and his Mercedes F1 teammate, Valtteri Bottas, coming to the rescue on Saturday by denying Max Verstappen his 8th pole position of the season.

There has been drama all around from the very first practice session, making it quite an event to watch for the spectators. And they absolutely deserve it, considering the pandemic restricted Formula 1 from entering the American continent in 2020, which makes the ongoing Sao Paulo GP the first F1 event in 2 years.

What’s more, the Sao Paulo GP is also Brazil’s biggest event since COVID-19 wreaked havoc over the country. Hence, the desperation among the F1 fans were very evident when the organizers affirmed no restrictions amidst the pandemic.

What is the predicted fan attendance over the weekend?

Interlagos houses around 60,000 seats, and according to multiple sources, all of the tickets were sold out within the week of opening. Hence, a full house was imminent, heading into the race weekend.

Formula One F1 – Brazilian Grand Prix – Jose Carlos Pace Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil – November 13, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton acknowledges fans after finishing first place in sprint qualifying Pool via REUTERS/Lars Baron

So, there are likely to be around 170,000 spectators over the 3 days in Sao Paulo. Of course, the numbers are fairly modest compared to the other 2 American events, but considering Interlagos is one of the smallest circuits on the F1 calendar, anything over 150,000 was going to be a massive triumph.

Brazilian GP to beat the attendance of Mexico & US?

One word, Impossible. As we mentioned earlier, the housing capacity of Interlagos is almost no match to COTA or Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix witnessed staggering numbers, as around 345,694 spectators reportedly made it to the event. But, even Mexico merely put up a challenge against the US Grand Prix’s attendance. COTA witnessed approximately 400,000 spectators showing up for the event over the weekend.

Formula One F1 – Mexico City Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – November 7, 2021 Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in action during the race REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

Overall, F1’s return to the American continent has proven to be a monumental success with a never-seen-before number of fans making it to each of the events.

These are certainly pleasing signs amidst the Miami debut next season and teasing of more such Grand Prix events in coming years, including Las Vegas. So, are we in for more such exciting F1 action in the United States?

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