What's happening to European F1 crowds?
With the iconic Monza's Formula 1 future still in jeopardy, DIETER RENCKEN analyses crowd numbers in Europe, how the slump could be reversed and where other threats are coming from
As Formula 1 decamps at Monza amid talk of whether motorsport's 'Temple of High Speed' will retain its grand prix beyond 2017, let alone to '22 - when the circuit in an ancient royal park north of Milan celebrates its centenary - F1's commercial rights holders could do well to reflect on plummeting race attendances across Europe, and the causes thereof.
Never has this been more apparent than this year, when the continent hosted less grands prix than ever before, certainly when expressed as a percentage of the overall calendar, and the remaining venues have failed to attract fans from neighbouring countries as could be expected.
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