Spectators to attend French, Austrian GPs

Forthcoming races at Paul Ricard and the Red Bull Ring look set to be attended by some Formula 1 spectators.

So far in 2021, the phenomenon of ’ghost races’ has begun to diminish, with limited crowds often now permitted in the grandstands by local jurisdictions.

However, there will be no spectators at Baku next weekend.

"The 2021 race weekend has arrived too quickly for us to safely host the event with fans present," organisers confirm.

But the French GP at Paul Ricard comes after that, and according to Ouest-France the introduction of a ’health pass’ means 15,000 spectators look to get the green light.

The newspaper said patrons will have to present either a negative PCR or antigen test, a ’certificate of recovery’ from covid-19, or proof of vaccination.

As for the double-header at Red Bull’s Austrian GP venue in Styria, Kleine Zeitung newspaper claims government-level talks are currently taking place with a decision due "on Friday".

Tickets are already on sale, but the report said it is not clear how many spectators will be allowed above the current 3000-person limit on outdoor sporting events.