MAY 28, 2009

Deals done, now consider this...

The Monaco weekend was noted to be quiet by most of the F1 circus, with reports that corporate hospitality was down as much as 70% and the yachts looking very sparse in the harbour. However, the Automobile Club de Monaco seems to believe that the crowd over four days was probably in the region of 170,000, which is down about 15% from the usual 200,000. The actual audience was probably larger as thousands traditionally watch the race free of charge from balconies of apartment blocks around the circuit.

The actual numbers translate to around 40,000 a day, most of them being in the grandstands on the start-finish straight and around the swimming pool. There are also many people who watch the race from the side of the hill under the palace.

According to local sources only 11 of the 21 grandstands were sold out this year. It seems that Saturday attendance was down, but the ACM reported that Thursday was up.