Lewis Hamilton has expressed grave concern at the announcement that the British Grand Prix will host more than 140,000 spectators this year. The Formu

Lewis Hamilton fears allowing 140,000 fans at F1 British GP is ‘premature’

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2021-06-24 21:30:04

Lewis Hamilton has expressed grave concern at the announcement that the British Grand Prix will host more than 140,000 spectators this year. The Formula One world champion believes the decision to allow a full-capacity crowd at Silverstone may be premature given the recent rise in Covid cases across the UK, fears British racing fans may be being used as test cases and has questioned the confusing messages coming from the government.

Silverstone confirmed on Thursday that it had got the green light for approximately 141,000 fans to watch the British GP, paving the way for the biggest UK crowd since the start of the pandemic. The grand prix takes place just one day before the mooted end of coronavirus restrictions in England on 19 July, and Silverstone officials will be allowed to sell out for the entire 16-18 July weekend.

The news will come as a major boost to Silverstone’s managing director Stuart Pringle, who is understood to have stressed to government officials that the circuit – which staged the first ever Formula One world championship event in 1950 – would go bust if fans were not permitted. But Hamilton, the most successful driver at the British GP with seven wins and who has long enjoyed a special relationship with Silverstone fans, was less than enthusiastic about the development when speaking about it before this weekend’s Styrian GP.