Formula 1 weekend attendances reached 6 million across the 22 races staged in the 2023 season. We review which races had the largest attendances – and which races had the biggest attendance growths.
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When Formula 1 announces the official overall attendance figure for the 2023 season, it is likely to be over 6 million for the first time. Attendance figures have been announced for 19 of the 22 races staged in 2023. The confirmed totals from Formula 1 and race organisers so far takes the total attendance to just under 5.7 million.
With the attendance numbers for the Azerbaijan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix yet-to-be-announced, the final figure will easily surpass the 5.7 million which attended Formula 1 weekends in 2022.
The final official attendance figure – plus TV audience figures – are likely to be confirmed by Formula 1 at a later date. The 2022 figures were not officially confirmed until March 2023.
The graph above shows the full weekend attendance figures during the 2023 season, as published by either Formula 1 or race organisers. 11 races this season saw weekend attendances of over 300,000, while four – Australia, Britain, Austin and Mexico City – exceeded 400,000.
The British Grand Prix was the best-attended race weekend of the 2023 Formula 1 season, with 480,000 fans passing through the circuit’s gates over the 4-day event. The Silverstone race – which was best-attended in both 2018 and 2019 – reclaims the top spot from the United States Grand Prix, which had the highest attendance in both 2021 and 2022.
The 2023 Formula 1 season was scheduled to have 24 rounds, but both the Chinese Grand Prix and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix were called off. The Shanghai race was cancelled due to travel concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, while the Imola race was called off due to heavy flooding in the Emilia Romagna region.
Ultimately, there were 22 events on both the 2022 and 2023 calendars. The only differences between the two schedules being the inclusion of the Imola race and France in 2022, compared to the additions of Qatar and Las Vegas in 2023. The all-new Las Vegas Grand Prix attracted a healthy weekend crowd of 315,000, which helped to boost this year’s overall attendance when compared to the 2022 figure.
It should be noted that calculating the weekend attendance figure is not an exact science and will vary from circuit to circuit. Fans who attended multiple days of the event weekend are counted for each day they attended for weekend attendance figures. Some circuits include operational staff in their counts, while some events – like the Australian Grand Prix – also include competitors and holders of free tickets.
Attendance Grows at Most Races, Declines at COTA, Monza and Singapore
| Race | 2023 Weekend Attendance | 2022 Weekend Attendance | Attendance Growth | % Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix | 99,500 | 98,000 | 1,500 | 1.53% |
| 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | 150,000 | 142,000* | 8,000 | 5.63% |
| 2023 Australian Grand Prix | 444,631 | 419,114 | 25,517 | 6.09% |
| 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix | N/A | N/A | - | - |
| 2023 Miami Grand Prix | 270,491 | 242,955 | 27,536 | 11.33% |
| 2023 Monaco Grand Prix | N/A | N/A | - | - |
| 2023 Spanish Grand Prix | 284,066 | 277,836 | 6,230 | 2.24% |
| 2023 Canadian Grand Prix | 345,000 | 338,000 | 7,000 | 2.07% |
| 2023 Austrian Grand Prix | 304,000 | 303,000 | 1,000 | 0.33% |
| 2023 British Grand Prix | 480,000 | 401,000 | 79,000 | 19.70% |
| 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix | 303,000 | 290,000 | 13,000 | 4.48% |
| 2023 Belgian Grand Prix | 380,000 | 360,000 | 20,000 | 5.56% |
| 2023 Dutch Grand Prix | 305,000 | 305,000 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2023 Italian Grand Prix | 304,135 | 337,000 | -32,865 | -9.75% |
| 2023 Singapore Grand Prix | 264,108 | 302,000 | -37,892 | -12.55% |
| 2023 Japanese Grand Prix | 222,000 | 200,000 | 22,000 | 11.00% |
| 2023 Qatar Grand Prix | 120,000 | 80,000* | 40,000 | 50.00% |
| 2023 United States Grand Prix | 432,000 | 440,000 | -8,000 | -1.82% |
| 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix | 400,639 | 395,902 | 4,737 | 1.20% |
| 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix | 267,000 | 236,000 | 31,000 | 13.14% |
| 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix | 315,000 | - | - | - |
| 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | N/A | 160,000 | - | - |
*The table above shows, where possible, the gain in weekend attendance at each Grand Prix since the last last Formula 1 race event at each circuit. For every race in the list, the previous event was held in 2022, except for the Qatar Grand Prix (the last edition of which took place in 2021). The 2021 figure is also used for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as no attendance figure was published in 2022.
With a 50% attendance growth since the inaugural race, held in the pandemic-affected 2021 season, the Qatar Grand Prix experienced the biggest growth. The growth was, in part, thanks to an expansion of viewing areas for fans around the circuit. The biggest growth in terms of numbers came at the 2023 British Grand Prix, which hosted a Thursday launch event for the first time in 2023 which helped to increase its total weekend attendance.
The Miami Grand Prix bucked the trend of races having lower attendances for their second races than their first, with the weekend crowd growing by 11% compared to 2022. Attendance also grew by 11% at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix, which was the first Suzuka race since 2019 to be open to an international audience.
Attendances fell at three races in 2023. The Italian Grand Prix, which was blighted by organisational issues in 2022, saw its weekend figure decrease by just under 10% in 2023. Attendance at the Singapore Grand Prix fell by 12%, though this can be explained by the reconfiguration of track which saw the removal of the large and affordable Bay grandstand.
Attendance also fell by just under 2% at the United States Grand Prix. The Austin race was attended by around 2,500 fewer people per day than in 2022. It is not a major drop but may be a cause of slight concern for race organisers at Circuit of The Americas, one of three events in the United States on the 2023 calendar.
Of the three races for which attendance figures have not yet been announced, it’s expected that the attendance figure will have grown or remained the same at all of them. The Monaco Grand Prix traditionally attracts a weekend attendance of 200,000, while the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix reported a sell-out weekend and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix announced an as-yet-unquantified record attendance.
Race by Race Formula 1 Attendance Figures in 2023
2023 Bahrain Grand Prix
There was a race-day crowd of 36,000 at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix – the highest race day attendance in the event’s history. Race organisers announced that weekend tickets had sold out in the week leading up to the season-opening event. Total weekend attendance was 99,500, an increase of 1,500 on the 2022 figure. Tickets are already on sale for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, which will once again be the first race of the new season.
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Although there is no official attendance figure yet for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, it is understood that weekend attendance was in excess of 150,000. The 2023 figure represents a steady growth in the event’s third year. No official number was published for the 2022 race either, but total attendance in 2021 was 142,000.
2023 Australian Grand Prix
4-day attendance at the Australian Grand Prix reached 444,631 in 2023, which is a new record for the Albert Park event surpassing the previous record of just under 420,000 in 2022. Over 131,000 were in attendance on race day alone – a number which is beaten only by the 154,000 who attended the inaugural Melbourne race in 1996.
2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Baku City Circuit signed a new three-year deal to continue hosting the Azerbaijan Grand Prix until 2026 during the 2023 event weekend. There’s been no official word on the attendance figure at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix but what we do know is that there was a record attendance, with all grandstands sold out and an increase in international ticket sales.
The Baku race usually has one of the smallest attendances of the season. The biggest publicly announced Azerbaijan Grand Prix attendance figure came in 2018, when the race attracted 94,000 fans over three days.
2023 Miami Grand Prix
Formula 1 announced a weekend attendance of 270,000 at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix. Unusually for an event’s second year on the calendar, this figure was up by just under 30,000 on the inaugural event in 2022.
Race organisers announced that all grandstands, club and suite tickets had sold out on the Friday of the race weekend. Race day attendance at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix was up by around 5,000 compared to 2022, with 90,766 at the track.
2023 Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco Grand Prix has not publicly revealed its attendance figure since 2017, when 200,000 fans reportedly attended the race weekend. Attendance was also reported as 200,000 in the two preceding seasons. With the Monaco Grand Prix having limited grandstand capacity, it’s likely that the figure has remained at a similar level in recent years. Tickets for the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix are on sale now.
2023 Spanish Grand Prix
After organisational shortcomings and extreme heat in 2022, there was an improved experience for fans trackside at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. Total weekend attendance was 284,066 – an increase of 6,000 on the previous year. The race day figure was 125,565 – the highest number since 2008 and the fourth largest race day attendance in Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya’s 33-year history on the Formula 1 calendar. With Fernando Alonso back at the forefront of the competitive order in 2023 and Carlos Sainz continuing for a fourth season with Ferrari, tickets are already in high demand for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix.
2023 Canadian Grand Prix
Attendance grew by 7,000 at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix compared to the 2022 figure. With 345,000 attending over the weekend, it was the largest attendance figure in Montreal’s long history on the Formula 1 schedule. Attendance is likely to be as high again next year, with most ticket categories for the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix having already sold out.
2023 Austrian Grand Prix
Attendance at the Austrian Grand Prix surpassed 300,000 for the second year in succession. While the 2022 race attracted a weekend crowd of 303,000, the figure grew by 1,000 – to 304,000 – at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.
2023 British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix was the best-attended race weekend of the 2023 season, reclaiming the top spot for the best attended race of the year for the first time since 2019. With 480,000 fans passing through the circuit gates across the 4-day weekend, the 2023 British Grand Prix was the second-best attended race weekend in Formula 1 history, behind only the 1995 Australian Grand Prix.
The addition of a Thursday night opening concert helped to boost figures, which grew by around 80,000 compared to 2022. Silverstone’s race day attendance was 160,000 – an increase of 20,000 on the previous year.
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
Over the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, Formula 1 announced a new contract extension with the Hungaroring, keeping the event on the calendar until at least 2032. The race continues to be a popular one to attend for European fans; the fact that it is the cheapest race to attend on the current calendar certainly helps.
Coronavirus-impacted seasons aside, attendance has grown year-on-year at the Hungarian Grand Prix since 2016. The 2023 figure grew to 303,000 – an increase of 13,000 on the 2022 total.
2023 Belgian Grand Prix
The long-term future of Spa-Francorchamps’ position on the calendar has been in doubt for some time but it remains one of the most popular circuits on the calendar. 380,000 attended the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix – a record-breaking figure for the event for a second year in succession. Race organisers wasted no time in placing tickets on sale for next year, with tickets for 2024 going on sale before the 2023 race had finished!
2023 Dutch Grand Prix
305,000 fans witnessed Max Verstappen take a third consecutive home victory in the rain-hit 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. The Zandvoort race’s attendance figure remained stable, having also attracted a weekend crowd of 305,000 in 2022. With Verstappen and Red Bull at the top of their game, you can expect another weekend attendance of over 300,000 in 2024.
2023 Italian Grand Prix
Monza had a race weekend to forget in 2022 with a weekend that was marred by organisational chaos. Thankfully, things were much improved for race-going fans at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix. The experience was perhaps partly improved by the fact that attendance at the event declined compared to 2022.
Monza reported a weekend crowd of 304,134 at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, a decrease of just over 30,000 on the previous year. Monza Today reported that 97% of tickets sold for the 2023 event, suggesting that attendance had been capped at a lower level than in 2022.
2023 Singapore Grand Prix
For most Formula 1 events, a decline in attendance of 40,000 compared to the previous year would be a major cause for concern. Not for the Singapore Grand Prix, however. Attendance fell from 302,000 in 2022 to 264,108 in 2023 – but the event was still a sell-out.
The Marina Bay Street Circuit was reconfigured ahead of the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, owing to construction work in the harbourside area. The removal of the Bay Grandstand is the biggest factor behind the drop in attendance. Six new grandstands were added as a result and general admission access was increased. All 10,000 tickets available in the new categories sold out.
2023 Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka was open to international fans over the Japanese Grand Prix weekend for the first time since 2019. 222,000 attended over the weekend, making it the circuit’s best-attended event since the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix. Race day attendance was just over 100,000, an increase of 11,000 on 2022.
2023 Qatar Grand Prix
Max Verstappen secured the driver's title during the Sprint on the Saturday of the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix weekend. 38,725 people were in the stands to witness Verstappen confirmed as a three-time World Champion. Attendance for the Grand Prix itself was around 10,000 higher than that, with the weekend attendance totalling 120,000. It is one of the lowest attendances of the year, but represents a 50% increase on the 80,000 who attended the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix weekend in 2021.
2023 United States Grand Prix
For the first time since 2016, year-on-year attendance fell at the United States Grand Prix in 2023. Nevertheless, the total was still a very healthy 432,000, which ranks among the best-attended Formula 1 race weekends on record. The figure is 8,000 down on 2022, which represents around 2,000 fewer fans attending Circuit of The Americas per day.
COTA's Chairman Bobby Epstein explained that the venue had opted for “better” rather than “bigger” in 2023 and therefore did not expect attendance to be as high as in 2022.
2023 Mexico City Grand Prix
Attendance at the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend surpassed 400,000 for the first time in 2023, with 400,639 spectators at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez across the race weekend. It’s an increase of 5,000 on the 2022 figure, continuing the event’s annual attendance growth since 2018. Race day alone was attended by just under 150,000.
2023 São Paulo Grand Prix
On the weekend that Formula 1 announced a contract extension with Interlagos through to 2030, 267,000 fans attended the sold-out 2023 São Paulo Grand Prix weekend. The figure increased by 31,000 since 2022 and has almost doubled since the 2016 race at Interlagos.
2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix
The most-hyped race of the 2023 season had a weekend attendance of 315,000. The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix – which saw F1 cars race on and around the Las Vegas Strip – was a four-day event. In addition to the three nights of on-track action, 30,000 tickets were available for the Opening Ceremony on the first day of the event, though footage showed many empty grandstand seats.
The number of people in the city for the race will have been higher than this official figure, as it does not include private viewing areas located within establishments located around the circuit.
2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The attendance figure for the season-ending 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has not yet been announced. In 2022, a sell-out crowd of 160,000 attended. Formula 1 reported a sell-out crowd again in 2023, this time with the addition of two new grandstands plus new viewing platforms – meaning that the attendance figure was likely higher than in 2022.
