For the first time since 2001, the Belgian Grand Prix has sold out all of its grandstand tickets, as part of the phenomenon that could be referred to as ‘Verstappen fever’. Crowds of this size have not been seen since the Schumacher era.
Of course, with the lack of a German Grand Prix from the calendar this year, along with Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, there is more of an incentive for fans to journey to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit this year, although the majority of the popularity this year has been attributed to Verstappen, who has gained legions of fans with his daring driving skills and skilled overtaking manoeuvres.
Although Verstappen has a Dutch passport and citizenship, he was in fact born in Belgium, in a town called Hasselt, and so considers Spa his home race. Nevertheless, you can expect to see orange grandstands as Dutch fans in their thousands flock to watch the race.
The only tickets left are general admission, with all grandstands being completely sold out for the three days of the Grand Prix. The promoter for the event, Andre Maes, says that the circuit can expect to hold crowds of up to 250,000.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Maes commented that it’s “correct that all the grandstand seats are sold out. Not just for Sunday, but for the entire weekend.”
“At the request of the authorities, and for security reasons, we are forced to limit the amount of tickets sold. This number we have practically already reached, with over 260,000 spectators likely across the three days.”
“The Max Verstappen effect continues to be a reality. It’s far more important for us than the disappearance of the German Grand Prix.”
