Catalan hotels welcome F1 Grand Prix despite being held without public

Hotels in Catalonia’s Vallès Oriental area welcome the fact that the F1 Grand Prix in the Barcelona – Catalunya Circuit, in Montmeló, will not be canceled in the end, but held on August 16, as it was announced on Tuesday. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) postponed the race, originally due to be held on May 10, because of the Covid-19 outbreak but it is one of the eight that has been rescheduled so far.

The event will be held without fans in the arena and therefore the circuit will not have to pay a commission to F1 for ticketing as customary. People will be able to ask for a refund if they had already bought their tickets.

Although no racing fans will travel to Catalonia, local hotels think that “it is very good news” that the event is still being held. According to the Vallès Oriental hotel association, some 80% of the total bookings are usually made by “team members and pilots,” while those with tickets are usually lodged further from the circuit such as in Barcelona. “We are optimistic and very happy because this event is very important for us,” said the president of the association, Sílvia Brunet. She hopes the bookings already made and frozen due to the postponement of the race will be reactivated in the coming days.

Moto GP event

Meanwhile, the 2020 Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalonia, the motorcycle event featuring Moto GP racers among others, was to be held this weekend (June 5-7) and was also suspended. There is no confirmation, but it might be held in late September, and it is not clear whether it would be held with or without public.

“For us, it would be better that it is held in the normal circumstances because for the motorcycle event we do have a significant amount of fans sleeping in our hotels,” says Brunet.