Formula 1 attendance figures on the rise in 2017

Formula 1 has released its attendance figures for 2017, revealing an increase of eight percent in the total number of Grand Prix spectators compared to last year.

Statistics published by race promoters indicate that numbers were on the rise at 13 of the 20 races, with four million spectators taking in the action over the course of the season.

Canada and Austria enjoyed the largest attendance increase, with an extra 60,000 spectators passing through the box office, while the Azerbaijan Grand Prix doubled its year-over-year spectator tally.

The biggest crowd was once again seen at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but the numbers were slightly down compared to 2016, with 344,500 spectators attending the three-day event.

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The largest drop in attendance came at the US Grand Prix in Austin which saw 11,889 fewer spectators year-over-year, a clear indication that the sport still has its work cut out for itself in America.

An average of 203,570 people attended a Grand Prix race weekend in 2017 while race day presence came in at an average of 76,722.

"The 2017 season was a great spectacle, on and off track, thanks to drivers, teams, and most of all, fans, the beating heart of our sport," said F1 commercial chief Sean Bratches.

"An attendance of more than 200,000 per event means that for 20 weekends per year, the population of a medium-sized city visits a race track to watch a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

"Our duty is to make each of these events even more entertaining to unleash what is the greatest racing spectacle on the planet."

The Mexican Grand Prix was voted the best race of the season for the third year in a row by the F1 community.

"This is the first time ever that the same city gets three in a row,” race promoter Alejandro Soberon told Reuters at the FIA’s end-of-season awards in Paris.

"I think we are going to continue doing bigger and better every time."

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