Empty grandstands at Istanbul

(GMM) Seldom have grandstands at the edge of a formula one circuit during an active session looked as empty as they did on Friday, as drivers conducted three hours of practice ahead of the Turkish grand prix.

It is believed that, at the Istanbul Park circuit, a crowd of just 20,000 can be expected for the race, moving Formula One Management to withdraw two of its planned camera angles for the television broadcasts.

"The live crowd is important — and we don't have any in Bahrain or here in Turkey," Mark Webber told the Red Bulletin.

"You want to have the fans and the people that understand it and are excited about it. So, yeah, it's still important to compete in front of people because it gives the place atmosphere," he added.