Russia to allow spectators in Sochi race

London: Russia will allow spectators to attend its Formula One Grand Prix in Sochi in September after the season started behind closed doors in Austria last weekend, race organisers said yesterday. The Sept. 27 race will be round 10 of a championship which has had its schedule ripped up and rewritten due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “This will be an incredible festival for the widest audience possible,” said Alexey Titov, chief executive of promoter ROSGONKI, in a statement. “The event attendance remains at a good level year on year, and we are confident that the difficulties of this year will not become a special obstacle for motorsport fans. “We are meticulously preparing to receive spectators safely and looking forward to seeing everyone in the Olympic Park,” he added. Tickets for the race went back on sale after confirmation of the date yesterday. Russia’s death toll from the novel coronavirus edged past 11,000 yesterday, with the country reporting 174 new deaths in the past 24 hours.