LE CASTELLET, France -- Fans attending the first day of action at the French Grand Prix were forced to wait for hours in traffic jams as road management around the circuit proved woefully inadequate.
The traffic was particularly bad between 10am and 1pm as fans attempted to arrive in time for the first practice session at midday. With so many spectators stuck outside the venue, the large grandstands erected around the circuit remained sparsely populated throughout both practice sessions.
It was not until the afternoon that the organisers took action to ease the congestion, opening all available car parks simultaneously (25,000 spaces in total) and temporarily doubling the lanes on roads in the immediate vicinity of the circuit.
An official statement released during the second practice session on Friday afternoon said the situation was "gradually improving" as a result.
There is only one main access road to the Paul Ricard Circuit and a number of smaller back roads have been closed in order to channel traffic along the single route.
A separate route has been closed to the public so that team members, officials and the media can access the circuit without getting stuck in traffic.
A total of 65,000 people are expected to attend the race on Sunday, meaning the situation may get worse over the course of the weekend.