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I certainly see your point and I'm certainly overplaying it because it's a personal bugbear, but at the same time dismissing it completely is not right either. Like it or not, the series is trying to maintain a perception and part of that perception is a popularity. Formula 1 can justifiably claim people want to go to see it and part of that is because other people want to go see it.
We've effectively been told (and I'm happy they admitted it) that choosing tracks suitable for VIPs is more important than choosing tracks for the general public or for the racing, but do you not think some of those Corporate Hospitality guests must look out at the empty stands and wonder why it's not more popular. Or watching races on TV, there's little saying "this is popular" when all the shots you see are clearly unpopulated by people.
A lot of photographers include the crowd in their shots where possible and it really helps to capture an event's atmosphere and makes it more appealing, more desirable, more marketing-friendly.
Having an event 'seem' successful is just as important as having an event that is successful, when people not present at it are one of, if not the, key audience.
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