Application of cell phone data to monitor attendance during motor racing major event. The case of Formula One Gran Prix in Imola

The advent of connected devices, such as smartphones, has had a transformative impact on the landscape of recent years. Once privacy concerns have been addressed, data can be handled and analysed in a proficient manner to gain insights into patterns and movements, thereby influencing urban policies. It is likely that mobility and transport-related topics have been the subject of the most extensive investigation in the field of cell phone big data. While the topic of commuting patterns has been extensively researched by numerous authors, there is a paucity of literature on the monitoring of attendance during major motorsport events. Despite the predictability of crowding (tickets are sold in advance and the schedule is fixed and rigid), multiday motorsport events are disruptive in terms of traffic, overcrowding and uneasiness for hosting cities. This paper aims to address the aforementioned gap by presenting a case study of monitoring attendance during the Formula One Emilia-Romagna and Made in Italy Grand Prix, held in Imola, Italy, from 22nd to 24th April 2022. The results demonstrated the potential of data to inform the prediction of mobility choices and the planning of appropriate mobility-related policies, with the aim of reducing the impact of future events. This represents a significant challenge for public administrations and stakeholders.