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New Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has warned that Formula One is at risk of alienating the public if it does not act soon to bring the sport closer to fans.

Arrivabene has taken over from Marco Mattiacci at Maranello but has a long background in the sport through Philip Morris' Marlboro sponsorship of Ferrari. After a year in which spectator numbers have dwindled, he believes F1 could end up racing in front of empty grandstands if it does not make an effort to appeal to race fans.

"There is a problem over the appeal of the races," he said. "We must keep working to give people spectacle and emotions. We must work to bring Formula One closer to the fans, otherwise we risk ending up racing on our own in empty circuits."

Earlier this year F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said the sport was not interested in attracting young fans, a view that Arrivabene is at odds with.

"We must know how to get the most out of the tools used by the new generation, which is how to attract young people and create the chances for fans to interact more with the stars of our sport. The Thursday of a Grand Prix weekend could, for example, be better exploited."

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