AgenciesFormula One is often the playground of the rich and the famous. At every glamorous race from Monaco to Montreal, photographs showing the world’s A-list jet set gallivanting around the paddocks give the impression that only those with a royal familysized bank account can attend.
But it doesn’t have to be so. Especially in recent years, the sport has worked hard to shed its image and become more accessible. For instance, more circuits now use streets in urban centres rather than purpose-built tracks outside city limits.
The intended message seems to be that you can attend a race without spending a king’s ransom. All it takes is a little foresight and creativity. Here are some pointers to get you started:
Timing Matters
Familiarise yourself with the ticket structure of the race. For instance, in Miami, a $450 Campus Pass is actually a three-day general admission ticket. This gives access to trackside viewing platforms, car displays and the F1 FanZon, which includes car simulators and other activations.
In comparison, a three-day grandstand pass at Monaco costs $430, while at the Italian GP, three-day passes can cost as little as $115. The lesson: It pays to shop around.
Buy tickets directly from the circuit rather than from third-party sellers. This will ensure you’re paying face value and not more.
Sometimes, buying tickets the day you attend will be cheaper than buying in advance; prices drop when tickets aren’t selling. For instance, during last year’s GP, the cheapest tickets for Thursday night were for $119 and Friday’s for $259, both less than half of what they’d commanded the previous month.
Saturday’s main event set fans back $807, around half the listed price.
Getting There
Another easy way to slash spending is to stay local. If you can, attend a race close to where you live, or if that’s not possible, to a destination where flights are cheapest. Check alternate means of transportation, too. If you happen to be in Europe, the train system can be an efficient way to navigate among races in Spielberg, Austria; the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium; and Monza, Italy. Similarly, renting a car and driving, with minimal stops overnight, can also help defer costs.
If you’ve got steely nerves, wait until the last minute to book your hotel room. (It’s kind of like trying standby for an air flight.) If you’re game to chance it, sometimes it can pay off to wait until race week, when prices drop on unsold rooms. Last year in Las Vegas, for instance, both room rates and ticket prices slumped by more than 50 per cent in the days just before the event.
At The Venue
It may sound obvious, but pack food and snacks so you won’t get ‘hangry’ and find yourself paying $20 for a hot dog. Bring a reusable bottle to stay hydrated without spending on water.
Many local restaurants will offer special menus and deals for patrons during race weekend.
And while no racetrack is 100 per cent viewable from a single vantage point because courses curl and stretch, some offer wider and better views than others. The track in Austin, US, for example, is on rural ground far outside the city; from one seat in the grandstand, you can see much farther around the track than you can at the race in Jeddah, which unfurls in the heart of town next to the Red Sea, surrounded by tall hotels and gleaming yacht clubs.
You could also skip preliminary practice and qualifying rounds in favour of just attending on race day, thereby getting to attend the marquee event without burning a hole in your pocket.
The corollary to this point is to skip the main race. The tickets for preliminary or qualifying rounds will come cheaper, and you will still have off-site entertainment opportunities on those days. At Austin, for instance, the difference can be between $378 on a race day stub — or just $26 for a ticket to see a qualifying round. Perhaps most importantly, don’t buy into the hype. There’s no reason to spend a premium of $57 on an “official” Valterrie Bottas hat from F1 when you can buy the same hat for $25 online. And purchasing your F1 team-branded gear for less money before the race will let you wear it when you’re there.
But it doesn’t have to be so. Especially in recent years, the sport has worked hard to shed its image and become more accessible. For instance, more circuits now use streets in urban centres rather than purpose-built tracks outside city limits.
The intended message seems to be that you can attend a race without spending a king’s ransom. All it takes is a little foresight and creativity. Here are some pointers to get you started:
Timing Matters
Familiarise yourself with the ticket structure of the race. For instance, in Miami, a $450 Campus Pass is actually a three-day general admission ticket. This gives access to trackside viewing platforms, car displays and the F1 FanZon, which includes car simulators and other activations.In comparison, a three-day grandstand pass at Monaco costs $430, while at the Italian GP, three-day passes can cost as little as $115. The lesson: It pays to shop around.
Buy tickets directly from the circuit rather than from third-party sellers. This will ensure you’re paying face value and not more.
Sometimes, buying tickets the day you attend will be cheaper than buying in advance; prices drop when tickets aren’t selling. For instance, during last year’s GP, the cheapest tickets for Thursday night were for $119 and Friday’s for $259, both less than half of what they’d commanded the previous month.
Saturday’s main event set fans back $807, around half the listed price.
Getting There
Another easy way to slash spending is to stay local. If you can, attend a race close to where you live, or if that’s not possible, to a destination where flights are cheapest. Check alternate means of transportation, too. If you happen to be in Europe, the train system can be an efficient way to navigate among races in Spielberg, Austria; the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium; and Monza, Italy. Similarly, renting a car and driving, with minimal stops overnight, can also help defer costs.If you’ve got steely nerves, wait until the last minute to book your hotel room. (It’s kind of like trying standby for an air flight.) If you’re game to chance it, sometimes it can pay off to wait until race week, when prices drop on unsold rooms. Last year in Las Vegas, for instance, both room rates and ticket prices slumped by more than 50 per cent in the days just before the event.
At The Venue
It may sound obvious, but pack food and snacks so you won’t get ‘hangry’ and find yourself paying $20 for a hot dog. Bring a reusable bottle to stay hydrated without spending on water.Many local restaurants will offer special menus and deals for patrons during race weekend.
And while no racetrack is 100 per cent viewable from a single vantage point because courses curl and stretch, some offer wider and better views than others. The track in Austin, US, for example, is on rural ground far outside the city; from one seat in the grandstand, you can see much farther around the track than you can at the race in Jeddah, which unfurls in the heart of town next to the Red Sea, surrounded by tall hotels and gleaming yacht clubs.
You could also skip preliminary practice and qualifying rounds in favour of just attending on race day, thereby getting to attend the marquee event without burning a hole in your pocket.
The corollary to this point is to skip the main race. The tickets for preliminary or qualifying rounds will come cheaper, and you will still have off-site entertainment opportunities on those days. At Austin, for instance, the difference can be between $378 on a race day stub — or just $26 for a ticket to see a qualifying round. Perhaps most importantly, don’t buy into the hype. There’s no reason to spend a premium of $57 on an “official” Valterrie Bottas hat from F1 when you can buy the same hat for $25 online. And purchasing your F1 team-branded gear for less money before the race will let you wear it when you’re there.
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