The cost of holding F1 races is increasingly being passed on to fans as the price of the cheapest race tickets has risen quickest since 2010.
General Admission ticket prices rose 9.52% at ten circuits between 2010 and 2012. However the price for admission to seated areas remained stable at several venues, and average prices for those rose by only 1.84%.
Sepang International Circuit is a notable exception to the rise in prices. At the home of the Malaysian Grand Prix, general admission tickets are 37% cheaper than they were two years ago as the race organisers try to attract fans in the face of increased competition from nearby Singapore and its glamorous night race.
However several other race organisers have had to put prices up: General Admission tickets for the Belgian, Canadian, Monaco, British and Italian Grands Prix have gone up between 18 and 30 percent.
Here is a breakdown of the lowest and highest prices for the 2012 F1 race tickets currently available, and comparisons to the same prices two years ago:
Three-day General Admission tickets
Sepang
£13.18
Shanghai
£50.36
Hungaroring
£74.71
Montreal
£77.73
Monza
£78.86
Hockenheimring
£82.18
Catalunya
£99.61
Valencia
£99.61
Singapore
£100.3
Spa-Francorchamps
£107.91
Albert Park
£125.17
Monte-Carlo
£150
Silverstone
£155
Availability of General Admission tickets varies considerably from track to track. Inevitably, it’s the expensive seats that have the best views.
Of the 13 tracks surveyed, Silverstone had the most expensive three-day general admission ticket. However this has not stopped the circuit attracting crowds other circuits would envy: last year’s race attracted a three-day attendance of 315,000.
Cheapest three-day tickets with seats
Shanghai
£85.5
Sepang
£92.68
Hungaroring
£98.78
Hockenheimring
£123.69
Monza
£124.52
Catalunya
£149.42
Singapore
£150.95
Valencia
£157.72
Montreal
£167.17
Albert Park
£209.74
Silverstone
£225
Spa-Francorchamps
£290.54
Monte-Carlo
£460
Inevitably the Monaco Grand Prix is consistently among the dearest races to attend.
But it’s striking how expensive tickets are for seats at the Belgian Grand Prix, although the long Spa-Francorchamps circuit boasts ample room for spectators with General Admission tickets.
Dearest three-day tickets
Montreal
£352.13
Shanghai
£360.14
Sepang
£368.84
Albert Park
£372.12
Catalunya
£373.55
Valencia
£373.55
Hungaroring
£373.55
Hockenheimring
£414.22
Silverstone
£420
Spa-Francorchamps
£456.56
Monza
£481.46
Singapore
£652.44
Monte-Carlo
£750
At the top end of the price range the costs are similar between most circuits, with Singapore and Monaco attracting the top spenders.
2010 and 2012 ticket prices compared
F1 race organisers face significant economic pressure at the moment. Foremost among which are the rising cost of race hosting fees charged by Formula One Management and economic uncertainly leading fans to spend less on attending races.
On top of that, F1′s move away from free-to-air broadcasting to paid channels in some areas is likely to have a direct effect on the purchasing power of F1 fans. A year’s subscription to Sky in order to watch the ten races not being shown for free in the UK costs £363 – more than a weekend ticket to the British Grand Prix.
As one British fan put it to me recently, why pay money to see one of the races that’s being shown on TV for free anyway, when that money could be spent on going to a different race, or put towards the cost of a Sky subscription?
Given the costs race organisers face, it’s perhaps surprising that ticket prices aren’t being driven higher at an even faster rate, despite already being quite high.
As race organisers feel the pinch of falling attendance there have been rumours more will move to share races with other circuits.
Spanish Grand Prix boss Salvador Servia said earlier this week: “The main thing is for the fans to come to the circuit. If the fans come, then there is no problem. But with the crisis, attendance has decreased in all circuits.”
Here are how the ticket prices have changed between 2010 and 2012 at the venues for which the data was available:
Cheapest Three-day (No seat) Cheapest Three-day (Seat) Dearest Three-day
Average +9.52% +1.84% -3.2%
Sepang -37% -11.4% -32.19%
Shanghai +17.03% -1.35% -8.45%
Catalunya +9.09% +5.88% -15.89%
Monte-Carlo +20.34% +1.39% -0.72%
Montreal +23% +17.58% +12.58%
Valencia -2.56% -24.37%
Silverstone +19.23% -2.17% +5.26%
Hockenheimring 0% -25.13% 0%
Hungaroring -5.26% -7.75% +5.14%
Spa-Francorchamps +30% +9.38% 0%
Monza +18.75% +36.36% +23.4%
F1Fanatic.co.uk
General Admission ticket prices rose 9.52% at ten circuits between 2010 and 2012. However the price for admission to seated areas remained stable at several venues, and average prices for those rose by only 1.84%.
Sepang International Circuit is a notable exception to the rise in prices. At the home of the Malaysian Grand Prix, general admission tickets are 37% cheaper than they were two years ago as the race organisers try to attract fans in the face of increased competition from nearby Singapore and its glamorous night race.
However several other race organisers have had to put prices up: General Admission tickets for the Belgian, Canadian, Monaco, British and Italian Grands Prix have gone up between 18 and 30 percent.
Here is a breakdown of the lowest and highest prices for the 2012 F1 race tickets currently available, and comparisons to the same prices two years ago:
Three-day General Admission tickets
Sepang
£13.18
Shanghai
£50.36
Hungaroring
£74.71
Montreal
£77.73
Monza
£78.86
Hockenheimring
£82.18
Catalunya
£99.61
Valencia
£99.61
Singapore
£100.3
Spa-Francorchamps
£107.91
Albert Park
£125.17
Monte-Carlo
£150
Silverstone
£155
Availability of General Admission tickets varies considerably from track to track. Inevitably, it’s the expensive seats that have the best views.
Of the 13 tracks surveyed, Silverstone had the most expensive three-day general admission ticket. However this has not stopped the circuit attracting crowds other circuits would envy: last year’s race attracted a three-day attendance of 315,000.
Cheapest three-day tickets with seats
Shanghai
£85.5
Sepang
£92.68
Hungaroring
£98.78
Hockenheimring
£123.69
Monza
£124.52
Catalunya
£149.42
Singapore
£150.95
Valencia
£157.72
Montreal
£167.17
Albert Park
£209.74
Silverstone
£225
Spa-Francorchamps
£290.54
Monte-Carlo
£460
Inevitably the Monaco Grand Prix is consistently among the dearest races to attend.
But it’s striking how expensive tickets are for seats at the Belgian Grand Prix, although the long Spa-Francorchamps circuit boasts ample room for spectators with General Admission tickets.
Dearest three-day tickets
Montreal
£352.13
Shanghai
£360.14
Sepang
£368.84
Albert Park
£372.12
Catalunya
£373.55
Valencia
£373.55
Hungaroring
£373.55
Hockenheimring
£414.22
Silverstone
£420
Spa-Francorchamps
£456.56
Monza
£481.46
Singapore
£652.44
Monte-Carlo
£750
At the top end of the price range the costs are similar between most circuits, with Singapore and Monaco attracting the top spenders.
2010 and 2012 ticket prices compared
F1 race organisers face significant economic pressure at the moment. Foremost among which are the rising cost of race hosting fees charged by Formula One Management and economic uncertainly leading fans to spend less on attending races.
On top of that, F1′s move away from free-to-air broadcasting to paid channels in some areas is likely to have a direct effect on the purchasing power of F1 fans. A year’s subscription to Sky in order to watch the ten races not being shown for free in the UK costs £363 – more than a weekend ticket to the British Grand Prix.
As one British fan put it to me recently, why pay money to see one of the races that’s being shown on TV for free anyway, when that money could be spent on going to a different race, or put towards the cost of a Sky subscription?
Given the costs race organisers face, it’s perhaps surprising that ticket prices aren’t being driven higher at an even faster rate, despite already being quite high.
As race organisers feel the pinch of falling attendance there have been rumours more will move to share races with other circuits.
Spanish Grand Prix boss Salvador Servia said earlier this week: “The main thing is for the fans to come to the circuit. If the fans come, then there is no problem. But with the crisis, attendance has decreased in all circuits.”
Here are how the ticket prices have changed between 2010 and 2012 at the venues for which the data was available:
Cheapest Three-day (No seat) Cheapest Three-day (Seat) Dearest Three-day
Average +9.52% +1.84% -3.2%
Sepang -37% -11.4% -32.19%
Shanghai +17.03% -1.35% -8.45%
Catalunya +9.09% +5.88% -15.89%
Monte-Carlo +20.34% +1.39% -0.72%
Montreal +23% +17.58% +12.58%
Valencia -2.56% -24.37%
Silverstone +19.23% -2.17% +5.26%
Hockenheimring 0% -25.13% 0%
Hungaroring -5.26% -7.75% +5.14%
Spa-Francorchamps +30% +9.38% 0%
Monza +18.75% +36.36% +23.4%
F1Fanatic.co.uk
