131 replies to this topic

[Clatter]

They sound far better at the track than they do on a broadcast.

 

They are still quiet though, just not silent, as they were in 2014. They are nothing compared to the V10's and V8's. There a good reason why Renault got so much attention when they took the R25 for hot laps at Abu Dhabi a few years ago.

[AustinF1]

They are still quiet though, just not silent, as they were in 2014. They are nothing compared to the V10's and V8's. There a good reason why Renault got so much attention when they took the R25 for hot laps at Abu Dhabi a few years ago.

Yep. They sound better than they did at the beginning of this PU era, when they just droned around the track, but they can still sneak up on you when your attention isn't upstream on the trrack. That would never happen before. I've also yet to see anyone react to the sound the way people do when hearing a V10-12-8. This video says it all.

 

[Clatter]

Yep. They sound better than they did at the beginning of this PU era, when they just droned around the track, but they can still sneak up on you when your attention isn't upstream on the trrack. That would never happen before. I've also yet to see anyone react to the sound the way people do when hearing a V10-12-8. This video says it all.

 

 

Yeah, they only really make a noise when they are off throttle, so not really roaring up the straights.

[AustinF1]

I don't know how long they've been out, but a buddy texted me about the Miami 2024 GA price yesterday. $435 for a 3-day pass. Plus taxes and Ticketmaster fees, which usually combine for about an additional 20%.

 

"Experience it all for under $150 per day!", says the website. 

 

 

After taxes and fees, that will be more than $520. COTA GA after taxes and fees will be almost $500. That's also COTA's 'earlybird' price and will go up. By way of comparison Canada had 4 or 5 grandstands this year priced at $232 US per seat, which includes taxes and fees. I say "had" because those grandstands sold out a long time ago. 

 

If I want to take my family to the 2024 USGP, it will cost me more than $2300 for 4 three-day GA tickets and 1 parking pass. For Miami, you can only view parking and shuttle pricing info using the email address used for your ticket purchase, so it would cost us about $2100 + parking/shuttle to attend Miami, before travel expenses. I guess they don't want you to know the parking price until after you buy race tickets? Must be pretty steep. I'd demand to know that price before I bought.

 

By comparison, for the $2300+ we'd spend just to get GA at COTA or Miami, my family and I could sit in one of multiple grandstands in Canada for $928 USD all-in and still have $1400 or more left over to put toward travel expenses. We love to travel, we love Montreal, and we've seen more than enough of Southeast Travis County. $1400 would pay most of our airfare, so that's an easy choice.

 

I'm sure some of you have knowledge of current pricing at other GPs. How do they compare?

Edited by AustinF1, 14 February 2024 - 19:13.

[KWSN - DSM]

Standard nothing fancy at Monaco this year I think is around $1000 - That's at least what my brother in law told me had made him not go there.

 

Edit: Just for Sunday.

Edited by KWSN - DSM, 14 February 2024 - 18:49.

[loki]

Silverstone 3 day coverts to $438 base price.

 

Hungaroring €425
 

Belgian GP €350-€625

[AustinF1]

Standard nothing fancy at Monaco this year I think is around $1000 - That's at least what my brother in law told me had made him not go there.

 

Edit: Just for Sunday.

I was thinking I had seen them cheaper than that, so I checked the Monaco GP website. https://monaco-grand...tickets/?pack=3

 

Cheapest 3-day grandstand is about $900.

Cheapest 2-day grandstand is about $750.

Sunday-only is $130 on the rocks, $235 in the 'Z' standing area, and $590 in the cheapest grandstand.

Edited by AustinF1, 14 February 2024 - 19:14.

[paulb]

They are still quiet though, just not silent, as they were in 2014. They are nothing compared to the V10's and V8's. There a good reason why Renault got so much attention when they took the R25 for hot laps at Abu Dhabi a few years ago.

True. At the LVGP, I never felt the need to wear ear protection.

[William Hunt]

Silverstone 3 day coverts to $438 base price.

 

Hungaroring €425
 

Belgian GP €350-€625

 

I still remember paying (actually my dad paid the tickets, I was still a young teenager then) just 50 euro (2000 Belgian Francs) for one day of the Belgian GP at Spa, back in 1991...
 

Edited by William Hunt, 15 February 2024 - 01:00.

[MattPete]

F-that.  IIRC, I paid $125 for the first F1 race at Indy.  I think I got to watch practice (both times!) from a scalper outside selling tickets for $15.

[CoolBreeze]

If everyone thought that way the prices would not be rising.

It's just clever marketing. After the Netflix drama, people will definitely crowd to see what the big issue is. Old guns like me, after witnessing the V12s, V10s, V8s in person, and seeing the current Hybrids years go, i will never set foot into an F1 event again.

[CoolBreeze]

They sound far better at the track than they do on a broadcast.

 

I know. I have been before. It's an insult to F1. MotoGp in person sounds much better, IMO.

[B Squared]

True. At the LVGP, I never felt the need to wear ear protection.

Ear protection? I've never worn earplugs at any race for any series in my 60 years of attending racing events and my hearing is still as good as can be. To me the sound is too enticing to muffle. This includes standing at the back of Lauda's flat 12 Ferrari at Watkins in 74 and 75 while it was being warmed up to race level revs. The V10s at Indianapolis with the acoustics of the front straight are magnificent. Probably the closest I ever came to thinking I needed earplugs was during the V8 IRL years at the Speedway. Each to their own obviously, I guess it goes back to falling in love with early engine notes of my youth - Duesenberg J's and Ferrari V12's.

[pdac]

It's just clever marketing. After the Netflix drama, people will definitely crowd to see what the big issue is. Old guns like me, after witnessing the V12s, V10s, V8s in person, and seeing the current Hybrids years go, i will never set foot into an F1 event again.

 

Oh, it's been going on for decades now. Marketing has become a finely honed tool now. I guess having worked near to that industry for many years, I can see the tricks. But, especially now, with social media driving people's lives, it's very easy to make people feel they have failed in life if they are not part of whatever you want to sell to them.

Edited by pdac, 15 February 2024 - 12:20.

[Alfisti]

The numbers you guys are throwing around in USD, it's almost worth flying to Melbourne which shits all over the North American GP's for organization and logistics. This is mostly because it is flush downtown so you do not need a car and the park itself is about 4 times the size of the space Montreal works in. 

Edited by Alfisti, 15 February 2024 - 16:42.

[AustinF1]

The numbers you guys are throwing around in USD, it's almost worth flying to Melbourne which shits all over the North American GP's for organization and logistics. This is mostly because it is flush downtown so you do not need a car and the park itself is about 4 times the size of the space Montreal works in. 

And Melbourne crushes them in terms of quality and quantity of on-track action. I need to figure out when I'm going to attend this race and start planning.

[loki]

The numbers you guys are throwing around in USD, it's almost worth flying to Melbourne which shits all over the North American GP's for organization and logistics. This is mostly because it is flush downtown so you do not need a car and the park itself is about 4 times the size of the space Montreal works in. 

Two of the three races here are promoted in house.  Long Beach is a great example of fantastic logistics and fan appeal.  The thing about FOM promoting races is they think they know what they’re doing but they really don’t.  Big time Dunning-Kruger effect going on.

[Alfisti]

WHat Melbourne offers is the best of both worlds. It looks and feels like a proper racing circuit in the woods so to speak, the parkland is massive. But it is right in the middle of the city and the transit cost is built into the ticket so you just swipe your ticket ont he tram and bang you're good to go. 

 

Poor old Montreal, great atmosphere but dear jesus, it's so tight and unwieldly. 

[AustinF1]

WHat Melbourne offers is the best of both worlds. It looks and feels like a proper racing circuit in the woods so to speak, the parkland is massive. But it is right in the middle of the city and the transit cost is built into the ticket so you just swipe your ticket ont he tram and bang you're good to go.

 

Poor old Montreal, great atmosphere but dear jesus, it's so tight and unwieldly. 

Your race ticket? That's awesome. Next best thing is Montreal and others, where you just buy a Metro pass that you'd need anyway to get around the city, and that takes you to the track.Or Daytona for the Rolex 24, arranging free parking at the shopping mall right across the street.  And then you have others like COTA charging $375+ just for parking, and Miami hiding the parking & shuttle prices until after you buy tickets. No thanks.

Edited by AustinF1, 16 February 2024 - 02:30.

[Calum]

I paid €219 for an Italy 2017 weekend ticket (Section 8B, Turn 1).

The F1 ticket site has the 2024 equivalent at €700.

https://tickets.form...rima-variante-b


7 years of price increase sure, but still “exploded” imo.

[AustinF1]

Now that COTA's pre-sales have opened up to people who paid deposits to get tickets early, the F1 COTA Ticket Exchange page on Facebook has also 'exploded' with talk about big price increases, people deciding not to buy, going to other races, etc.

 

Samples, and lots more where these came from:

 

Kev ---------

Sounthaly --------- Mine in T15 Sec 5 upper level have gone up by 20%

Sounthaly ---------

Kev --------- No, PSL definitely went up according to some other people who have those seats, but I don't know by how much. Mine essentially increased by 50%, so I'd rather have your paltry 20% increase. : )

 

Iain -------

I’ve been to many races at COTA over the last decade, but I think I’ve watched my last F1 race there in person.

At these prices I’d rather fly to Canada, Mexico, or Europe for a long weekend to see a race there.

 

James ------

yeah, we arent going until prices drop. i love the sport, but the last 4 years of unsubstantiated price hike is just them pissing on us. theyre basically the open-wheel ticketmaster lmao

 

Ashley --------

As much as my husband and I love the COTA venue, I don’t think we’ll be going this year. I can’t see spending THAT MUCH for a race in a season that will most likely, once again, be decided before this race. We are planning to spend nearly the same amount and go to a European race over summer.

 

Philip ----

I’m heading outside the US… for a race this coming season.. US tracks are out pricing themselves. Greedy

 

Peter -----------------

I decided Monaco is cheaper.

 

Julio ---------

Tim ---- same here huge fan but at the same time why do I want to pay 4x what I paid years ago I may as well SAVE my money and watch in a different country and track right? Idk make more sense to me. Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t attendance slightly lower last year than 2022? Idk if raising prices will help

 

Brett -----

Yes I’m in Turn 15 and saw the same increase. When I read the email I couldn’t help but laugh.

Nick -----

Brett ----- Yeah mine was $100+ a seat. Crazy since I think my per seat is what I paid for all 4 when the track opened now.

 

Kyle ------

I doubt we go this year. They need to see a big slump on sales to curb these increases. It's quickly becoming, if not already, far more expensive than it's worth.

 

(Sorry so long. I tried to spoiler that bit, but I guess that's not an option)

 

And here's some grandstand pricing info ...

Edited by AustinF1, 16 February 2024 - 04:35.

[loki]

That doesn’t bode well for our pricing.  I’d reckon more GA seats and perhaps a locals discount but not much else.  At least down market rooms won’t make the initial pricing mistake they made last year.

[Autodromo]

COTA is well aware that they will price a lot of people out, but high-priced tickets also make an event look "exclusive" and more attractive to the shiny class of people.  I assume they are doing this on purpose because they want to bring in wealthier people to the track.

[Clatter]

COTA is well aware that they will price a lot of people out, but high-priced tickets also make an event look "exclusive" and more attractive to the shiny class of people. I assume they are doing this on purpose because they want to bring in wealthier people to the track.

Does pricing out people really make more wealthy people attend? I would have thought it's a good way of losing your core audience and eventually end up running at a loss.

[pdac]

Does pricing out people really make more wealthy people attend? I would have thought it's a good way of losing your core audience and eventually end up running at a loss.

 

You have only priced out people if the tickets don't sell. As long as you are achieving greater income from ticket sales than before, you've not hit the price-point sweet spot.

[Stephane]

Cynical economics basic. As long as you sell, your price is not high enough.

[pdac]

Cynical economics basic. As long as you sell, your price is not high enough.

 

Maybe cynical, but true.

[Clatter]

You have only priced out people if the tickets don't sell. As long as you are achieving greater income from ticket sales than before, you've not hit the price-point sweet spot.

Well they did remove grandstands, so not able to sell all their tickets. But your right that at this time there enough people willing to pay the higher prices, and presumably make a profit. I suppose the question is how long will this bubble last?

[pdac]

Well they did remove grandstands, so not able to sell all their tickets. But your right that at this time there enough people willing to pay the higher prices, and presumably make a profit. I suppose the question is how long will this bubble last?

 

Clever business strategy is to identify when the bubble has reached its limit and adjust accordingly. But a lot of businesses don't realise that or else cleverly sell out to someone else before it all goes belly up.

[AustinF1]

You have only priced out people if the tickets don't sell. As long as you are achieving greater income from ticket sales than before, you've not hit the price-point sweet spot.

I'm priced out, as are many other people, including my 18 & 20 yo sons who love F1. Many of the people who've been priced out were already spending a lot more than I was. Everyone has their limit, even avid fans. Just because new, likely mostly temporary buyers have replaced us does not mean we aren't priced out. And a lot of tickets didn't sell at COTA last year.

Edited by AustinF1, 19 February 2024 - 07:41.

[AustinF1]

Well they did remove grandstands, so not able to sell all their tickets. But your right that at this time there enough people willing to pay the higher prices, and presumably make a profit. I suppose the question is how long will this bubble last?

Right. And this year they've moved two grandstands (T2 & 6 to T19 & 13) because they weren't even close to filling up last year at those prices. And imho the bubble began deflating last year, if only slowly.

[pdac]

I'm priced out, as are many other people, including my 18 & 20 yo sons who love F1. Many of the people who've been priced out were already spending a lot more than I was. Everyone has their limit, even avid fans. Just because new, likely mostly temporary buyers have replaced us does not mean we aren't priced out. And a lot of tickets didn't sell at COTA last year.

 

I'm not saying this is the current case with COTA (or any of the F1 venues), but when I was involved with market research, I was involved with several surveys for a well know company running holiday parks in the UK. They had been very successful in attracting visitors that they were largely reaching capacity at their venues. The research they were conducting was to find out how they needed to change the public perception of their company so that they could attract higher spending visitors (to replace the existing ones that didn't spend enough).