72 replies to this topic

[CasualFan]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum for this. 

 

I live in Melbourne but I haven't been to the Melbourne GP in years.

 

Back in the early 2000s I would turn up at the gate and buy general admission tickets on race day. I checked online and it seems that the Melbourne GP sold out in September last year and that there will be no ticket sellers at the gate on race day as all tickets are electronic only. 

 

Is it still possible to buy tickets for race day? Where would I find them? 

 

Thanks in advance for any advice on this. 

[southernstars]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum for this.

I live in Melbourne but I haven't been to the Melbourne GP in years.

Back in the early 2000s I would turn up at the gate and buy general admission tickets on race day. I checked online and it seems that the Melbourne GP sold out in September last year and that there will be no ticket sellers at the gate on race day as all tickets are electronic only.

Is it still possible to buy tickets for race day? Where would I find them?

Thanks in advance for any advice on this.

The last release of race weekend tickets is actually today at 2pm. You'll need multiple devices for the best chance.

Otherwise, Ticketmaster Resale will have some.

[Alfisti]

The cars still sound like ass. Do you really want to drop, what, 1k minimum all in to watch one corner and deal with all those crowds?

Set the tv up and spend the 1k by spicing the race up with some cocaine and hookers like the good old days.

[loki]

The cars still sound like ass. Do you really want to drop, what, 1k minimum all in to watch one corner and deal with all those crowds?

Set the tv up and spend the 1k by spicing the race up with some cocaine and hookers like the good old days.

Why not both?…

[AustinF1]

The cars still sound like ass. Do you really want to drop, what, 1k minimum all in to watch one corner and deal with all those crowds?

Set the tv up and spend the 1k by spicing the race up with some cocaine and hookers like the good old days.

:subscribed: 

[Ragamuffin]

FB Marketplace.

[AustinF1]

FB Marketplace.

[ClubmanGT]

I wonder if someone can write an AI function to read the telemetry off the car onboards and change the pitch and tone to make them sound like screaming V12s.

[Alfisti]

FB Marketplace.

Hookers maybe, the blow gonna be tough to find.

[PitViperRacing]

The cars still sound like ass. Do you really want to drop, what, 1k minimum all in to watch one corner and deal with all those crowds?

Set the tv up and spend the 1k by spicing the race up with some cocaine and hookers like the good old days.

This 1000%.

I went to the Melbourne GP in 2022. It's not worth the cost (especially cause I live interstate). On race day we got there super early to be near the front of the lines when hates opened, and still had to run to get a good spot as GA.

If you do go, splash out the extra and get a reserved seat in a stand.

[Alfisti]

You gotta go all out to enjoy it, GA stinks at any gp because of the crush.

[CasualFan]

Do they still do the air force aerobatics and activities for the kids at the Melbourne GP? 

[southernstars]

Do they still do the air force aerobatics and activities for the kids at the Melbourne GP?

The Roulettes were there last year and loads of kids' stuff. I believe there's some kind of Batman theme this year.

You might argue that the race is better to watch on TV, but there is nothing like the atmosphere in Melbourne. It is positively *electric*.

[CasualFan]

General Admission is showing as "no availability".  Hmmm... 

[southernstars]

General Admission is showing as "no availability". Hmmm...

Whatever was released at 2pm was gone in minutes, no doubt.

[Nobody]

it's f***ed I hate DTS with a passion

[LolaB0860]

The Roulettes were there last year and loads of kids' stuff. I believe there's some kind of Batman theme this year.

You might argue that the race is better to watch on TV, but there is nothing like the atmosphere in Melbourne. It is positively *electric*.

They also have far better support race package than any other GP

[GreenMachine]

Grandstand for sure, done it three years or so, but not lately.  Only available for 3 days, we spent 2 days exploring the GA areas, checking out the historics and others in the paddock, and retired to the grandstand (Fangio) for the race itself.  Evenings spent exploring the eating districts, women spent days shopping        and joined us on raceday.  Need a big screen in view though.

[jonpollak]

The cars still sound like ass. Do you really want to drop, what, 1k minimum all in to watch one corner and deal with all those crowds?

Set the tv up and spend the 1k by spicing the race up with some cocaine and hookers like the good old days.

While you are correct on all counts here poor CasualFan should get a free ticket just for enduring our jaded responses.

My solution..?… Chain yourself to a tree and say you are an environmental protester.
Jp

P.S. I have a real question.. Do people still do cocaine?

[Muzzyf1]

The cars still sound like ass. Do you really want to drop, what, 1k minimum all in to watch one corner and deal with all those crowds?

Set the tv up and spend the 1k by spicing the race up with some cocaine and hookers like the good old days.

100 percent agree with this totally not worth it.

Too much crowds not enough toilets or food facilities not to mention very high prices for crap food..

Ga tickets you can't see the track as all the decent vantage points are taken by the time you get to it

Instead I'll attend bahrain or saudi race next year.
Comes to about what you'll spend in Australia

[Alfisti]

Jokes aside i just don't know what F1 offers, Porsche cup offers much better racing for example. With the sound gone and the agility gone the cars offer very little as a spectacle in person and the outrageous prices means it's simply a better product on TV. In saying that, Melbourne has an utterly brilliant support cast of racing, it is properly STACKED with great cars.

Edited by Alfisti, 29 February 2024 - 14:19.

[Alfisti]

100 percent agree with this totally not worth it.

Too much crowds not enough toilets or food facilities not to mention very high prices for crap food..

Ga tickets you can't see the track as all the decent vantage points are taken by the time you get to it

Instead I'll attend bahrain or saudi race next year.
Comes to about what you'll spend in Australia

 

I've been to 4 GP and Melbourne was leaps and bounds ahead in the organisation/toilets/food/space/lack of headache stakes. Yeah SPa is Spa and Monza is Monza but both were amateur hr organisation wise. Montreal was hilariously bad. 

[CasualFan]

It looks like there are still grand stand tickets available, so maybe general admission will be opened again once those other tickets sell. Does anybody know if that is how it works? 

[Alfisti]

I am telling you not to do GA. It's just not worth the grief. Pony up for a seat man. Just trust me.

[PitViperRacing]

Jokes aside i just don't know what F1 offers, Porsche cup offers much better racing for example. With the sound gone and the agility gone the cars offer very little as a spectacle in person and the outrageous prices means it's simply a better product on TV. In saying that, Melbourne has an utterly brilliant support cast of racing, it is properly STACKED with great cars.

This is a very good point. The support racing is brilliant, particularly the V8 supercars, porsche cup and open seater support series that runs (forget the name)

[jonpollak]

I’m with Fisti.
Get a seat if you are dead set on attending
Jp

[krapmeister]

This is a very good point. The support racing is brilliant, particularly the V8 supercars, porsche cup and open seater support series that runs (forget the name)

Do you mean S5000? Unfortunately that won't be racing at the GP this year - do have F2/3 though. There's not quite the variety of support races there used to be now that F2/3 are on the card, but still lots of on track action.

I think I am going this year, for the first time in about 15yrs. My wife has heavily hinted that she got me ticket/s for my birthday - so she better have, cause I turned down a ticket for qualy because of it

[PitViperRacing]

Do you mean S5000? Unfortunately that won't be racing at the GP this year - do have F2/3 though. There's not quite the variety of support races there used to be now that F2/3 are on the card, but still lots of on track action.

I think I am going this year, for the first time in about 15yrs. My wife has heavily hinted that she got me ticket/s for my birthday - so she better have, cause I turned down a ticket for qualy because of it

Yep that's the one. The sound they made was incredible and the racing was good, shame to see them go. At least f2/f3 is always a good scrap on track.

Hopefully she got you some great tickets. Enjoy the event mate, keen to hear your thoughts on 15 years ago vs. now.

[jonpollak]

Same here.
I want that Krap review of things 15 years on.

Jp

[krapmeister]

If I go I will definitely post some thoughts

And if I don't go I will let you all know my thoughts as well

Track schedule for the AGP weekend has been released:

https://speedcafe.co...edule-released/

[JimmyClark]

I am telling you not to do GA. It's just not worth the grief. Pony up for a seat man. Just trust me.

100% this. In the old days it was doable, but with so many people now fighting over ever smaller GA areas, the extra couple of hundred $ is very much worth it for your time and sanity.

[BobbyRicky]

Why not both?…

 

Are you allowed to take a telly with you to the track?

[loki]

Do people still do cocaine?

You gotta have something to pick you up after all those downers…

 

Edited by loki, 01 March 2024 - 07:59.

[southernstars]

100% this. In the old days it was doable, but with so many people now fighting over ever smaller GA areas, the extra couple of hundred $ is very much worth it for your time and sanity.

 

I do agree with this. Especially if you're doing the race solo. A grandstand seat allows you to roam around as you please and not have to worry about losing your spot.

 

I always re-watch the race afterwards, usually when I get back to my hotel room. But being there is a next level experience.

[JimmyClark]

I do agree with this. Especially if you're doing the race solo. A grandstand seat allows you to roam around as you please and not have to worry about losing your spot.

 

I always re-watch the race afterwards, usually when I get back to my hotel room. But being there is a next level experience.

 

Yep, I definitely wouldn't want to miss on the live experiece - in the immediate aftermath of Monza 2022 I said I'd never go to a race again, but since then obviously I have!

 

But certainly as I'm a bit older than I used to be I don't want the early mornings and crush that GA entails; an easy life is more preferable.  

Edited by JimmyClark, 01 March 2024 - 08:37.

[Wuzak]

I am telling you not to do GA. It's just not worth the grief. Pony up for a seat man. Just trust me.

 

The great thing about getting GS seat is that you don't have to be at, or near, the front of the line when the gates open to get a good spot.

 

Just turn up when you want.

 

Plus, GS tickets give you access to more of the track.

[Wuzak]

I've been to 4 GP and Melbourne was leaps and bounds ahead in the organisation/toilets/food/space/lack of headache stakes. Yeah SPa is Spa and Monza is Monza but both were amateur hr organisation wise. Montreal was hilariously bad. 

 

Usually the facilities are pretty good.

 

Food is expensive, but you can take your own food and drink (sealed, non-alcoholic).

 

I've been to many GPs at Albert Park, plus one at Indy (2006) and one at COTA (2012).

 

At Indy food was cheap, was able to park in the infield, behind our grandstand for race day, and was able to watch from different vantage points and see qualifying from the main grandstand. And touch the yard of bricks.

 

Plus the hotel we stayed at in Indy got its dates wrong - thought the GP was the following week, so we got standard rates, rather than the jacked up prices.

 

At COTA the food was poor and expensive. $10 for a very plain burger or hot dog. Hot dogs usually weren't that hot, and they had run out of bottled water (in the stands behind our grandstand at the hairpin) by midday on race day! Was able to stay at a friend's house for COTA, which helped keep the costs down.

 

There was one particular race at Albert Park where it was as much as 40C during the day, before they moved the race to the early evening. They had run out of water by the end of the race, but beer and cola were still available.

[southernstars]

Plus, GS tickets give you access to more of the track.

Not so at Albert Park. GA lets you everywhere grandstands do, except the avtual stands.

[GreenMachine]

To clarify/emphasise, GS gives you your GS plus all GA areas, which is not the case at all other tracks (something that surprised me when I was refused admission to a GA area at Magny Cours).  I never tried it, but on Thurs/Fri you could probably access any GS if there was plenty of vacant seating, wouldn't work for Quali though.  I seem to remember one event where this was official, might have been AGP, might have been Goodwood FoS.  I know LM24 you used to be able to access GS after dark, they were basically empty.

 

For the obvious reason, wandering around the GA areas is most useful on the Thursday/Friday when the lack of crowding allows good access to the best viewing spots around the track for supports/ F1 practice.  I wouldn't even think about doing this on raceday.

 

Our practice was to bring water/food in coolers for raceday, mainly to avoid queues but also the women were fussy eaters  , otherwise you are lugging them everywhere you wander.  Thursday/Friday we just bit the cost bullet so as to have one less lump to carry.

 

So yeah, grab a GS ticket, get some accommodation where you can catch a train/tram to a station that runs a shuttle to the track - easy peasy!  We used serviced apartments at Flemington, they are gone but I bet there are lots of others.

 

I did GA there one year, we were down for something else and thought 'why not'.  Wasn't a disaster, but wasn't particularly memorable either.

[Dan333SP]

Don't they run a Minardi 2 seater with a Cosworth V10 during the Aus GP weekend? I'd pay a pretty penny to hear one of those in person again. 

[JimmyClark]

Don't they run a Minardi 2 seater with a Cosworth V10 during the Aus GP weekend? I'd pay a pretty penny to hear one of those in person again.

In 2012 they definitely did. Woke me up when I was living in Fitzroy at the time, which is a good 5 miles away. Then got the tram down to the circuit each day... Ah they were good memories.

[Dan333SP]

In 2012 they definitely did. Woke me up when I was living in Fitzroy at the time, which is a good 5 miles away. Then got the tram down to the circuit each day... Ah they were good memories.

 

At least the V8s in '12 were interesting to listen to if not as musical as the V10, unlike the turbos 

[CasualFan]

I am telling you not to do GA. It's just not worth the grief. Pony up for a seat man. Just trust me.

 

If I was going by myself I probably would pay for a grandstand ticket, but I'm buying for 3 adults and 3 kids. 

[Alfisti]

Ouch, yeah that's a bit rich.

[southernstars]

To clarify/emphasise, GS gives you your GS plus all GA areas, which is not the case at all other tracks (something that surprised me when I was refused admission to a GA area at Magny Cours).  I never tried it, but on Thurs/Fri you could probably access any GS if there was plenty of vacant seating, wouldn't work for Quali though.

 

Thursday there is no assigned seating and anyone with any ticket can go into any stand. I highly recommend wandering about and trying different stands for future reference.

 

Friday you could have sneaked into a stand in the past, but not anymore, the crowd on Friday is quite large and they check your ticket.

 

If I was going by myself I probably would pay for a grandstand ticket, but I'm buying for 3 adults and 3 kids. 

 

Ooof, yeah. Pro tip. Pick the fastest (adult) runner in your group (unless the kids are teens). That person is now in charge of getting you a Sunday spot. Decide where you will sit ahead of time, then arrive super early to the nearest gate (keeping in mind any bridge crossings if you want to sit on the infield). That person now carries only their phone/ticket. When the gates open, that person goes through the no-bag-check line, and sprints to the spot you'd like to sit. Everyone else follows suit with the stuff.

 

You'll need to leave at least one adult with the spot all day, but a group means you can rotate in and out.

[Alfisti]

That doesn't work. Once the race starts every hippie back packer just rushes the space, complete waste of time.

[Wuzak]

Not so at Albert Park. GA lets you everywhere grandstands do, except the avtual stands.

 

At least when I was going, the are behind the grandstands on the main straight were grandstand ticket holders only.

[southernstars]

At least when I was going, the are behind the grandstands on the main straight were grandstand ticket holders only.

 

Nope, everyone can go there.

[CasualFan]

Any news on more tickets becoming available?

[southernstars]

Any news on more tickets becoming available?

 

The site is showing some four day passes in multiple stands, but I didn't click through to Ticketmaster to see if they were actually there.