72 replies to this topic

[PassWind]

Hookers maybe, the blow gonna be tough to find.

I have the requisite usual suspects a few streets over in the forbidden zone, anything from blow to disco biscuits we got you here in da hood.

[CasualFan]

It looks like tickets are open to the general public tomorrow for the Melbourne GP. 

 

Does anyone have any helpful suggestions on a ticket buying strategy?

[LolaB0860]

I don't, but there are ongoing issues with Ticketmaster

https://speedcafe.co...d-ticketmaster/

[Ragamuffin]

Well, that didn't go to plan. Was going to treat myself to a cheap grandstand - 20 mins, all gone.

[krapmeister]

All 4 day and Sunday only GA sold out too apparently...

[LolaB0860]

Maybe they need two Oz GPs to keep up with the ever higher demand and pressure for growth. You know, I do always like to mention Pacific / Oceania GP at Adelaide as season finale ;)

[CasualFan]

It took me 30 minutes to get through to the front of the queue, by then all the GA tickets were gone. 

[IrvTheSwerve]

Well, that didn't go to plan. Was going to treat myself to a cheap grandstand - 20 mins, all gone.

Buying tickets to any event that is likely to have 30k+ people attending is a miserable experience these days.

[southernstars]

Got mine in the ballot pre-sale on Monday. Very lucky, got put in the Jones queue with only 111 people ahead of me.

[Ragamuffin]

Buying tickets to any event that is likely to have 30k+ people attending is a miserable experience these days.

Too true. Even then the event can be miserable. My last Aus GP in 2013 was so bad I had an existential crisis and haven't been back since. I'm almost relieved I didn't get any tickets today.

[LolaB0860]

I watched a vlog of one Canadian youtuber attending Montreal GP, she basically only went there for the race only and nothing else, but nevertheless said the crowds were not bad at all and everything was quite relaxed even though they normally give her bad anxiety.

 

And this is even though Canadian GP has got negative press lately with their organizational side of things. I belive their event is the closest counterpart there is to Australian GP

[krapmeister]

3 of us at work were trying to get GP tickets in the pre-sale. We all logged into the ticketmaster site at the same time, in virtual waiting room for 30mins before then entering queue for tickets. I managed to get 4-day GA tickets with no issue, 1 of my other colleagues also had no problem getting a 4-day grandstand ticket. The other colleague was much further down the queue for some reason and unfortunately missed out. He tried in the general public sale today but had no luck again

Edited by krapmeister, 09 October 2024 - 11:37.

[Alfisti]

I watched a vlog of one Canadian youtuber attending Montreal GP, she basically only went there for the race only and nothing else, but nevertheless said the crowds were not bad at all and everything was quite relaxed even though they normally give her bad anxiety.

 

And this is even though Canadian GP has got negative press lately with their organizational side of things. I belive their event is the closest counterpart there is to Australian GP

 

I have been to both (Australian who lives in Toronto) and the truth is they are very similar but melbourne does basically everything better. The transit is no comparison, being built into the ticket saves so much time faffing about. There is a TON more space in melbourne, Montreal is super tight, the support races are way better in Melbourne. When i went the food/drinks/toilet situation was better in melbourne but these tend to change year to year so who knows. 

[Alfisti]

Too true. Even then the event can be miserable. My last Aus GP in 2013 was so bad I had an existential crisis and haven't been back since. I'm almost relieved I didn't get any tickets today.

I don't do events anymore, between the cost of entry, the food, the crowds, the cost of hotels etc, I just don't enjoy it and it costs me a gazillion dollars. Most i will do is say ALMS type race at Mosport.

[F1 Mike]

Was there this much of a struggle getting tickets before they started using Ticketmaster? Any large concerts or events sold through them seem to be a complete lottery and I'm starting to think they do it on purpose.

[krapmeister]

It wasn't this much of a struggle pre-covid and subsequently Drive to Survive...

[CasualFan]

Pre-Covid I used to turn up on the day for GA tickets. Sometimes they had discounted tickets through RACV or other groups that you could purchase on the day. I think a combination of having Australian drivers and Netflix has boosted the popularity to unprecedented levels. 

[southernstars]

I was able to buy a ticket to 2022 quite late - I think it was January 22. So it's not just a pre-COVID/post-COVID thing.

 

2023 was when it really started to get chaotic, and 2024 was insane (almost certainly because there were two Australians on the grid again). 2025 was always expected to be wild because Hamilton's first race for Ferrari/Oscar has a decent chance at winning/possibility of three Australians (well. we can still hope).

[krapmeister]

We had 2 Australian drivers in 2011-13 and the crowds weren't as big. And 2022 was still really affected by Covid though - remember Victoria was having lockdowns to late 2021. People here were still understandably a bit gun-shy.

The crowds these days are much younger and more female then they used to be, definitely DtS has had a huge impact on the popularity of the event...

Edited by krapmeister, 10 October 2024 - 06:43.

[southernstars]

The crowds these days are much younger and more female then they used to be, definitely DtS has had a huge impact on the popularity of the event...

 

It's great! Toilets are better quality now and there are more women's toilets that don't get locked up at the end of the race!

 

(Yes, that actually happened to me some years ago...I think in that 2011-13 period...All of the women's toilets on the pit straight side of the circuit were locked up within twenty minutes of the race finishing. I didn't find an unlocked one until I got around to the other side of the circuit, I think behind the Waite stand.)

[IrvTheSwerve]

It's great! Toilets are better quality now and there are more women's toilets that don't get locked up at the end of the race!

 

(Yes, that actually happened to me some years ago...I think in that 2011-13 period...All of the women's toilets on the pit straight side of the circuit were locked up within twenty minutes of the race finishing. I didn't find an unlocked one until I got around to the other side of the circuit, I think behind the Waite stand.)

 

How bizarre.

[Sterzo]

^ Probably an edict from Bernie Ecclestone.

[southernstars]

How bizarre.

 

Certainly not my favourite memory of the nine races I've attended, that's for sure.