315 replies to this topic

[r4mses]

chrcol, on 23 Jun 2024 - 22:13, said:

Why are 2/3 of the USA races collaboration? make Spa the same instead of putting it into rotation, the nutters.

 

I guess 'cause the yankees ain't stupid enough to sink north of $50mil just to host a race event basically none cares about when you already got NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and whatnot, while at the same times there's no autocrat in need of spartwashing (yet).

[loki]

chrcol, on 23 Jun 2024 - 22:13, said:

Why are 2/3 of the USA races collaboration? make Spa the same instead of putting it into rotation, the nutters.

One is a co promote, one is an outside promoter and one is a complete self promote.  Unless the tickets are ultra expensive like Miami and Vegas they’ll make far more money charging a promoter.  Napkin math and rumblings around town show Vegas with a gross potential of around $200 mil not counting high end hospitality.  Except for Monaco that pricing would kill the Euro traditional events.

[loki]

r4mses, on 23 Jun 2024 - 23:15, said:

 

I guess 'cause the yankees ain't stupid enough to sink north of $50mil just to host a race event basically none cares about when you already got NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and whatnot, while at the same times there's no autocrat in need of spartwashing (yet).

If someone could make enough of a profit to warrant the investment they would.  Texas has the tax rebate deal that subsidizes the race.  Without that it’s doubtful they’d still be hosting a race.  For a profit driven company it’s not a good value proposition.

[absinthedude]

Someone said upthread that selling out year after year wasn't enough once F1 became full on commercial....so they decided to sell tickets to an audience who could afford to pay mre.

 

This is, of course, another example of the stupid short sighted thinking in F1 that has plagued it in recent years. Because companies like Liberty keep paying more for the rights to the sport, and charging more to tracks to host....who charge more to view an increasingly disappointing "show"....eventually you reach the point where insufficient people are willing and able to pay to attend. 

 

The sprint race apparently costing 4 million is just one example of this thinking. 

 

Of cours3 we should take inflation into account. Someone posted that GA ticket for three days in 1990 cost £30. Adjusted for inflation that is £88 in today's money. Last time I went in 2004 I forget how much it cost but my dad and I had "bronze" GA tickets which didn't seem especially expensive and allowed us to roam around, put up folding chairs anywhere we liked. Dad had a dodgy hip so he didn't walk much but Friday I think I walked about half the track perimeter and no officials objected. The report above that someone was admonished by a marshal for walking in front of a grandstand saddens me when the time-honoured tradition was to walk the entire perimeter of the circuit. In fact I'd probably pack up and leave if I were treated like that, having paid today's prices. 

 

Sooner or later the golden goose will stop laying eggs. And nobody in a position of power seems to have even begun to think "what happens then?". 

 

I'm still on team "burn the whole F1 down and start again". 

[Gareth]

absinthedude, on 24 Jun 2024 - 11:17, said:

Sooner or later the golden goose will stop laying eggs. [...]

 

I'm still on team "burn the whole F1 down and start again". 

Sounds like you should be delighted they've increased the prices!

[BRG]

chdphd, on 23 Jun 2024 - 22:14, said:

I was at the "London Champ Car Trophy". I still have the t-shirt.

So was I but was too tight to buy the t-shirt   Danny Ongais coming down the pit straight - Warp Factor 10,Mr Sulu !

 

pdac, on 23 Jun 2024 - 22:41, said:

I suppose it could be argued that London is now all of the areas that are covered by ULEZ. But even that does not stretch to Brands Hatch.

ULEZ?  I imagine the team transporters etc are new enough to be compliant, but the cars?  £12.50 each, for three days....could F1 afford it?

[Sterzo]

pdac, on 23 Jun 2024 - 22:41, said:

I suppose it could be argued that London is now all of the areas that are covered by ULEZ. But even that does not stretch to Brands Hatch.

No argument is needed. Areas in London are easily identified as they are governed by the Greater London Authority, and have titles such as London Borough of Bexley and London Borough of Bromley. (The two closest to Brands, which is covered by Sevenoaks District Council). Brands is less than 10km (6 miles) outside the Greater London boundary as the Red Arrows fly.

[IrvTheSwerve]

I find it a surprise and a bit of a shame that there are plenty of F1 fans here that haven't been to a race for 20+ years. Don't blame them at all, it's increasingly become a pain in the arse to attend and far too pricey. I wasn't old enough to attend in the early 90s (or alive for most of the 80s) but I bet it was a dream to attend compared to today - maybe not facility-wise! (?)

[Collombin]

IrvTheSwerve, on 24 Jun 2024 - 14:49, said:

I bet it was a dream to attend compared to today

I suppose only people who went then and still go now can really answer that, but it sounds like access is way more restricted these days and many seem disappointed by the sound of the cars? There seem to be a lot more fences everywhere too, and spectators are further away from the action. Safer, quieter, but surely less of an experience as a result.

[Sterzo]

Collombin, on 24 Jun 2024 - 15:04, said:

I suppose only people who went then and still go now can really answer that, but it sounds like access is way more restricted these days and many seem disappointed by the sound of the cars? There seem to be a lot more fences everywhere too, and spectators are further away from the action. Safer, quieter, but surely less of an experience as a result.

Indeed. I don't currently go to any GP, but I do visit Silverstone, and the places from which I used to watch the Grand Prix with a General Admission ticket are no longer accessible.

[Red5ive]

Looked at tickets today - between £450- £800 for Sunday stand ticket, £700 - £1,200 for one of their "exclusive areas". Those prices are at least 50% more than they should be.  100% not a surprise they have not sold out.  Also they know what they can do with their "dynamic pricing" - which apparently can only go up not down due to demand.

 

Sorry but the value is just not there.They are charging Fortnum and Mason prices for a Lidl product.  More restrictions now than in the past. Cars that sound like hair driers and races that arent exactly thrilling half the time - but its okay folks they have some big names on the music stage !" (which to be fair is an improvement on previous years if thats your thing)  Always had a tradition of walking round the track on a Friday - cant even do that now due to fenced off areas making it an obstacle course.

 

Bet they are praying that Norris takes a win in Austria.

Edited by Red5ive, 24 June 2024 - 17:06.

[Hinkypunk]

Red5ive, on 24 Jun 2024 - 17:04, said:

 but its okay folks they have some big names on the music stage !" (which to be fair is an improvement on previous years if thats your thing)

I wonder how much money they could save without those big names... 

[Clatter]

Red5ive, on 24 Jun 2024 - 17:04, said:

Looked at tickets today - between £450- £800 for Sunday stand ticket, £700 - £1,200 for one of their "exclusive areas". Those prices are at least 50% more than they should be. 100% not a surprise they have not sold out. Also they know what they can do with their "dynamic pricing" - which apparently can only go up not down due to demand.

Sorry but the value is just not there.They are charging Fortnum and Mason prices for a Lidl product. More restrictions now than in the past. Cars that sound like hair driers and races that arent exactly thrilling half the time - but its okay folks they have some big names on the music stage !" (which to be fair is an improvement on previous years if thats your thing) Always had a tradition of walking round the track on a Friday - cant even do that now due to fenced off areas making it an obstacle course.

Bet they are praying that Norris takes a win in Austria.

I always did the Friday walk of the circuit as well, would do a session in different grandstands. What areas are fenced off now? And is that temporary or permanant.

[Gareth]

You can still physically walk around the outside of the full circuit.

I think there are a couple more exclusive grandstands than there used to be, so whereas before on a Friday you could sample 90% of the grandstands it’s maybe more like 80% now.

The big change as Sterzo says is the much lower % of GA viewing sports. They’re traded in for grandstands. I guess it depends on which you prefer as to whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

It’s the pricing that’s the issue, with this year being a massive jump vs last. But even then when I say ‘an issue’, from the number of grandstands sold out and how few are available on the ones showing availability, I’m pretty sure the £ from the price increases will outweigh what they lose on unsold seats, even if they don’t sell another.

A good result for Lando this weekend, or a pole from a Brit Saturday, and I think there’s a good chance they sell out. So have they really set the prices wrong?

I appreciate most people on here might not want to pay this for a ticket, but clearly enough are willing to do so. And at least at prices that are broadly where supply meets demand, it plays the scalpers out of the game and the money goes in to the sport.

[Red5ive]

Cant remember exactly tbh - it was a few years ago now and we havent been since - just remember having to take a huge detour through the fan/stage area because you couldnt go straight on like you could before and then a bit later a gate being in the way with some stewards guarding it and checking passes - there may have been a  detour around it but it wasnt obvious - and anyway the whole point was to walk the fence as much as possible - which is increasingly difficult to do. Far more stands and hospitality areas now - which include fencing off the bit in front of them. As someone above said - they dont want you in front of some of the stands now.

Edited by Red5ive, 24 June 2024 - 18:03.

[Clatter]

Gareth, on 24 Jun 2024 - 17:58, said:

You can still physically walk around the outside of the full circuit.

I think there are a couple more exclusive grandstands than there used to be, so whereas before on a Friday you could sample 90% of the grandstands it’s maybe more like 80% now.

The big change as Sterzo says is the much lower % of GA viewing sports. They’re traded in for grandstands. I guess it depends on which you prefer as to whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

It’s the pricing that’s the issue, with this year being a massive jump vs last. But even then when I say ‘an issue’, from the number of grandstands sold out and how few are available on the ones showing availability, I’m pretty sure the £ from the price increases will outweigh what they lose on unsold seats, even if they don’t sell another.

A good result for Lando this weekend, or a pole from a Brit Saturday, and I think there’s a good chance they sell out. So have they really set the prices wrong?

I appreciate most people on here might not want to pay this for a ticket, but clearly enough are willing to do so. And at least at prices that are broadly where supply meets demand, it plays the scalpers out of the game and the money goes in to the sport.

 

Pricing has been an issue for a long time, but as you say there are still enough people willing to pay so it won't be coming down anytime soon. The dynamic pricing is another thing. I really don't think that should be legal.

[DS27]

I haven't been to a British F1 GP since 1982 at Brands Hatch. I don't remember too much other than it was a sweltering hot day, the place was absolutely packed, and going home on the back of my dads motorbike to miss out the traffic-blocked lanes!

 

Did the Monaco GP a couple of times, courtesy of a friend who lived out there at the time, but can't say I have any desire to go to a GP these days, and wouldn't dream of paying the prices I see listed here; seems crazy expensive. The pricing approach seems like a stack of cards, waiting to fall over when people decide they have had enough. I guess the current success of British drivers will mean it is okay for now, but in a few years time, things could be very different.

Edited by DS27, 24 June 2024 - 19:50.

[FirstnameLastname]

I did Gen admission at Spa about 10 years ago, and it was superb. I wonder how silverstone 2024 measures up to that. Of course you can’t just have general admission anymore, you’re now got different levels of general admission… urgh.

[flyboym3]

Here's an alternate perspective that won't be popular:

Its not a working man's sport, its elite.

If you can't afford to go then you should have done better at school. Sounds harsh but they are after people with lots of disposable income. Have you tried re-education or retraining?

Also your not supposed to buy the tickets, your network is supposed to give them to you.

For the rest - you can watch the product on TV. They've got all bases covered from peasants to the rolex wearing rich.

[Dolph]

Alfisti, on 21 Jun 2024 - 17:07, said:

The circuits are idiots, they should all have a coffee and decide, you know what, it costs money to host a race so how about we pay...i dunno ... nothing? F1 needs them more than they need F1, they should tell them to go suck a bag of ...... dips.

We'd have F1 in the middle East all year long then. And theyd be happy to pay too. Maybe theyd even buy Liberty and pocket everything.

Edited by Dolph, 24 June 2024 - 20:31.

[Dolph]

I went in 2013 with tickets for Woodcote. I paid 1000 euros for two all weekend tickets then+parking. I wonder what the price is now?

[azza200]

Dolph, on 24 Jun 2024 - 20:34, said:

I went in 2013 with tickets for Woodcote. I paid 1000 euros for two all weekend tickets then+parking. I wonder what the price is now?

 

double that now probably 

[Britmax]

danmills, on 21 Jun 2024 - 16:14, said:

I went for raceday only back in 2016. Got an early morning helicopter, lots of coffee and alcohol before 9am and I'm sat at Battersea helipad looking at Bernie stood in front of me. Surreal.

 

We landed just before Lewis, paps thought our chopper was him, that was amusing to see them sprint over.

 

Silverstone is a completely different experience from the inner trackside when you have a bit more money.

 

I was also there for Mansellmania in 92 and Damon's win in 94. The noise of those cars and the crowd spirit was unrivalled back then. Now you can talk and still hear as the cars drive past. For that reason I don't think I'll ever attend another race, the magic has gone in that department, there's no 'woahhhh'. When Alonso drove his Renault again, even Lewis' face dropped in sheer delight when he was interviewed. Says it all.

 

Spa 95 was magnificent just to be there in the rain, in the forest with all the Schummi campervans. I think it really was the festival atmosphere and simply the noise that made it.

 

It's just very... commercial and clinical now. Even the flags are militant mass designed. Where are the marker pen poster paint jobbys gone?

 

Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

 

 

Yes, I was at Spa '95, it was worth going just to see the nephew's face as Schumi wrapped himself round a flagpole after the race.

 

And the support for Jos the Boss, even though he didn't have a seat that year. I hear his lad was thinking about racing, how did that work out?     

[RC127]

Me too! Well the “haven’t been to the race since 2005” bit getting to see my then-favourite Juan Pablo Montoya win the race!

Went to qualifying in 2014 and a young driver test day in 2016 but that was my last Silverstone visit.

Hoping to go next year as a joint 50th / 18th birthday treat for me and my son

[Tombstone]

pdac, on 21 Jun 2024 - 13:19, said:

... (unless, of course, they use a Ryanair-style definition of London)

 

 

Clatter, on 21 Jun 2024 - 17:57, said:

I agree, but didn't want to say never as stranger things have happened.

 

 

Given that Kidlington Airport, renamed London Oxford Airport in 2009, is (half a mile) further from central London than Silverstone Circuit, I wouldn't bet against it!

Edited by Tombstone, 24 June 2024 - 23:32.

[PayasYouRace]

flyboym3, on 24 Jun 2024 - 20:16, said:

Here's an alternate perspective that won't be popular:

Its not a working man's sport, its elite.

If you can't afford to go then you should have done better at school. Sounds harsh but they are after people with lots of disposable income. Have you tried re-education or retraining?

Also your not supposed to buy the tickets, your network is supposed to give them to you.

For the rest - you can watch the product on TV. They've got all bases covered from peasants to the rolex wearing rich.

Nowadays, the people who didn’t do well at school and are working a trade are probably making more money than those who went to university and are in a profession.

[Red5ive]

flyboym3, on 24 Jun 2024 - 20:16, said:

Here's an alternate perspective that won't be popular:

Its not a working man's sport, its elite.

If you can't afford to go then you should have done better at school. Sounds harsh but they are after people with lots of disposable income. Have you tried re-education or retraining?

Also your not supposed to buy the tickets, your network is supposed to give them to you.

For the rest - you can watch the product on TV. They've got all bases covered from peasants to the rolex wearing rich.

 

 

I can afford to go - I choose not to anymore as I dont think I am getting good value for money.

 

Without the engine noise now the reality is you are sat watching n screen (if you are lucky) for the majority of the race - even at Becketts you dont see the cars for that long and the "show" isnt that great anyway. If you actually want to watch the race - Its a better experience watching on TV these days - and that will hurt Silverstone at some point once all the D2S crowd have moved on to the next big thing..

[pdac]

PayasYouRace, on 25 Jun 2024 - 06:51, said:

Nowadays, the people who didn’t do well at school and are working a trade are probably making more money than those who went to university and are in a profession.

 

... and probably don't have £1000's of student debt hanging off their shoulders. Who are the stupid ones?

[absinthedude]

flyboym3, on 24 Jun 2024 - 20:16, said:

Here's an alternate perspective that won't be popular:

Its not a working man's sport, its elite.

If you can't afford to go then you should have done better at school. Sounds harsh but they are after people with lots of disposable income. Have you tried re-education or retraining?

Also your not supposed to buy the tickets, your network is supposed to give them to you.

For the rest - you can watch the product on TV. They've got all bases covered from peasants to the rolex wearing rich.

 

And this is the root of pretty much everything that is so wrong about modern F1. But the bubble will burst at some point, when insufficient people are willing and able to pay the asking price. 

 

I could afford to go. I just choose not to. It doesn't sound like it's much fun these days, anyway. 

[absinthedude]

pdac, on 25 Jun 2024 - 08:18, said:

... and probably don't have £1000's of student debt hanging off their shoulders. Who are the stupid ones?

 

Yeah, I was lucky in that regard and got both my degrees in 1997 - the last year when British citizens weren't charged tuition fees. So zero student debt for me. 

 

I could attend a F1GP. I've toyed with the idea of the Spanish GP. But to be honest the last motor sport that I saw in person was banger racing and that has more honour in it that current F1. 

[Gareth]

Dolph, on 24 Jun 2024 - 20:34, said:

I went in 2013 with tickets for Woodcote. I paid 1000 euros for two all weekend tickets then+parking. I wonder what the price is now?

£1,178, so €1,400.

 

40% increase over 11 years. Not quite the 100% predicted

 

Still some available if you're interested ...

[Gareth]

Red5ive, on 25 Jun 2024 - 07:35, said:

even at Becketts you dont see the cars for that long

?

 

You see them come out of Copse, through Beckets, down Hanger straight to and the turn in to Stowe.

 

You can catch a glimpse of them in to Vale and entering Club.

 

You then see them again coming out of Abbey, all the way round the Loop, then all the way down Wellington straight and the turn in to Brooklands.

 

That's like, what, well over 60% of the circuit?

[PayasYouRace]

Gareth, on 25 Jun 2024 - 08:37, said:

?

You see them come out of Copse, through Beckets, down Hanger straight to and the turn in to Stowe.

You can catch a glimpse of them in to Vale and entering Club.

You then see them again coming out of Abbey, all the way round the Loop, then all the way down Wellington straight and the turn in to Brooklands.

That's like, what, well over 60% of the circuit?

Is that up in the grandstand?

When we went in 2004, we stood at Maggots, and pretty much could only see the first three corners of the sequence.

Great place to watch though, and we had a screen opposite to keep track of things.

[Clatter]

Gareth, on 25 Jun 2024 - 08:37, said:

?

You see them come out of Copse, through Beckets, down Hanger straight to and the turn in to Stowe.

You can catch a glimpse of them in to Vale and entering Club.

You then see them again coming out of Abbey, all the way round the Loop, then all the way down Wellington straight and the turn in to Brooklands.

That's like, what, well over 60% of the circuit?

When I used to go I generally went in Stowe. It was the cheapest stand, and before the new pit complex was built, you could see them all the way from the start of hanger to bridge. Becketts was our go to for qualifying. Did have to get there early to get a seat when they put the Silverstone club thing there, and split the stand half and half for the club and normal seating.

[Gareth]

Yeah that's from the grandstand. Best spot to sit for % of the circuit you can see imo. Went in 2010 and spent Friday and Saturday touring the full circuit sitting in every grandstand using the roving ticket, and decided with the new loop section Becketts was the place to be.

 

Did Village twice (took a youngster, and short walk from car park to stand was a plus) and that was a very good spot to sit for % of circuit viewing, with the "pinch point" that the loop/becketts offers nowadays. But Becketts definitely my favourite - sat there 5 times now.

 

Previous years have been Stowe twice, and general admission every other time.

[Clatter]

I never did GA at Silverstone. I didn't want the hassle of fighting for a spot. I've swapped around different stands, mainly with cost in mind, but also what you get to see. One year club was the cheapest, the next year it was one of the more expensive, and that's long before the new pits and it was a tiny stand out on its own. I did village once as well.

[Gareth]

Clatter, on 25 Jun 2024 - 08:58, said:

I never did GA at Silverstone. I didn't want the hassle of fighting for a spot.

At age 10, being woken up by my dad at 4am to try and beat the traffic and get to the track for gates opening, to leg it with our cool box and deck chairs to the best spot we could get, is a very fond memory. It somehow added some extra excitement to the whole thing.

 

I'm a bit too old for that now, so like the reserved seating from a grandstand. I still love getting to the circuit early, though, in time to watch the first cars on track. I love arriving, everyone slightly shell shocked and tired, grabbing a coffee and a bacon butty, the smell of tyres and petrol in the air, and going and joining the handful of other people in the grandstand there to watch F3 at 8am.

 

We went to Indianapolis one year for the F1, entirely used to (then, it's much better now) Silverstone levels of traffic and the need to grab a parking spot. So we set off stupidly early. Combined with not realising we were crossing a time zone, we arrived at the circuit at like 5am and were the only people around. It was a long day, ha ha.

 

Good memories.

[Collombin]

Gareth, on 25 Jun 2024 - 09:20, said:

We went to Indianapolis one year for the F1, entirely used to (then, it's much better now) Silverstone levels of traffic and the need to grab a parking spot. So we set off stupidly early. Combined with not realising we were crossing a time zone, we arrived at the circuit at like 5am and were the only people around. It was a long day, ha ha

Makes you wonder how high Larry Bisceglia's boredom threshold must have been.

[Clatter]

Always got there early on the Friday, and got our spot for the weekend in the main carpark, only yards from the gate. Mate I used to go with had a large people carrier, left the all the rear seats at home giving plenty of space spread out for the night. I can remember people starting to queue between 4 and 5 in the morning, and being very happy I could go back to sleep for another few of hours. By the time we had some breakfast the main rush had finished and we could amble in. Would be on our seats ready for the first session, which I think was usually GP3 on race day.

[monolulu]

Gareth, on 25 Jun 2024 - 08:34, said:

£1,178, so €1,400.

 

40% increase over 11 years. Not quite the 100% predicted

 

Still some available if you're interested ...

We’ve got tickets for Woodcote this year paying £1153 for 2, plus parking. £100 a ticket more than previous but only because I got them at first day price last year on their ridiculous selling scheme! Otherwise they would have been the same. Expensive yes but I didn’t pay much less for dreadfully uncomfortable seats at Imola this year!

[azza200]

Best seats i have had at Silverstone was at Bridge for the final BTCC super touring car race back in 2000

[Clatter]

azza200, on 25 Jun 2024 - 10:12, said:

Best seats i have had at Silverstone was at Bridge for the final BTCC super touring car race back in 2000

Bridge was a great spot to take someone for their first experience of an F1 car. I used to attend the Silverstone tests, great day out, and back in the day they didn't charge. If I took friends that was the first place I would take them. You could hear the cars, but when they burst out from under the bridge and into the corner, that would take your breath away.

[nmansellfan]

absinthedude, on 25 Jun 2024 - 08:29, said:

And this is the root of pretty much everything that is so wrong about modern F1. But the bubble will burst at some point, when insufficient people are willing and able to pay the asking price. 

 

I could afford to go. I just choose not to. It doesn't sound like it's much fun these days, anyway. 

 

I am wondering whether the bubble will ever burst (thinking about F1 in general).  Many of the middle eastern circuits have relatively little actual crowds, so the entities that fund them can't be that bothered about takings at the gate vs the money that they pay to host the race.  I am happy (and even hopeful!) to be proved wrong, but the ever expanding calendar indicates that there will always be a queue for a slot to host a race if one drops for some reason.  In 10 years time, it could be that Liberty or whoever owns F1's commercial side by then are still raking it in from 24+ low attendance but high hosting fee races, keeping the commercial rights holder happy, while the perceived entertainment and sporting value of the sport drops further and further.

 

Would we ever get to the point where there aren't enough promoters that want to pay F1 to host a race, to sustain the World Championship?

Edited by nmansellfan, 25 June 2024 - 12:08.

[Clatter]

nmansellfan, on 25 Jun 2024 - 12:08, said:

I am wondering whether the bubble will ever burst (thinking about F1 in general). Many of the middle eastern circuits have relatively little actual crowds, so the entities that fund them can't be that bothered about takings at the gate vs the money that they pay to host the race. I am happy (and even hopeful!) to be proved wrong, but the ever expanding calendar indicates that there will always be a queue for a slot to host a race if one drops for some reason. In 10 years time, it could be that Liberty or whoever owns F1's commercial side by then are still raking it in from 24+ low attendance but high hosting fee races, keeping the commercial rights holder happy, while the perceived entertainment and sporting value of the sport drops further and further.

Would we ever get to the point where there aren't enough promoters that want to pay F1 to host a race, to sustain the World Championship?

Sportswashing is quite cheap really.

[ehagar]

Those are ridiculous ticket prices for what it is.

The MotoGP prices in August don’t look so bad now… damn.

[pdac]

absinthedude, on 25 Jun 2024 - 08:29, said:

And this is the root of pretty much everything that is so wrong about modern F1. But the bubble will burst at some point, when insufficient people are willing and able to pay the asking price. 

 

I could afford to go. I just choose not to. It doesn't sound like it's much fun these days, anyway. 

 

I thought that about the housing market in the UK 20 years ago. But people keep paying more and more. I think that bubble (the F1 one) will not burst for many many years.

Edited by pdac, 25 June 2024 - 15:58.

[danmills]

On the subject of ticket increases, the price of diecast models is also horrific.

 

I understand the new cars are ridiculously complicated, but with current micro CNC technology I'm surprised costs have increased to upwards of £90 for 1/43 and £200 for 1/18.

 

To think a kids bburago 1/43 2023 car is only £10 by comparison,  you'd think minichamps are desperately trying to make themselves obsolete. 

Edited by danmills, 26 June 2024 - 23:02.

[PayasYouRace]

danmills, on 26 Jun 2024 - 23:00, said:

On the subject of ticket increases, the price of diecast models is also horrific.

 

I understand the new cars are ridiculously complicated, but with current micro CNC technology I'm surprised costs have increased to upwards of £90 for 1/43 and £200 for 1/18.

 

To think a kids bburago 1/43 2023 car is only £10 by comparison,  you'd think minichamps are desperately trying to make themselves obsolete. 

I know right? Even Spark are hideously expensive nowadays with their resin models. And the cars are no more complex than the 2006-2008 lot which you could still get for about £25 back then.

[Collombin]

PayasYouRace, on 27 Jun 2024 - 06:33, said:

Even Spark are hideously expensive nowadays with their resin models

Even Spark? I was under the impression their models are considered the best (or close to it) out there.

[PayasYouRace]

Collombin, on 27 Jun 2024 - 07:08, said:

Even Spark? I was under the impression their models are considered the best (or close to it) out there.

I can subscribe to their models being some of the best out there. I’ve got a few, most recently the McLaren from last year’s Monaco GP in the Triple Crown special livery. They’re still in the £70 region, and I do believe this makes them better value for money than Minichamps.