Formula 1 teams question high ticket prices

[Rob]

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says Formula 1 teams have dared to broach concerns about ticket prices being too high with the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

As part of increasingly intense talks between teams and F1's chiefs to find out why interest in grand prix racing is falling away, one item that has been highlighted has been high ticket prices.

The extreme cost of attending some races is viewed as a turn-off for many, but lowering the price of tickets is difficult for many promoters because the high fee they must pay Ecclestone to host a race makes it hard to recoup income any other way.

Wolff says that teams are aware of the difficulties race promoters have, which is why they have mentioned the issue to Ecclestone, as well as making it clear that F1 cannot turn its back on traditional venues.

"We have dared to discuss ticket prices, and we discussed the impact and the importance of the traditional circuits like Spa, like Monza, like Hockenheim," explained Wolff about talks with Ecclestone.

"Races like that need to be part of the race calendar. This is a global sport.

"We need to go abroad and we need to conquer new territories and new countries, this always has been the case, but I guess it is pretty clear what needs to be done to fill the grandstands in the traditional races such as Hockenheim and Monza."

RESEARCH NEEDED

Wolff's comments come in the wake of McLaren Group CEO Ron Dennis suggesting that F1 should do some market research to understand why some venues struggle to attract spectators.

The issue was thrust in to the spotlight at the German Grand Prix when Hockenheim could not fill it grandstands - whereas the three previous races in Canada, Austria and Britain were huge successes

Dennis said: "How can we go to Silverstone and Austria and it be absolutely full, and then we go to Germany and it's half full? There must be a reason.

"We can all guess, but that's not very scientific. We've really got to understand why these things happen.

"Is it ticketing prices? Is it national heroes etc? Whatever it is we have to address it."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115879

[fratelliferrari]

Well I have to say, I agree with Toto! It's a lot of money for only 3 days! And it's not only tickets but hotel, food and drink so you have to spend a lot for a weekend! I can imagine lots of people don't go to the races anymore...

[Greig]

It is getting more and more expensive, hopefully they can see sense in reducing prices.

[fratelliferrari]

It is getting more and more expensive, hopefully they can see sense in reducing prices.

I don't know how high the attendance was in Monza? I heard that Hockenheim was only good because Mercedes gave a lot of tickets to their employees.

[Nova]

Bernie has to quit raping the tracks. If he lowered his fee's, the tracks could lower prices.
My friend lives in Austin, Im in Fl and we like to go to COTA, but the ticket prices make
it a hurdle at best.

[Nova]

Monza is always packed, Im sure.

[abbottcostello]

So Bernie needs to take a cut in pay, but how will he ever buy his way out of trouble/prison if he agrees to that? (I still think this smiley should be named "evil grin" & not "very happy!)

[TonyRizza]

monza was packed this year, a few seats empty on the grandstand down the start/finish straight but general admission and the other stands were full

[fratelliferrari]

monza was packed this year, a few seats empty on the grandstand down the start/finish straight but general admission and the other stands were full

Iam really happy to hear that!

[mirafiori]

monza was packed this year, a few seats empty on the grandstand down the start/finish straight but general admission and the other stands were full

It was busy but I have seen a lot more people, especially general admission. Considering we are off the pace and had no chance of winning at Monza it was good to see so many people. Personally I think the entrance prices for Grandstands and general admission need to be lowered 25%. When you add traveling and Hotel costs it make's the weekend very expensive.

[Domo-kun]

Well, I've only ever been in Suzuka (soon for the third time) and Dunlop curve seats are cheap. Three day ticket is 14.000 yen, which is like 100 euros.
And you'll get nice view to turns 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. :)
SAM_0367_zps6fa24f89.jpg
(That pic is from my 2012 visit)

*****EDIT*****
Oh, here's one from last year..
CIMG0243_zps9d1b98e7.jpg

[fratelliferrari]

Well, I've only ever been in Suzuka (soon for the third time) and Dunlop curve seats are cheap. Three day ticket is 14.000 yen, which is like 100 euros.
And you'll get nice view to turns 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. :)
SAM_0367_zps6fa24f89.jpg
(That pic is from my 2012 visit)

*****EDIT*****
Oh, here's one from last year..
CIMG0243_zps9d1b98e7.jpg

That's fantastic! I really want to go to Suzuka some day but Iam really scared it will be too expensive with flytickets and hotels...

[mirafiori]

That's fantastic! I really want to go to Suzuka some day but Iam really scared it will be too expensive with flytickets and hotels...

Maybe best to do a package, flight, hotel, admission ticket.

[fratelliferrari]

Maybe best to do a package, flight, hotel, admission ticket.

Yes that might be a good idea! But not for this year anymore I would really like to go to a non-European GP anytime but I don't know which one to choose

[mirafiori]

Yes that might be a good idea! But not for this year anymore I would really like to go to a non-European GP anytime but I don't know which one to choose

Canada Montreal would be my favorite non European GP. Great place to visit, fantastic circuit and plenty of Ferrari fans.

[fratelliferrari]

Canada Montreal would be my favorite non European GP. Great place to visit, fantastic circuit and plenty of Ferrari fans.

Yes I will definitely consider that one! I also really like the layout of the track too! Thanks for the advice The only thing I need now is money

[Ste]

I don't know how high the attendance was in Monza? I heard that Hockenheim was only good because Mercedes gave a lot of tickets to their employees.

Monza was busy as Tony said but ticket sales were still down by 12%.

[Ste]

It was busy but I have seen a lot more people, especially general admission. Considering we are off the pace and had no chance of winning at Monza it was good to see so many people. Personally I think the entrance prices for Grandstands and general admission need to be lowered 25%. When you add traveling and Hotel costs it make's the weekend very expensive.

General admission for three days at Monza is cheap - around £80. It's also significantly (I can't state this enough) better than most other places. Silverstone GA is £160 and you're never guaranteed a decent spot - plus you're likely to need a chair to sit on, unless you want to sit on concrete. Monza has mini-grandstands everywhere specifically for GA. Why anyone would buy a grandstand seat at Monza (I did in 2008) is beyond me. I sat at the Lesmo corners for two years with a screen right in-front of me and this year I was at the exit of Parabolica, immediately before the pit entry, with a screen even closer. Again, that was for £80.

Totally agree that grandstand prices should be reduced because at Monza particularly, there really isn't much point to being in one and at Silverstone, where I class it as a necessity, the costs are through the roof.

[wisepie]

Grandstand tickets are stupidly expensive and pitlane access etc is so restricted nowadays (only the celebs get close with freebie tickets!), but the circuits and promoters have to cover their costs and with Bernie demanding ever higher fees, it isn't easy. We now have to pay for Sky coverage (sometimes free on BBC but for how long?) which is also costly but to attend a GP with all the other expenses is rapidly becoming beyond the pockets of the real fans, and when our team is doing badly it makes it even harder to justify.

[mirafiori]

General admission for three days at Monza is cheap - around £80. It's also significantly (I can't state this enough) better than most other places. Silverstone GA is £160 and you're never guaranteed a decent spot - plus you're likely to need a chair to sit on, unless you want to sit on concrete. Monza has mini-grandstands everywhere specifically for GA. Why anyone would buy a grandstand seat at Monza (I did in 2008) is beyond me. I sat at the Lesmo corners for two years with a screen right in-front of me and this year I was at the exit of Parabolica, immediately before the pit entry, with a screen even closer. Again, that was for £80.

Totally agree that grandstand prices should be reduced because at Monza particularly, there really isn't much point to being in one and at Silverstone, where I class it as a necessity, the costs are through the roof.

Yeah you make a good point about Monza general admission prices and yes I do admit it is good value, Silverstone prices are a rip off but if they sell all the tickets can you blame them. When you say you were at the exit to the parabolica was that inside or outside the circuit. sounds like a very interesting place to watch the race, especially with the TV screen in front of you. I watched the race from Variante della roggia, again a good place with TV screen.

[Ste]

Yeah you make a good point about Monza general admission prices and yes I do admit it is good value, Silverstone prices are a rip off but if they sell all the tickets can you blame them. When you say you were at the exit to the parabolica was that inside or outside the circuit. sounds like a very interesting place to watch the race, especially with the TV screen in front of you. I watched the race from Variante della roggia, again a good place with TV screen.

On the inside. :)

[mirafiori]

On the inside. :)

I bet that was a great exit to the podium.??

[Ste]

I bet that was a great exit to the podium.??

The closest gate is in the middle of Parabolica, so three laps from the end we went to it and wear pretty close to the front of the queue. We ran as soon as we were let on and got right below the podium!

[Kiwi Nick]

If you and your girl friend go to the USGP at COTA, 2 GA tickets and a parking pass will set you back $700+. Three hotel nights, tickets, parking and food will set you back at least $1,500. If you need to fly in form somewhere in the US it will be more like $2,500-$3,000.

But, hey, one race in a country of 320,000,000 people and a cost of about $3,000 per couple for the weekend keeps F1 exclusive and that is what it is all about!

[Rob]

If you and your girl friend go to the USGP at COTA, 2 GA tickets and a parking pass will set you back $700+. Three hotel nights, tickets, parking and food will set you back at least $1,500. If you need to fly in form somewhere in the US it will be more like $2,500-$3,000.

But, hey, one race in a country of 320,000,000 people and a cost of about $3,000 per couple for the weekend keeps F1 exclusive and that is what it is all about!

[Rob]

Bernie Ecclestone: High grand prix ticket prices in F1 teams' hands.

By Jonathan Noble Thursday, September 25th 2014, 10:28 GMT

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says the easiest way to bring down grand prix ticket prices is for teams to accept less commercial rights income.

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff revealed recently that F1 teams had broached the subject of high ticket prices with Ecclestone during recent meetings.

The matter has become a big talking point because empty grandstands at traditional events like the German and Italian GPs have prompted questions about why fans are no longer going to races.

Wolff said: "I guess it is pretty clear what needs to be done to fill the grandstands in the traditional races such as Hockenheim and Monza."

Ticket prices are so high because the income from spectators is one of the only ways that promoters can recover the high race sanctioning fees that are paid to Ecclestone.

Speaking in response to Wolff's comments, Ecclestone insisted that it would be easy to bring down race hosting fees to make tickets cheaper - but that can only happen if teams are willing to accept less money from him too.

"Has he told you how?" asked Ecclestone about Wolff's call for lower ticket prices. "You should tell him about reducing what they want for racing, and then we can reduce the fees.

"That is the problem. We collect money for the teams - the teams get 70 per cent of the revenue that comes from the promoters."

Ecclestone also doubts that the decline in audiences at grands prix is solely down to high ticket prices.

He thinks that pressures on people's time, plus the wide variety of entertainment options, mean nothing is as popular as it once was.

"With sport, there is so much of it - and only so much time - that everything has lost a little bit," he said. "It's the same thing with the promoters."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116016

[Hornet]

Bernie is insane. Smaller teams are already struggling to survive, the teams need those money to operate the team and go racing every race weekend. What does the commercial owners need to spend on, new yatch? If the sport fails, the owner won't be getting anything out of it.

[Rob]

Bernie is insane. Smaller teams are already struggling to survive, the teams need those money to operate the team and go racing every race weekend. What does the commercial owners need to spend on, new yatch? If the sport fails, the owner won't be getting anything out of it.

half of the sports total revenue goes out of the sport.

[WS6TransAm01]

In 2005, 06 and 07 my ticket for all three days at T1 in Indianapolis was $110. In 2012 my ticket to turn 11 in Austin was $349 for all three days. That should tell you a couple of things. One, why Indianapolis is no longer on the calendar and two, the costs of going to a race are ridiculous in comparison to what they once were.

The cost of the tickets to the race was more than our flight from NJ to TX, more than our car rental, and more expensive than our hotel room.

[Suzie]

Yep, a flight to Nice and a week's hotel room costs less than Monaco grandstand tickets. Next year if I'm able to go, I'm not even bothering with race tickets tbh - will just watch on the big screen in the centre of town as you will still have the atmosphere and the noise (or what passes for noise these days).