British Grand Prix 2005 Ticket Scheme

[dazbaz_99]

Does anybody know if tickets will be available for single days ie.Friday, for this years Grand Prix.I cant make the race day so dont wanna splash out on a 3 day ticket just to see the Friday & Saturday action. They used to do single day tickets, cos i went on the Fridays. If they have stopped doing this then i don't think its really helping them pull in the crowds, not everyone can make the full 3 days! Personally i prefer to go Friday, at least you dont have such a crowd to contend with!

[maximus]

The offer before the 25th of Feb (so hurry if anyone wants a weekend ticket!) was that it was buy one day get the rest of the weekend free, so you buy a normal one day ticket, that is actually valid for the weekend

[dazbaz_99]

Well the thing is i can only go Friday and thats also the only day i can realistically afford to go-being a poor part time student!

Im not prepared to pay Race day prices just to get a ticket to go on Friday practise, it would be a total waste of money!

[Adam43]

Why not chose one of the busier test days at Silverstone. Quite a lot of them have almost all the teams there and you'll see more running. In addition it is free. There will be less people, less team displays, but there will be merchanising there.

[Sodemo]

Yeah, went to last year's Silverstone June/July test, was amazed at how many people were there, must have been at least a thousand...

[dazbaz_99]

Nothing against that idea. But...

Are you suggesting that Silverstone seem to be no longer willing to cater for perhaps the slightly less hardcore/casual Formula 1 Fan. I mean, if they want to attract more people at the event and to their circuit, would the Friday/Saturday on the Grand Prix Weekend not be the perfect way of doing so. Cheaper entrance fees and more than your fair share of Motorsport, with the other supporting events also doing Practise/Quali sessions. I see that for the Aussie GP this year the Thursday is free, why not adopt the same idea at Silverstone on a Friday? Perhaps do a 2 for 1 offer or something.

I just dont see the logic behind the ticket scheme this year. Yeg its great if you can actually attend all 3 days or are simply wanting to go to the race day but I would of thought that the minority actually camp there the whole 3 days! So for the rest of us who perhaps like to go on the Saturday or the Friday, be it due to other commitments, or just the simple fact that these days are slightly cheaper and not so busy, are just not actually catered for at all this year.

I think if thats the case then i will not bother with grand prix weekends in the future, but instead use my money on another event, probably not at Silverstone.

[Mr V]

Daz. last years ticket prices, according to the boards on the ticket booths were something ridiculous like £75 for friday and saturday, per day (can't remember the exact price but i know it was higher than normal), whereas a weekend ticket was relatively cheap in comparison.

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Daz. last years ticket prices, according to the boards on the ticket booths were something ridiculous like £75 for friday and saturday, per day (can't remember the exact price but i know it was higher than normal), whereas a weekend ticket was relatively cheap in comparison.

I am amazed at how much the GP ticket prices are in Europe! I was looking to go to one, some day, but I was floored by how expensive they are. I doubt I'll ever go. At the USGP, I pay $20 (American)for a one day pass, and $85 for a race day ticket, and the seats are good ones.

Is there any reasonable explanation for such a huge price difference?

[Sodemo]

Because in Britain you get ripped off with everything...

[maximus]

True.........

lol

[James North]

The way the ticket structure is... they try to make it look like you get Friday and Saturday free of charge.

Althoguh this isn't really the case, it's a marketing exercise to sell of the tickets.

Not much we can do about it.

[Elio]

I used to go on the Friday before this ridiculous ticketing policy came in last year. I`m not prepared to go to a GP on a race day - it`s only for those with more money than sense and very little clue as to what is good entertainment/good quality motorsport.

It`s always amazed me that no more was made of this absurd policy, crafted by the crazy people at Silverstone, when it came in last year. There are a lot of "anoraks" out there which must`ve done the Friday every year who were extremely annoyed at the loss of individual day tickets.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Elio

I used to go on the Friday before this ridiculous ticketing policy came in last year. I`m not prepared to go to a GP on a race day - it`s only for those with more money than sense and very little clue as to what is good entertainment/good quality motorsport.

If people are prepared to pay the asking price and enjoy their day out at the Grand Prix I think it's a bit harsh (and rich) to brand them as having 'very little clue'. The prices make sure people aren't there on a whim, they go because they want to be there.

If you prefer to watch cars lapping on Friday then fair enough, but I and tens of thousands of other people prefer to watch them race on Sunday.

[Elio]

My comments are based on many years of experience. Still, "if everybody in this world was the same" and all that.... There`s no accounting for taste!

In my opinion Silverstone are employing an unfair, discriminative, ticketing strategy. That said, if they can fleece 100,000 (or whatever the max limit is) for the full price ticket then why should they care about the remaining enthusiasts like myself?? Answer.... they shouldn`t. Let`s hope they don`t find themselves in need of our custom in the future though......

[hakim]

better off going to the testing!

as for the race the french gp is much better value! 60 quid i think for 3 days on the golf part of the track and you can see 80% of the track!

[Kicking-back]

It's supply and demand.

The race is usually a sell-out, so why should they cut prices?

[Elio]

However, I bet the crowd on Sunday (who bought 3-day tickets for the cost of Sunday`s alone) does not equal the crowd on Friday..... ie. Not all Sunday visitors will exercise their right to go on the Friday for "Free". Silverstone would ironically make even more cash out of us if they sold the more discerning supporters who only want Friday enrtry a single day ticket. Anyhoo, who cares, the BRSCC are organising a 2-day clubbie at Brands this year on GP weekend!!.... NO COMPARISON I`m afraid.

[MikeHoyer]

Yeah, I know which one I'll be at... and no, it's not Silverstone.

[chunterer]

Totally right mate.

Hadn't realised you can't buy a Friday only ticket this year - i had the 3 dayer offer through post as well but thought it was just a promo?

Ah well, they won't get any of my hard earned dosh then..I still wanna see the cars bombing round so as usual i'll go to 2 or 3 of the test days as mentioned earlier on the thread and see more action anyway!

Speaking of which anyone know when the 'tyre test' scheduled for this year yet?

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Elio

I`m not prepared to go to a GP on a race day - it`s only for those with more money than sense and very little clue as to what is good entertainment/good quality motorsport.

On the other side of the coin, you could be accused of not being a "proper fan" because your not prepared to spend the money - just a thought

I have gone to Silverstone every year since 1998. Last year the ticket cost me £130 for 3 days, compare that to £30-£50 to watch a 1 1/2 hour football match, seems reasonable to me.

btw, where abouts in Maidstone you live? I was born there and now live in Chatham.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Elio

However, I bet the crowd on Sunday (who bought 3-day tickets for the cost of Sunday`s alone) does not equal the crowd on Friday..... ie

Don't want to seem to be "picking" on you by quoteing you again, but in my opinion your not talking from experience, hence your use of the term I bet. You ever been on a friday or a sunday? If you had, you would notice that fridays are busy, sundays are busier.

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

It's supply and demand.

The race is usually a sell-out, so why should they cut prices?

Correct, last year was the first year in 3 (?) years that they allocated 100,000 tickets as opposed to 60,000, and it was indeed a sell out.

[Elio]

Mr V + others;

I have only been to one GP on race day - Brands `85 (I was only 8). Back then F1 racing was more entertaining than it is now, costs were lower, grids were fuller, race tracks were RACE tracks (and not oversized kart tracks), yada-yada-yada.... we`ve heard it all before.... "Things ain`t what they used to be" and all that!!

IN MY OPINION (crucial phrase here) the value for money offered by Silverstone`s GP is abysmal. Truly abysmal. Shocking. Awful. Woeful. F1 is not what it was in the "olden days". If you find yourself turning off the TV at home because it`s so dull then imagine what it`s like at a place like Silverstone where you can only view a few corners from any one location? The support package of entertainment at the BGP is dire. There is more vacant track time than there is competitive tracktime.

Having said all this, as a true motorsports fan (90+ days at a circuit/rally/test of some sort last year) I would still like to see a few laps each year by contemporary F1 cars and to see the "worlds best drivers". As such, a value for money Friday ticket to allow me to see a few hours of tracktime, take a few photos, etc etc, would be nice. Alas no. Fair enough. Not a lot I can do about it. If I`m THAT bothered I`ll go to a test.

Silverstone can get away with these prices, as K-B said, due to supply and demand. I understand this - I am an Accountant (for my sins) ( - albeit a semi-retired one!).

I see a motorsports "fan" or "enthusiast" as something very different to the general type of person who goes to the British GP. I anticipate that most who go to the British GP have not heard of the likes of..... say..... plucking motorsporty things at random......!.... The 750MC, Lydden Hill race track, The Formula Ford Festival, Tony Lanfranchi, etc etc.... OK so they`re a bit off-the-wall but they are events/people/venues etc that someone who knows their motorsport would/should have heard about/know about.

I anticipate that a BGP race day will attract a totally different "armchair enthusiast". Those who follow F1 on TV and find it strangely compulsive enough to actually pay extortionate amounts to view it in the flesh. It will attract the BTCC style fans. It will attract the more well-off folk who maybe do Le Mans and the BGP every year but little else. Ask someone if they`ve ever watched a Lo-Cost race or spectated from "Westfield Bend" and they`ll look mighty confused.

OK, it`s not a competition to be the "bestest" (I`m intentionally using infantile grammar - I`m not a complete eejit!) "fan" - It`s just the "fan" that I am is not the "fan" that emerges in droves for the BGP.

There will always be exceptions - I am generalising.

It`s not a cost problem, it`s purely value-for-money. I will happily pay my £77 for my Goodwood Revival 3-day pass in the next few weeks. It will give me full grids, 3 days of competition, quality cars, a good variety of different machinery, few gaps of "no action" on track, and great views of the circuit.... Oh, and did I mention the "O" word??? .....OVERTAKING..... I can fairly confidently say that Silverstone`s GP will offer me none of this - and at twice the cost I expect (I don`t know the exact prices).

Anything else I can rant about??!!!....

Oh, my MSV pass (thats MotorsportVision for all you BGP people - they run a few race tracks across the UK including Brands)... Sorry... that`s "Brands Hatch" for all you BGP people - it`s a track down here in Kent!! It cost me £125 and will get me about 70 odd days racing this year - I`ll be able to see everything from Formula Vee to World Superbikes and from Britcar to Historic Roadsports..... This is also known as value-for-money....

Fingers aching now.... Oh yeah, I`m not in Maidstone as such Mr V, just outside it near Aylesford.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

You're coming across as awfully elitist. Who really cares if people who go to the British Grand Prix know about some hill climbing event in Scotland or who won the GP in 62? It doesn't matter, plain and simple.

It sounds like you're main gripe is Formula 1 itself rather than the actual cost, if so, why make such a fuss about it?

[Adam43]

Elio has some decent points, although it does sound a little this less popular form of motorsport is better (sorry Elio!)! In which case move over Bernie, classic XJS racing is coming

Anyway, I like it all.

However just as much as you shouldn't foresake other motorsport for F1, you shouldn't miss out on F1.

[Elio]

I was trying to stick to the topic of the GP ticketing policy rather than wandering into a chirlish "my racing`s better than your racing" type argument!!

At the end of the day we`re all different... Those like me who feel the tiketing policy is unfair and poor value-for-money are clearly not the same people who compare the GP to a Premiership soccer match, or something, and perceive it as reasonable/good value-for-money. Those that buy their tickets and feel they are getting value-for-money must be VERY great Formula 1 fans indeed!! - Much bigger than I will ever be that`s for sure! Hands up and big "respec`" (!!) to them!

However, for those like me (the poor minority anoraks!) who prefer to watch Adam and a bunch of mad Jag XJSs plunge 5 a-side through a damp Paddock Hill Bend on a cold Autumnal day at Brands (just for example!), rather than sit at Silverstone for 2 hours watching 14 F1s for £200 or whatever, it is maybe possible to understand why we think it`s a bit poor in the value-for-money stakes?