GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: lkjohnson1950 on July 23, 2014, 05:36:57 PM
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It was quite apparent that German fans had other places to be than Hockenheim. There were hundreds of empty seats during the race. In this article some of F1's luminaries comment on why.
http://www.worldcarfans.com/114072278547/vettel-blamed-for-turning-off-hockenheim-crowd (http://www.worldcarfans.com/114072278547/vettel-blamed-for-turning-off-hockenheim-crowd)
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The quote that sticks out for me is
"But maybe we need to think about making the programme on the race weekends more interesting,"
But their solution of relaxing the penalties and gussying up the F1 part of the weekend is only part of it. I think they really need to get more going on during GP weekends, at ALL the tracks. They need to invite more race series to compete on GP weekends, preferably some local series as one-offs. Then get the jet set boys to do a couple heats in their flashy supercars. Bring out the truck racing too. Fill up the day. If you pay 200-400Euros for a seat, I kinda think you want the whole day non-stop action, not just Porsche Cup, GP2-3 and the F1. There are plenty of hours through the weekend to throw in a couple more series, especially if they are talking about killing off Thursdays now.
I remember during CART race weekends they would fill up the empty track time with various test drivers taking people on demo runs in Vipers, Vette's and stuff like that...it was great fun for everyone. One year they broadcast in-car on the TV's around the track to see the faces of the passengers as they went around...talk about entertainment.
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They couldn't bring out the trucks Scott, they were having their own meeting at the Nürburgring on Sunday.
Oh and by the way the truck boys had well over 100k spectators - that's where all the petrol heads went - to watch the diesels. :D
On a cost basis to take an average family to a big rig meet or F1 it's no contest - the whole family of 6 goes for less than one ticket to F1. ............the trucks are also terrific fun to watch as well. ;)
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The hugely inflated ticket prices are a major factor. Those are required, of course, to pay Bernie's hugely inflated race fees. Blaming Vettel's statements is a bit of a red herring, too. Fans don't need Seb to tell them that the cars sound like sh!t, they can learn that from their own ears.
Scott is right about needing more activities than F1 aver the week-end. I'm not sure what the undercard is at the other races. I know Indy always had a great support schedule. The last year, the had the Porsches, Formula BMW and Indy Lights.
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I think Scott is spot-on.
F1 is so expensive it must provide more spectacle for the punters. I come on this forum commenting on F1 but I have to admit that I hardly ever go to F1 races anymore. I used to go to two or three a year. Then Spa became the only one (I could travel to Spa and get a good viewing position for less than the cost of getting into Silverstone!). However, I started to feel that it was costing too much to put up with the awful facilities at Spa just to watch the GP and two support races (especially when one of the support races was Porsche Supercup which has less overtaking than F1!). I now choose to go to BTCC which offers track action from 9:00am to 6:00pm with the only break being an hour for lunch when they generally open the pits to the public for further entertainment.
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I think the major factor is the cost of tickets. I don't care what race you look to attend, the ticket prices have gone too high.
I can't speak of other circuits on this particular matter, but COTA has gone a step further in cost. They are marketing guaranteed seats for ALL races at their circuit, to include no less, motorhome parking along the fences. It means that whatever series is racing on a weekend, you are guaranteed those seats, if you want them. Of course, you still have to by those tickets at regular price - you just pay the extra few thousand dollars for the right to the same seat tickets. :fool: :fool:
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I've talk about this before, but it fits right in at this point. A no seat, no parking race day only ticket to the first F1 at COTA cost much more than the great seats, four days including parking & raceday box lunch package I had for the 2007 F1 race at Indy. I went to every USGP for many, many years. I have no desire whatsoever to go to COTA.
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At the moment I am hoping that I can justify attending one F1 race in 2015 - Shanghai. I have been promised a free entry ticket from a professional sports photographer friend so I just need to make sure that an essential business trip I have to make to Hangzhou falls during the week immediately after the Shanghai GP.
However, I have to plan my business trip very soon. This means I will have to commit to week commencing 20th April. Knowing my luck the provisional date of 19th April for the GP will then get changed! :fool:
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The only reason I was able to go to a GP was that Network Rail wanted to get rid of all the old British Rail dinosaurs, so they gave us a reasonable pay off to go, so I made a pig of myself and done the Thursday to Monday at Monza.
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I think the major factor is the cost of tickets. I don't care what race you look to attend, the ticket prices have gone too high.
I can't speak of other circuits on this particular matter, but COTA has gone a step further in cost. They are marketing guaranteed seats for ALL races at their circuit, to include no less, motorhome parking along the fences. It means that whatever series is racing on a weekend, you are guaranteed those seats, if you want them. Of course, you still have to by those tickets at regular price - you just pay the extra few thousand dollars for the right to the same seat tickets. :fool: :fool:
This is similar to what college football has done. Back in the '60s and '70s, my dad was a season ticket holder for Arizona State U. games. Really good seats, and he had them for years. Then one year they announced he would have to join the Sun Devil Club at $500 a year to keep his seats. Of course he was welcome to buy crappy seats if he didn't want to join. He just said stuff it and never went to another game.
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It's all Bernie's fault. He makes enough on the paddock club and advertising that he doesn't even NEED to charge race fees that bankrupt the promoters. Mind you, they are probably just as greedy a bunch who wouldn't drop the prices even if Bernie did kill off the race fees.