The Sad State Of F1 - Empty Grandstands for Turkish GP
#11
06-06-2009, 11:21 PM
Its because the tickets are ridiculously expensive !!!
I really don't know the prices in other countries but over here the grandstand costs 700tl which is around 500$ !!!
In such economic atmosphere around the world how many people could afford such a price?
That's simply robbery, not to mention that grandstand (start/finish straight) is the worst place to watch the race. They simply pass away. No overtake, no corner nothing.
I got my tickets from turn 8, which I believe is the best turn. You see them coming, cornering in front of you, possibly a overtake and watch them going for the final straight. That ticket was also pretty expensive especially If you have to buy an extra ticket for your girl (You can't ask a girl to pay to attend your hobby unfortunately ). My tickets were 250$ each so those also cost me 500$ for a weekend !!
Outrageus ! With all those sponsors, tv income and everything else I think Bernie should reconsider these prices if he wants this sport to survive !
I really don't know the prices in other countries but over here the grandstand costs 700tl which is around 500$ !!!
In such economic atmosphere around the world how many people could afford such a price?
That's simply robbery, not to mention that grandstand (start/finish straight) is the worst place to watch the race. They simply pass away. No overtake, no corner nothing.
I got my tickets from turn 8, which I believe is the best turn. You see them coming, cornering in front of you, possibly a overtake and watch them going for the final straight. That ticket was also pretty expensive especially If you have to buy an extra ticket for your girl (You can't ask a girl to pay to attend your hobby unfortunately ). My tickets were 250$ each so those also cost me 500$ for a weekend !!
Outrageus ! With all those sponsors, tv income and everything else I think Bernie should reconsider these prices if he wants this sport to survive !
Wow. Zero chance I'm paying $500 USD per ticket.
#12
06-06-2009, 11:28 PM
I think seeing things like this prove to some extent that F1 isn't even about racing anymore as it is about being a spectacle. They have started to change the schedule and races to use new exotic locations that aren't attended and are expensive for the teams from a logistical standpoint. To help this tickets are through the roof and because the only action happens in the pits it's more fun to watch from home at your very own television.
p.s. I know I am being negative but F1 as of late has just totally pissed me off that I look to all other racing series for entertainment.
p.s. I know I am being negative but F1 as of late has just totally pissed me off that I look to all other racing series for entertainment.
#13
06-07-2009, 04:13 AM
Oh...I thought that the tickets in turkey were a lot cheaper than in Monaco or Germany..
A car mechanic of the garage I frequent told me that he was going to Turkey for vacation and was going to attend the F1 race,since the tickets were much cheaper than over here...
A car mechanic of the garage I frequent told me that he was going to Turkey for vacation and was going to attend the F1 race,since the tickets were much cheaper than over here...
#14
06-07-2009, 06:15 AM
That's only a little more than the tickets for Montreal's GP cost IIRC. Montreal had a packed house every year--of course most of them were paying for cheap gen admission entry, only very few were paying hundreds for start line grandstand seats. But it was packed--instead now they move the GP to a country that can't sell tickets, all in the name of growth.
Stupid and frustrating. I hope F1 doesn't go the way of the Paris - Dakar.
Stupid and frustrating. I hope F1 doesn't go the way of the Paris - Dakar.
#15
06-07-2009, 09:10 AM
Yeah, I'll stick with ALMS ($80/ticket for the weekend) and vintage racing ($20-40/ticket). Great drivers, great cars that are far easier to distinguish between one another, and great fans. What else could you need?
[RANT]
Also, along the lines of what TTM0TION and sean were saying, F1 is too much about the money and doesn't really cater to the true fans (or the teams for that matter). Broadcasting 4 random races in the middle of the season on FOX for instance, is a great example of what is wrong with F1. Those who would really be interested in watching the race have been up at the butt-crack of dawn to watch the races live on SPEED and they haven't had any problems with ratings. Sure the fans still watch the race on FOX but they're unhappy about it because it's not live. Meanwhile, the additional audience that the FOX coverage is meant to reach out to usually winds up on the F1 race while trying to figure out why he has to wait so long to watch NASCAR.
The problem is that not many people, F1 employees included, seem to realize that F1 is more than just racing. It's a lifestyle. We here on Teamspeed are perfect example of my point; we're here every Sunday morning, posting from far and wide around the world and enjoying the e-company of fellow F1 enthusiasts. While it's simply impossible to air the race live at a reasonable time for everyone, that's not the point. The point is that the fans are there, and the fans actually give a shit what happens and takes notice when they don't like things. Meanwhile, F1 and the FIA just follow the sponsorship money and pick these strange venues where it'd be very tough for the average fan to pay the price of admission.
I dunno. Sometimes it just pisses me off. Then again, I haven't had my morning coffee yet either.
[/RANT]
[RANT]
Also, along the lines of what TTM0TION and sean were saying, F1 is too much about the money and doesn't really cater to the true fans (or the teams for that matter). Broadcasting 4 random races in the middle of the season on FOX for instance, is a great example of what is wrong with F1. Those who would really be interested in watching the race have been up at the butt-crack of dawn to watch the races live on SPEED and they haven't had any problems with ratings. Sure the fans still watch the race on FOX but they're unhappy about it because it's not live. Meanwhile, the additional audience that the FOX coverage is meant to reach out to usually winds up on the F1 race while trying to figure out why he has to wait so long to watch NASCAR.
The problem is that not many people, F1 employees included, seem to realize that F1 is more than just racing. It's a lifestyle. We here on Teamspeed are perfect example of my point; we're here every Sunday morning, posting from far and wide around the world and enjoying the e-company of fellow F1 enthusiasts. While it's simply impossible to air the race live at a reasonable time for everyone, that's not the point. The point is that the fans are there, and the fans actually give a shit what happens and takes notice when they don't like things. Meanwhile, F1 and the FIA just follow the sponsorship money and pick these strange venues where it'd be very tough for the average fan to pay the price of admission.
I dunno. Sometimes it just pisses me off. Then again, I haven't had my morning coffee yet either.
[/RANT]
#18
06-07-2009, 02:10 PM
The Problem is that the race tracks have to survive,too...
Hockenheim is the perfect example...they are struggling to keep the F1 in their program because it`s not lucrative anymore...The last time,they were set back by 5,3 million Euro and the government refused any financial support.The DTM brought in some money,but they`re still hard on the edge of having to give up the F1 races,because they`re simply too expensive and there are less fans attending and people are spending less at and around the event.
I wonder why...a few years ago,the F1 was very famous and everyone was hot on fan articles of the racing teams(Ferrari,BMW Sauber..)
Hockenheim is the perfect example...they are struggling to keep the F1 in their program because it`s not lucrative anymore...The last time,they were set back by 5,3 million Euro and the government refused any financial support.The DTM brought in some money,but they`re still hard on the edge of having to give up the F1 races,because they`re simply too expensive and there are less fans attending and people are spending less at and around the event.
I wonder why...a few years ago,the F1 was very famous and everyone was hot on fan articles of the racing teams(Ferrari,BMW Sauber..)