British GP a bit rich for your blood? No worries, get it on finance!

[Peat]

This made me spit my tea over my keyboard:

http://www.silverstone.co.uk/about/z...stalment-plan/

Yes, the cost of tickets to the British GP is now so exorbitant that Silverstone have resorted to offering a pay-by-installment service.

Do Silverstone have a really bad deal with Bernard, or do they have too many mouths to feed?

[MGDavid]

Both, probably.

[bella]

i don't know if this is hilarious, pathetic, infuriating or ridiculous. again, it's probably all of them.

it's seven shades of patronising that they feel the need to offer their poor, unfortunate spectators a ticket to see the big shiny circus that sometimes, if they're really, REALLY lucky, lets them muddy the pitlane for an hour or so to peer into the hallowed toy caves.

on the other hand, the 0% interest offer is very handy.

[Greem]

*trying not to make a joke about 0% interest*

*failing*

[bauble]

For those of us who enjoy going to Silverstone for Club Meetings, and other National and International events, the income provided by the Grand Prix helps maintain the viability of the circuit over a full season. One can not view the GP as a single event, it is part of the complex job of keeping the venue open all year round, so that we can have a British Grand Prix every year.
I believe that virtually the only revenue the Circuit gets from hosting the race is ticket sales, everything else is Bernies. Personally I think the management do a pretty good job in difficult times and circumstances, let's face it one can always find a loo when needed, and parking is hard standing and easy access is mainly due to the dual carriageway paid for by the BRDC.

It is best not to see the cost of entry solely as the cost of watching the race, but as part contribution to British motor sport as a whole, something every enthusiast (as opposed to fan) should be pleased to do.

As always; one man's opinion. Feel free to disagree.

bauble.

PS; I pay my gas and electric, phone bill, mobile, house insurance, car insurance etc. on a monthly basis. Nothing new there then.

[Casper]

They might be trying to even out their cash flow.

[Paradise City]

People should keep their own counsel on this but I wouldn't deal with finance people over race tickets or any luxury items.

This is the end result of Bernie Extortionstone's shenanigans plain and simple.

[Sodemo]

After the redevelopment in around 2009 virtually every ticket for every event (that I attend at least) went up by £5-10. I personally don't even bother with the F1 any more. The last one I attended was 2004. I did go to some of the free tests these last few years up until they started charging for them.

Silverstone just seems to have a general anti-spectator attitude to everything. Massive fences everywhere, no bridge or tunnel access to the infield, high ticket prices, high food prices.

They probably need to bring in finance deals to pay for the 5000 pointless G4S staff they have employed, who it seems are basically just there to bully you the entire day.

[bella]

it's a bit of a damning indicator of where our culture is at too, as mr city suggests above. don't worry, if you can't afford it you can always put it on credit! such a thing would be frowned upon in germany and france for starters.

fwiw the g4s staff have no different an attitude to passholders. the mentality seems to be to find any excuse to deny you the right to be somewhere, regardless of whether you're meant to be there or not.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by bauble

For those of us who enjoy going to Silverstone for Club Meetings, and other National and International events,

Blimey - someone that likes watching events at Silverstone! Do you work for their PR department by any chance?

I'm afraid Silverstone sold its soul to host the GP and that has rendered it useless for spectating. Tickets on finance is just another facet of this decent into hell. The GP is hugely overpriced, as is the classic - premium prices for a poor spectator experience. I guess they need to try everything they can now to try and fill the place up.

[brakedisc]

Dump of a place since they spent all the money on the new clubhouse. Always been far too expensive for tickets. Bring back Eddie Irvines hole in the fence.

[GORDON STREETER]

As the prices kept on going up the only thing that was good about the GPs was the sound, now that's gone the best seats are at home or by the pool with a decent beer, and you can see the whole circuit !

[chillibowl]

if im buying a race ticket then im using my credit card but if i could not afford to pay off the balance before the end of the month then taking advantage of the 0% financing option is actually not a bad choice.

on the whole though ticket prices are getting out of hand and this option even being needed is a clear indication of that.

although i suspect it wont attract the types of 'fans' they are looking for...the ones with large amounts of disposable income willing to pay for over priced concessions and merchandise.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

As the prices kept on going up the only thing that was good about the GPs was the sound, now that's gone the best seats are at home or by the pool with a decent beer, and you can see the whole circuit !

Yes....

[bauble]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

As the prices kept on going up the only thing that was good about the GPs was the sound, now that's gone the best seats are at home or by the pool with a decent beer, and you can see the whole circuit !

With respect Gordon, I would point out that if everyone took that view, there would not be a Grand Prix, as Silverstone would not be able to afford it, so be grateful that some will pay to watch.
The reason that some of the facilities we would all like to see, such as bridges and tunnels, is lack of cash to pay for them, I am not employed by the circuit nor have any financial connection with Silverstone circuits or the BRDC, so I have no 'insider' knowledge, merely what I read in the press.

I very much doubt that Silverstone is 'profitable' as a business, and do not believe the high prices are profiteering, just the reality of keeping up with current F1 demands.

I am not attempting to defend the prices, merely trying to be objective. There are two sides to every story, and I seem to be alone in my view on here.

Regardless of any difference of opinion I wish all enthusiasts a happy season.

Cheers,

bauble.

[cerdic]

Did that say car parking £65?!!!!!!!!!!!

Used to be free.....

I went to my first GP in the early 80s at Brands Hatch. Went to pretty much every one during the 80s and 90s. I missed a few years then went in 2006, I think it was.

That last visit put me off going to another. It is not just the ridiculous cost. The track is now so remote from the spectators you may as well be watching on TV. There was nothing much in the way of support races any more. The park-and-ride scheme provided an unpleasant 'being herded' experience, and seemed to be MILES away. And I hate buses at the best of times.

The whole thing was more of an expensive test of endurance than the fun and exciting day it used to be.

[Graham Goodwin]

Honestly, the cost is horrendous.

In no way does that, finance or not, represent value for money. It's notable that no post-November interest rates are quoted!

To put it into context the face value price quoted for two tickets is c.150% of the average weekly wage in the UK.

Until I crossed to the other side of the fence I spent a lot of time and money attending all sorts of events, including Grand Prix. The level of ticket price for a GP was always relatively high, that' to be expected, but now this is out of hand.

£65 for parking is just plain stupid, and this for a facility that has become less spectator friendly as a result of the redevelopment.

We cannot be far from a point where it would be cheaper for a fan to travel to an overseas GP to get their annual F1 'fix' than to pay these prices.

[Peat]

At the prices quoted on the finance 'example', I would bargain that the frugal traveler could have a rather nice weekend away to Budapest for the same or less.

And then, once the race is finished, you are in Budapest. Not Northampton.

Not much of a contest.

[Sodemo]

Wow, £65 for parking. And to think I "only" paid £90 for a three day ticket in 2004 (oh and no parking charge).

[bella]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

We cannot be far from a point where it would be cheaper for a fan to travel to an overseas GP to get their annual F1 'fix' than to pay these prices.

we've been there for a few years. quite a few years, in fact. as peat suggests...

Originally Posted by Peat

At the prices quoted on the finance 'example', I would bargain that the frugal traveler could have a rather nice weekend away to Budapest for the same or less.

a general admission ticket at budapest is still well under £100. you can fly two thirds of the way and hire a car for the rest (munich was my last choice). make it a diesel and the fuel's under £70. hotels... well, anywhere will do. or a campsite. tent can go in the hold with sleeping bags. there's an auchan on the m3/m0 (forgot which). etc etc.

couple of years ago (christ, it was 5 years ago) i did the nurburgring gp for £200 each. including grandstand, campsite, fuel, and ferry.

Originally Posted by bauble

With respect Gordon, I would point out that if everyone took that view, there would not be a Grand Prix, as Silverstone would not be able to afford it, so be grateful that some will pay to watch.

i know this isn't what you're saying, but this attitude always gives me the feeling that some are of the opinion that a grand prix is a charity, and we should be generous and give them all our money because otherwise it won't happen. it's just taking advantage of people and their dedication, and it's wrong. why the hell should people who love a sport be expected to donate many hundreds of pounds of their wages to take their family to a grand prix, where they're treated like cattle and expected to buy overpriced, low quality food and overpriced merchandise?

if silverstone has overinvested and has set its overheads too high that's nobody's problem but it's own.

[Aysedasi]

Whilst I can understand (and to some degree sympathise with) the idea of the GP having to be ludicrously expensive in order to subsidise other events through the season, the spectacle would have to be many times better than it currently is to ever persuade me back to a GP again. And it would seem that I can now watch my favourite event in France for many, many hours over several days for what it costs to park at the GP? Now we seem to be straying into the realms of total nonsense.....

[Paradise City]

Even package tours, with few logistical worries w/o a stand, to Monte Carlo and Spa, are quite reasonable. You can engage with the action in those venues on those terms.

Silverstone is a logistical nightmare and the action is remote. Best give that money saved directly to the marshals if you want to encourage grass-roots stuff and enjoy a multiangle GP on your TV.

I'm certainly in no mind to reward Eccelstone's extortion.

That's the root of this. Eccelstone, using his huge bargaining power, vindictively persecuted Silverstone, with his high stakes games. Silverstone is up against Tiger Economies where money is no object and Silverstone turned itself into this gigantic white elephant to match Eccelstone's demands.. That's before we even start talking about the ruinous Donington debacle - all that to his dying, old mate Wheatcroft!

Eccelstone is at the root of this. I wasn't impressed by Eccelstone recently dumping the entire blame for high prices on the teams with an indifferent shrug of his shoulder. The man is a parasite.

[bella]

i don't think you've met a logistical nightmare unless you've tried to find a parking space for some of the venues. spa in particular

[Dave Brand]

The price of any commodity comes down (or maybe up!), in the end, to what the market will stand.

Like it or not, the British GP will no doubt be a sellout so; who's to blame, the organisers or the punters?

[bella]

interestingly, if you look at the ticket availability at the moment they're going to have to tell some serious marketing porkie pies if they're going to say everything's selling really well for next season's race. i suppose it all hinges on whether lewis takes the title....