The British GP, a classic in the racing world, has seen a surge in popularity in the post-COVID era, with last year’s three-day event in Silverstone drawing a crowd of 480,000 fans. However, this year’s ticket sales are lagging, and according to circuit boss Stuart Pringle, the dominance of Max Verstappen is largely to blame.
Two years ago, a record 142,000 tickets were sold for the Grand Prix in no time. Despite the restrictions imposed by COVID in England, the enthusiasm was still high last year. Thanks to concerts and other activities, nearly half a million people filled the circuit grounds over three days.
Challenges for the Upcoming Edition
However, Stuart Pringle, the circuit boss, believes that such a turnout is unlikely for the upcoming edition in a few weeks. He revealed to the British magazine Autosport that many tickets remain unsold. Pringle argues that this is not solely due to high admission prices (a follower calculated that attending the Silverstone race with two children and two adults, excluding accommodation and travel costs, would cost over €1500).
The Impact of Dominant Performance
“If there’s a high chance that the same driver will consistently stand on the top step of the podium and the excitement is essentially gone, it takes away some of the shine,” says the circuit boss, referring to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who won an impressive 19 out of 22 GPs in 2023. Pringle adds, “Last year was very repetitive because one team dominated, and this season has started in the same way. I realize that we’ve had years where a British driver (Lewis Hamilton) dominated, but as an organizer, we didn’t mind that so much…”
The Inevitable Cost of Attending a Grand Prix
Pringle acknowledges that attending a Grand Prix, not just in England, is expensive these days. He believes this is unavoidable. “You can make it cheaper. But we have expensive bills (fees from rights holder FOM) that we have to pay,” he says.
