Blaming Verstappen? Silverstone, look at yourself first!
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- Ludo van Denderen
It was the only correct answer Max Verstappen could give: "If a promoter can't fill the seats and they blame it on someone, then I think they first have to look at themselves with their own eyes," the Red Bull Racing driver stated after Silverstone's chief executive identified Verstappen as the reason for the disappointing ticket sales for the British Grand Prix.
With most F1 teams situated in England, a lot of British drivers and a sizeable group of English media travelling along, Formula 1 has traditionally been an English party. Sometimes it seems like the F1 calendar revolves around just one race: the British Grand Prix. Even in the run-up to the race in Spain, the British still manage to get the attention back on 'their' race, which is not scheduled for another two weeks or so.
This time, by the way, it was not done with a cheerful message. Whereas - according to the British - Silverstone is usually a big party with a full house, there are currently plenty of tickets left for the Grand Prix. Stuart Pringle, the circuit managing director's reason? Max Verstappen, who wins too often.
'Verstappen and Red Bull have taken away the excitement in F1'
"If there is a strong likelihood of the same winner, and the jeopardy is taken out of the sport, it does take the edge off it. Last year was very repetitive in terms of one team dominated and they set off this season in the same vein," the Brit said earlier in the week. He went on to say not a word about what would be a more logical explanation: the sky-high ticket prices.
To attend the British Grand Prix for a weekend, you almost have to take out a second mortgage on your house. After all, a pitch costs as little as £349 these days. That's more than 400 euros, and that doesn't include eating, drinking or parking your car on one of the soggy grass fields nearby. If you want a little more luxury (it's really only 'a little more' in the old grandstands, often far from the track), then a grandstand spot is an option. Then you'll spend at least £549 per person. For other grandstands, prices can be higher.
Formula 1 must intervene
With its extremely expensive tickets, Silverstone is certainly not the only one. In the Netherlands or Belgium, fans also pay big money to visit the Grand Prix. Especially in times when everything is getting more expensive, and people find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, a ticket to a Grand Prix - and certainly not the British one - is no longer affordable for everyone. A huge shame, of course, and something Formula 1 needs to change. But even the director of Silverstone should know that instead of blaming Verstappen and Red Bull Racing for lower ticket sales.