Silverstone ticket sale spike as Brits sense Verstappen revenge

A surge in Silverstone ticket purchases

Silverstone and British Grand Prix bosses have seen a spike in tickets being bought for the weekend after the action-packed Austrian Grand Prix. And why wouldn't there be? British fans saw George Russell winning only his second Grand Prix of the season. And they have also seen Lando Norris challenging Verstappen at the front of the grid in 2024, exciting many local fans. According to Autosport, a surge in ticket sales has come after the Austrian Grand Prix.

But does a spike in ticket prices run deeper than that? In Austria, Norris' battling at the front culminated in a collision between him and Verstappen, the two championship leaders, reminiscent of many 2021 battles between the Dutchman and Lewis Hamilton. This battle at the front in 2024 is reminiscent of the 2021 battle between Verstappen and Hamilton. Many British fans will be excited to see that, but there is also a hint of potential revenge on Verstappen for 2021, and that can all start at Silverstone.

Austria crash reignites a sense of revenge

The 2024 season has come to life with the resurgence of McLaren. Lando Norris' win at the Miami Grand Prix highlighted the potential of the papaya-coloured car, and since then, he has challenged Verstappen and Red Bull at every race since. However, the quality and consistency of Verstappen has just been enough to see him take victory. That was not the case in Austria.

A slow Red Bull pit stop and fresher tyres for Norris meant the gap, once at eight seconds, was just two seconds, and Norris was in the ascendency. He closed down the gap and was looking to make a move. However, Verstappen's defensive moves were strong, but only to begin with. Ambitious divebombs from Norris were attempted at Turn 3 which forced him and Verstappen off track, but some movement under braking from Verstappen gave cause for concern about their being some contact. That came to fruition on lap 64. Norris was looking for a move around the outside, Verstappen drifted to the outside under braking, and they both collided. They both got punctures as a result, which meant Norris was forced to retire. Verstappen was able to salvage P5 from it, but he was given a 10-second penalty for causing a collision.

Is it similar to the incidents of 2021? Many people have drawn a conclusion from the Austria crash to incidents from that titanic title battle. But one thing is for certain. Many British F1 fans will still have the hangover of the season finale from 2021 in Abu Dhabi, but there is now the potential for a battle of that magnitude to be reignited in 2024, and there is the potential for British revenge with Norris behind the wheel, something British fans love, hence a spike in ticket prices.

Intrigue about a potential all-British podium 

Norris' battles at the front and Russell's latest win have also highlighted something that has not been seen since the 1968 United States Grand Prix: an all-British podium.

Many will comment on this current generation of British F1 drivers and say that it could be the best the sport has ever seen. Hamilton, although he might be showing his seven-time World Championship level at the moment, is still one of the great drivers on the grid, and the emergence of Norris and Russell this season excites fans. F1 may never be closer to an all-British podium, and the potential for that to occur at Silverstone in front of the British crowds has enticed fans to buy tickets at the 11th hour.

While all the talk in Austria was of overpriced tickets for a potentially dull and drab race, it has all flipped on its head. New storylines are being written. New battles are being drawn. The potential for revenge to be extracted is something British fans love to see. The prices might now seem to match the magnitude of the occasion for what could be a stunning British Grand Prix.