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How does the sport work? I was looking at standings a while back and there are teams that get nowhere near it. How do they make their money as it must cost an absolute fortune to assemble and design those cars and the expertise that goes with it. Is it a vanity project for very rich investors or are they viable?
Here's a clear 5 min breakdown
https://youtu.be/NOEwTyHHvZo
The top teams earn the big money by deals that have been done in the past to keep them in the sport. Ferrari earn more than the other teams despite not having a championship winning car since 2007, although they did win the constructors championship in 2008. Basically F1 need Ferrari and bend over backwards to keep them.
There's three teams that earn decent money from their results, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari which basically fill positions 1 to 6 at most races. Sponsorship also brings in big money, but as above, the top three teams take the lions share. Williams who have been more or less last for the last few years lost their main sponsor this season and haven't been able to get another.
As for the weaker teams they must be losing money at a fair old rate, but are owned by very rich company's, Renault one of the biggest sellers of cars in the world being one.
Vanity project as you put it is not far off the mark.
I go to Silverstone every year and bought a ticket for this years race which would have been this weekend. I know a lot of people find it boring, and admittedly you'll get a few boring races a season, but it's a great weekend with plenty to see and do through the day with live bands in the night. I've rolled this seasons ticket over to 2021 so just my camping and beer money to find now.
I need to get to the UK GP. Done Le Mans 5 times, Indy 500, Daytona 500, Pre season practice in Barcelona, but never been to a F1 GP. Put off by the price TBH, but need to do one.Quote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman
My ticket was £190 for Friday to Sunday, general admission. Camping was £15 a night per person, although there are ways of not paying ie hide in the back of the van as you get to the gate, or just jump out of the car down the road and walk into the site which is basically a farmers field with some portable loos and showers on hire.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Dwr
A pint inside the circuit is around the £5 mark. We fill cooler boxes and rucksacks with our booze just before we go in. Food is expensive inside. I bought 3 bacon and sausage rolls for our breakfast and it came to £21. Curry sauce and chips was £8.
There's lots to do even if you're not into motorsport. My mate brought his missus last year and she really enjoyed herself. Live music in the fan zone included Razorlight, Soul to Soul and Craig David. The drivers also come on stage to answer questions asked by kids from the audience which is quite amusing. Loads of big screens to watch other sports. We watched England win the cricket word cup last year.
I'd like to try a few European races next year, Austria and Belgium are top of my list.
£190 is similar for a 4-day Le Mans grandstand seat, so quite expensive. Meet the drivers and seeing bands also at the other events (watched Razorlight in Le Mans). Food and drink are extortionate at all these places, but USA gives bigger portions. Le Mans quite tough to get booze in - need to buy a box of wine, take the inner bag out and put it into the bottom of a rucksack :hehe: USA sites are much more relaxed about taking booze in, they are only concerned about the max dimensions of cooler boxes than the content. Buy a couple over there each time and fill with beer, wine and ice. If you have the chance I really would recommend Indy or Daytona, both over the top USA fun fests with some good racing.Quote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman
Too many wheels, MotoGP better value for money, more races, more overtaking and all of the same things as F1 (same prices inside). European races are superb, especially the Dutch TT & the CzechQuote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman
We did the expensive Grandstand tickets in 2018. We were right on the start line. I think the tickets were £500 each, but we got them off someone who couldn't make it for £240 each. We've always bought grandstand tickets (usually on Copse) apart from last year, and to be honest I don't think I'll bother paying the extra just for a seat and roof. With the general admission tickets you can go where you want more or less. We took some camping chairs and watched from Copse Corner.
Got talking to some lads who've been going up for 10 years and haven't paid once. They jump the fence, or take some snips and cut through the fence via the wooded area.
We usually take our own food and I bring my fridge which I run off a petrol generator. If we're running low we usually pop into Towcester which is a five minute drive to pick up fresh stuff.
All in all we have a great time, whether its at the track or just talking bollocks by the campfire :biggrin:
Yeah, do fancy a moto GP too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Des Parrot
Yep. TBH, I'm not a huge motor racing fan, but I love the craic of the weekends..Quote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman
You need to go to the TT then, craic of the fortnight, absolutely nothing like it in the world.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Dwr
Yeah I'd quite like to do a few Moto GP races too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Des Parrot
Do you mean more races per season, or weekend? There's quite a few races at the F1 weekend with F2, F3, Porsche and historical races filling up the weekend.
Yeah. Problem is getting a place to stay though isn't it? Camping on a rock in the middle of the Irish see for a fortnight, even in June!Quote:
Originally Posted by Des Parrot
The first few years we went to Silverstone we took a caravan that my mate used as digs when he was working away. Then we did tents, but I'm not a lover of tents, so I bought a mattress and put in in the back of the van. Much warmer, no wind blowing the sides in and if it does get a bit chilly I start it up and put the heaters on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Dwr
When we went to Indy 2 years ago we hired a huge RV (4 of us), living the American dream. Problem was it got to 105 degrees F and we had no air-con.. Feck that! :facepalm: Following year (Daytona) we got a motel within walking distance of the circuit. Le Mans is always by tent, sometimes wet usually warm and dry.Quote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman