Patrick Allen reveals his strategy for Silverstone

One of the first topics of our conversation was obviously traffic management, which has been a recurring issue for the British circuit for years.

Thus, Claire Williams did not miss the opportunity to note the topic during Friday’s conference, emphasizing that it demonstrated the popularity of the event: “I was stuck in a traffic jam for 1h20 this morning, but I thought it was great because I believe it shows that our sport is healthy and that people still want to see us race. I hope that we, the teams, will be able to create a fantastic event for them this weekend.”

But obviously, for the circuit manager, such traffic jams are not seen as something positive because it creates frustration for everyone: “No, it’s never good news for people to wait too long. In fact, what happened is that the campgrounds weren’t filling up fast enough, and that delayed everyone behind. To solve the problem, we sent employees to help fill the campgrounds. We also placed traffic signs further out to better guide people.” He could only be satisfied that the same problems did not occur today as 110,000 people converged on the circuit.

For the race, 140,000 people are expected, which is almost the maximum of what the current infrastructure allows, as there are only 64,000 seats in the stands. Various projects are planned for the future: “We want to keep these grassy areas because the fans love to gather there to see their heroes. What we plan to do is expand them so that more people can go there and have an even better view of the track.”

Patrick Allen then presented us with an initial assessment of his six months at the helm of the circuit: “I think our main achievement is having changed the mindset, putting the fans back at the center of our concerns. And when I say fans, I’m not talking about those in the Paddock Club. I’m talking about those with general admission who sit on the grass.”

This resulted in the implementation of a new pricing strategy as soon as he took charge: “Yes, this year, the prices were not stable because I arrived in the middle of the sales period. When I arrived, I found that the prices were completely ridiculous. That’s why we reviewed the prices.”

Paradoxically, this decision has created a strong controversy. Indeed, many fans who had already bought their tickets felt they were disadvantaged since the new prices were lower than what they had to pay. It was therefore decided to make a gesture for next season: “We will refund one million pounds to the fans for next year as they will all receive a £10 credit that they can use for next year’s tickets.”

The 2016 prices are already known and announced since sales started yesterday: “Our prices for next year will be the lowest in ten years. It seems to be working since yesterday alone, we sold 250,000 pounds sterling worth of tickets.” The strategy here is to align with what can be done in civil aviation: the earlier fans book, the cheaper their ticket will be. Currently, Sunday prices are set at £80 while the ticket for the entire weekend is at £110, which can be compared to what might be charged for going to Wimbledon or a rock concert.

There is also a desire to expand the audience to those who are not solely motorsport enthusiasts: “My wife isn’t particularly attracted to motorsports. But she can bring the kids because there are activities planned for them, and we have raised the age for which children can get free tickets, from two to eleven years old.”

The idea behind this opening is closely tied to the new boss’s experience in large-scale retail. He thus prioritizes volume over unit margin. But this strategy also has a second goal: the restaurants and bars are not confiscated by the FOM and are therefore a source of income for the circuit. So even if fans spend less on their tickets, if more of them consume on-site, the financial equation becomes positive for the organizers.

The goal is therefore to transform it into a place at the heart of people’s lives, so they want to come 360 days a year instead of just the four days of the F1 Grand Prix: “The Holy Grail for me would be for people to wake up on the weekend, wonder what to do, and say ‘Let’s go to Silverstone, there will definitely be something interesting.'”

One can find in this aim what is implemented on a circuit like Austin, which organizes many concerts and other events besides car races. However, the difficulty for Silverstone is its geographical distance from major urban centers.

From our special correspondent in Silverstone