F1 increases the number of offers for paddock access

During his reign, Bernie Ecclestone made the paddock a sanctuary where the precious passes were granted sparingly. As he mentioned a few weeks ago, he considered the paddock to be like a three-star Michelin restaurant, where only valuable guests or sponsors had the right to appear.

With its arrival at the beginning of the year, Liberty Media brings its American vision. Across the Atlantic, let’s remember that fans of automotive disciplines enjoy wide access to different areas. In Nascar, for example, spectators have the freedom to go into the pit lane to take photos in front of their favorite team’s stand.

That is why the creation of the F1 Experience program was announced, in partnership with sports event package specialist QuintEvents, which offers several levels of service. Thus, it will be possible to either purchase grandstand seats or even secure spots for the prestigious Paddock Club.

This new program is therefore just a simple evolution of the Grand Prix Experience program that the partners have launched since 2012, which until now was the only way to access the Paddock Club at weekend prices frequently reaching 5,000 euros per person.

Brian Ruede, the president of QuintEvents, stated: « Through this partnership, we will offer the new gold standard of fan engagement to a truly global audience. We have an intimate knowledge of what businesses and fans want to see and do when they attend a Formula 1 race. QuintEvents’ role is to account for the unique experience of each circuit as well as travel through multiple packages, while facilitating access. »

Nevertheless, do not expect the 110,000 spectators at Silverstone to flood the Paddock. Indeed, the announced entry prices will not be within everyone’s reach. For a race like Spain, the cheapest package still starts at €317 for a grandstand seat. If you add the hotel option, this package rises to €3,259 per person for the four days.

Those who choose this entry-level option will be able to take a tour of the paddock with guides and will also have a bus tour of the circuit to closely visualize the trajectories used by the drivers. It is also encouraging to note that visits to the F2, GP3, and Porsche Supercup paddock, previously isolated, are also planned.

That said, F1 has also upgraded its offering, with the Legend package priced at €8,088 excluding accommodation. If the most expensive option is chosen in this category, the entire weekend costs €13,129. While Liberty Media is segmenting its offer, it is still not seeking to become an affordable sport, far from it.

Could this be the first sign of a possible merger between these different paddocks, similar to what happens in MotoGP? This would not only allow fans to get closer to the drivers but also enable the latter to be more easily in contact with the F1 teams. Today, only drivers with an agreement with a team are allowed to enter the paddock.

Following this announcement, some voices have already expressed concerns, stating that they would view this negatively since it would reduce the incentive to sign a contract with a team, one of the most discussed points being the number of passes provided for each weekend. However, the displayed prices clearly show that we are still far from full access. For reference, the most expensive price for a NASCAR ticket with pit and paddock access stands at €150…

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr