The compensations for the Belgian Grand Prix are causing anger

Attending a Formula 1 Grand Prix, being on site, is always a special event for any fan of the sport. With prices being so high, some work hard to be able to get a taste of the Holy Grail.

So obviously, when the race in question doesn’t take place (especially at the last minute), anger or frustration can only be great.

This is exactly what happened this season at the Belgian Grand Prix. While it was one of the most anticipated races of the season (excitement grew after the Saturday qualifying session), the race never started, as the race director played it safe due to the rain.

Months later, as the spectators eagerly awaited their refund, Liberty Media is now offering a completely insignificant compensation compared to the damage suffered by those who had a seat in the stands. Here is the offer, which is currently being presented as a set of three gifts.

– Un abonnement annuel à la F1TV, la plateforme en ligne de la discipline.

– Un accès pour un événement exclusif organisé le 25 août 2022, soit le jeudi du weekend de course.

– Une inscription pour un concours offrant 170 accès au GP de Belgique 2022 dans une catégorie surclassée par rapport à leur ticket d’origine.

Several problems arise regarding these offers. Firstly, the registration providing 170 passes to access the 2022 edition of the Belgian Grand Prix will only reward a tiny fraction of the 75,000 spectators who were present during the event.

Moreover, many people will not be present at the event on Thursday if they do not get tickets for the race, tickets that they will have to pay full price for.

Regarding the F1 TV subscription, it costs less than 70 euros, and it is highly likely that a portion of the fans concerned already have it. As many of them have pointed out, tickets sometimes cost more than ten times as much.

Several fans expressed their anger on RTBF’s microphone. “This response is absolutely scandalous, they’re taking us for fools,” explains an F1 enthusiast. “For a Grand Prix that didn’t happen and a €16 parking fee that turned out to be a muddy field 40 minutes away from the circuit, this is a massive joke, but they still collected the ticket money.”

Others are even more virulent. « I paid €900 for a fake Grand Prix, and they offer me a contest to win tickets. A lottery for €900, who are they kidding? Personally, I had to work and make sacrifices to offer this event to my Formula 1 enthusiast son! »

For your information, the Grand Prix of 1985 was also canceled due to the weather, and at the time, I was contacted the day after the race with a proposal to transfer my tickets to the next edition, as well as compensation in the form of free entries for the Spa 1000km endurance race. That’s true professionalism.