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This was the solution to people removing the white covering a couple weeks ago….

No wonder there was no overtime funding so fans could watch P2. Of course too many people would probably cause a defect in construction to show itself.

No need to scream at the Elderly though. Typical Las Vegas.


 
Ok you are a big brand, that has paid $120m a year to be the biggest sticker on 2 cars... Liberty/F1/FIA et al run a 24 season event, you know that at every event there are going to be paid and free viewers, F1 is about getting brand names to be seen, that is why every inch of the walls are plastered with logos, the more the better.. So what if of the reported 335 000 that attended the event, you have a 15 % free viewership? Surely that to you the big brand is bonus, you pay expecting 335 000 and get 350 000 pairs of eyeballs... So blocking hurts you as a brand..

The more folks that get to watch an event means you can charge more for the logos to be seen, take the super-bowl, the big gird iron show, imagine if that was only broadcast in Sitka, Alaska, to a total viewership of 30.. Do you think the super-bowl could charge $1,5m per 30 seconds for an ad slot? Would be lucky to get $1500 for 15 minutes...

F1 is watched across the planet, and if you happen to have a free viewership of 10%, but you spend millions to prevent the 10% from seeing, not all the action, but maybe 3% overall.. The logic does not make sense..I am surprised that every big and small brand, team principle signed off on this fiasco of the blocking out..It seems way too petty to justify.. Everyone knows that in production, be it F1 or pies, you are going to have some sort of loss...It is part of the business of doing business.. A wise business operator would build that into the price, so that even if they are expecting 10% free watching, and it goes to 12 or 15%, no harm.. Not like the bridge or the hotels, gave you perfect views, partial and they went all out, and for what???

That is what is called clown circus.. You hope to sell a certain number of tickets per show, you could spend a lot of money to build a fence to keep out non payers, but is this going to cost less than a couple of kids sneaking in for free?? If you are seen building a wall, would people want to come...??

I am so confused by the whole weekend, they are all old enough, educated enough, professional enough to have thought this through..The whole approach is somewhat bizarre, as you would think, a new market, giving away a sample would sell the brand of F1 to Sin City, go all out year 1-3, then year 4-10 start to clamp down, really how many would have seen 5% of the track at any one vantage point... Maybe gone home and watched at home.. After all that is what Liberty want, is viewers at tracks, and viewers at home.. the more the better...
 
It would be interesting to know how other street circuits handle this at the "ground level". We hear about Las Vegas because it's in America and social media is rampant so everything is reported. But can one just walk around "public" areas of, say, the Jeddah or Baku circuits without a ticket and see the race?
 
When you go to a cricket/rugby/football stadium for example, you are paying to watch something happen in a confined space, the pitch..for a period of time... You have a seat, access to a bathroom, beverages, other merch.. Ok, that I get, but F1 is not within a 100m by 50m oblong pitch, you get to see very little during the 90minutes of the event, you are paying to access a bathroom, food/beverages, and purchase merch.. I am pretty sure no one at the race track gets to see 100% of the action at all times... Unlike some short course ovals for stock car racing..

I cannot see the logic of attending F1 at the venue, what exactly are you going to see? From what I have seen from various posts on youtube, no one sees much.. So to "block" or hinder viewing, is very immature and short sighted and pointless.. Have I missed something??
 
This was the solution to people removing the white covering a couple weeks ago….

No wonder there was no overtime funding so fans could watch P2. Of course too many people would probably cause a defect in construction to show itself.

No need to scream at the Elderly though. Typical Las Vegas.



Thats disgusting, not professional or polite at all, just scream and shout.
 
It would be interesting to know how other street circuits handle this at the "ground level". We hear about Las Vegas because it's in America and social media is rampant so everything is reported. But can one just walk around "public" areas of, say, the Jeddah or Baku circuits without a ticket and see the race?

Other tracks don’t charge 200 dollars just to watch the practice session and then start GP tickets from 500 dollars, I think even Monaco is meant to be cheap? Or reasonable? If you rough it apparently Monaco can be a cheap GP to watch. Just need to plan ahead. But it would be cool to know how other street tracks handle it.
 
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315 000 tickets at $100 a ticket is $31 500 000
That is not a huge amount to earn, if you are spending upwards of $750 000 000, to build, host, the event..
I am sure that there is some income from sponsorships, etc, but to fork out almost if not $1b over 10 yrs, for an event.. And you are worried about a couple thousand lookie lou's getting a freebie... You have issues.. big deep issues..
 
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It would be interesting to know how other street circuits handle this at the "ground level". We hear about Las Vegas because it's in America and social media is rampant so everything is reported. But can one just walk around "public" areas of, say, the Jeddah or Baku circuits without a ticket and see the race?

It's not at all unusual to make attempts to restrict vantage points around the perimeter of the event grounds to prevent the unticketed public from seeing the event.

Those who complain about it, or are surprised to see it happen have clearly never been to a street race (no pun intended).

It's not just Liberty, or F1 being greedy, it happens in other series like IndyCar as well.

Even within the grounds, there can be good vantage points where people are not allowed to loiter, and can be expected to be asked to keep moving by security, because they present safety risks, like at the tops of stairs, or the pedestrian bridges that traverse the circuit.

That's not to say every event promoter fails to recognize the marketing potential of allowing free "peeks." As part of the move of the Detroit IndyCar event from Belle Isle to the downtown streets, the organizers did set up "free" zones to promote the event, and allow the public to have vantage points without requiring a ticket.

Truth be told, most sporting events are better on TV, with complete coverage and a more comfortable environment.

But watching on TV completely lacks the visceral elements of being there live, especially at a motor race where the speed, sound and smell of the cars cannot be conveyed, no matter how large the screen is or fancy the surround sound system is. The long camera angles and sound mix don't allow it.

For anyone who considers themselves a fan, it's worth experiencing at least once.

And when you do, don't be a rookie, and go prepared, with hearing and sun protection, like a set of cheap foam ear plugs at least, and a hat and some sunscreen, especially for any children in attendance.
 
It's not at all unusual to make attempts to restrict vantage points around the perimeter of the event grounds to prevent the unticketed public from seeing the event.

Those who complain about it, or are surprised to see it happen have clearly never been to a street race (no pun intended).

It's not just Liberty, or F1 being greedy, it happens in other series like IndyCar as well.

Even within the grounds, there can be good vantage points where people are not allowed to loiter, and can be expected to be asked to keep moving by security, because they present safety risks, like at the tops of stairs, or the pedestrian bridges that traverse the circuit.

That's not to say every event promoter fails to recognize the marketing potential of allowing free "peeks." As part of the move of the Detroit IndyCar event from Belle Isle to the downtown streets, the organizers did set up "free" zones to promote the event, and allow the public to have vantage points without requiring a ticket.

Truth be told, most sporting events are better on TV, with complete coverage and a more comfortable environment.

But watching on TV completely lacks the visceral elements of being there live, especially at a motor race where the speed, sound and smell of the cars cannot be conveyed, no matter how large the screen is or fancy the surround sound system is. The long camera angles and sound mix don't allow it.

For anyone who considers themselves a fan, it's worth experiencing at least once.

And when you do, don't be a rookie, and go prepared, with hearing and sun protection, like a set of cheap foam ear plugs at least, and a hat and some sunscreen, especially for any children in attendance.
Definitely! Yes, the main event is easier to follow on TV no doubt about it. But the atmosphere of being there is just unmatched. And I'd also recommend to at least once experience the Paddock Club, perhaps not on race day, but especially during practice and/or qualifying it is just amazing being so close to those cars.

And in the case of Las Vegas, bring a warm hat and coat :p

What is also really cool is how the various circuits have quite a different vibe to them. I appreciate that Vegas is just not for me, but plenty of people do like that. And it needs to be given some time to build its own vibe.

I love the crowd party atmosphere of Zandvoort and Spielberg, come rain or shine, they just keep going. But those are not the places for those who prefer to sit quietly in their chair.
 
I cannot see the logic of attending F1 at the venue, what exactly are you going to see? From what I have seen from various posts on youtube, no one sees much.. So to "block" or hinder viewing, is very immature and short sighted and pointless.. Have I missed something??

As TheIntruder noted, the experience of attending a race live is really invigorating. I did the Portland CART (IndyCar) race a few times in the 1990s with friends and co-workers and it was an awesome experience.

Also, F1 tracks have massive LCD displays arranged around the track that allow one to follow the action when the cars are on other parts of the circuit.

I love the crowd party atmosphere of Zandvoort and Spielberg, come rain or shine, they just keep going. But those are not the places for those who prefer to sit quietly in their chair.

I really want to visit the Red Bull Ring - I love the look of the place nestled in the valley and would actually want to watch it from the General Admission area on the valley sides rather than sitting in the stands because you can see the whole circuit. ;)
 
The biggest story out of Sin City Greedy GP was the heavy handed approach to preventing "free" viewing.. They thought that was their biggest problem... Really so what if 10 000 view free, if you cannot understand my point, you have missed the whole point F1 exists.. I think F1 cannot see the wood for the trees.. I think they forgot the point of F1.. Like Toto forgot about Baku in 2021..
 
As TheIntruder noted, the experience of attending a race live is really invigorating. I did the Portland CART (IndyCar) race a few times in the 1990s with friends and co-workers and it was an awesome experience.

Also, F1 tracks have massive LCD displays arranged around the track that allow one to follow the action when the cars are on other parts of the circuit.
It is a great experience, but sadly the experience is somewhat less impressive as it was pre 2014 when you could feel the power of the cars through your gut. I've seen V12's, V10's and V8's in Grand Prix' over the years and the duller sounding V6 Hybrid's although still impressive, are not as loud and I think it takes away from what used to be a thrilling experience. I watched the 2008 British GP from Brooklands Hospitality and that was an awesome experience, especially as it was an exciting wet race, god knows how much it would have cost. Walked around the McLaren and Ferrari garages briefly and got some cool pictures. Met Lewis, Jenson and Damon after the race too. Sadly that type of access is completely off limits to most fans unless they have good contacts or a very deep wallet.
 
The biggest story out of Sin City Greedy GP was the heavy handed approach to preventing "free" viewing.. They thought that was their biggest problem... Really so what if 10 000 view free, if you cannot understand my point, you have missed the whole point F1 exists.. I think F1 cannot see the wood for the trees.. I think they forgot the point of F1.. Like Toto forgot about Baku in 2021..

I do not agree with how FOM handled trying to restrict general viewing of the race, but as noted they spent a lot of money to make it happen and they promoted the living daylights out of it so I believe they went in with the firm belief that people would pay - and pay very well - to be a part of it. And I could see them wanting to make sure those people paying so much got the "exclusive" access they paid for.

The reality was likely different - it stands to reason a fair number of those 315,000 people in attendance did not pay anywhere near "list price" for tickets or the hotels. And even if you didn't pay for access, you could still get it - one Chinese influencer I follow was at a party at the Bellagio that overlooked the post-race interview so she snapped pics of Max, Charles and Checco standing below their dance platform.
 
It is a great experience, but sadly the experience is somewhat less impressive as it was pre 2014 when you could feel the power of the cars through your gut. I've seen V12's, V10's and V8's in Grand Prix' over the years and the duller sounding V6 Hybrid's although still impressive, are not as loud and I think it takes away from what used to be a thrilling experience. I watched the 2008 British GP from Brooklands Hospitality and that was an awesome experience, especially as it was an exciting wet race, god knows how much it would have cost. Walked around the McLaren and Ferrari garages briefly and got some cool pictures. Met Lewis, Jenson and Damon after the race too. Sadly that type of access is completely off limits to most fans unless they have good contacts or a very deep wallet.
What is really cool is to go to the historic grandprixes. You get a nice mixture of all the classic formula 1 cars, and get to get up and close with them as well. I was at Zandvoort last June with some business partners and my daughter, and it was just wonderful. Very low cost, and a brilliant time. And people really race them.

Lovely combination of sound, and smells :)
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Furthermore, when you go on a non-race day the access to the paddock is still there, and really not only for very deep wallets. And if you ask nicely, the staff will even take you track side. ;)


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It is a great experience, but sadly the experience is somewhat less impressive as it was pre 2014 when you could feel the power of the cars through your gut. I've seen V12's, V10's and V8's in Grand Prix' over the years and the duller sounding V6 Hybrid's although still impressive, are not as loud and I think it takes away from what used to be a thrilling experience. I watched the 2008 British GP from Brooklands Hospitality and that was an awesome experience, especially as it was an exciting wet race, god knows how much it would have cost. Walked around the McLaren and Ferrari garages briefly and got some cool pictures. Met Lewis, Jenson and Damon after the race too. Sadly that type of access is completely off limits to most fans unless they have good contacts or a very deep wallet.
What you felt was the lack or power. Little tiny engines with no torque that had to spin 20 thousand RPM to make any power. Most of the power they made was then wasted as noise through open tailpipes.
 
What you felt was the lack or power. Little tiny engines with no torque that had to spin 20 thousand RPM to make any power. Most of the power they made was then wasted as noise through open tailpipes.

Yeah it was an awesome thing to witness, sadly gone now but that’s the way it is. F1 has to stay relevant to the consumer market and thirsty V8’s have had their day. The V6 hybrids are faster but nowhere near as impressive in the flesh.
 
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Yeah it was an awesome thing to witness, sadly gone now but that’s the way it is. F1 has to stay relevant to the consumer market and thirsty V8’s have had their day.
I used to enjoy them too, but now they feel outdated and hardly like the pinnacle of technology. If anybody really wants to feel some power, they should go to a drag race. A top fuel car is so loud under power that it blurs your vision, absolutely insane.
 
I used to enjoy them too, but now they feel outdated and hardly like the pinnacle of technology. If anybody really wants to feel some power, they should go to a drag race. A top fuel car is so loud under power that it blurs your vision, absolutely insane.

I remember Lewis’ face a couple of years ago in an interview when Fernando was tearing around Abu Dhabi in his 2005 Renault R25 V10. They might not be the pinnacle of technology anymore but it’s surprising how advanced they still look and sound when demoed.

I went to Santa Pod when I was younger and Long Marston to watch the drag cars. Saw a spectator touch an exhaust on a freshly run car because he liked the pretty colours in the metal and left the skin of his palm behind lol. The power on those things are obscene.
 
What is really cool is to go to the historic grandprixes. You get a nice mixture of all the classic formula 1 cars, and get to get up and close with them as well. I was at Zandvoort last June with some business partners and my daughter, and it was just wonderful. Very low cost, and a brilliant time. And people really race them.

Lovely combination of sound, and smells :)
View attachment 2314913View attachment 2314916View attachment 2314914View attachment 2314917View attachment 2314915


Furthermore, when you go on a non-race day the access to the paddock is still there, and really not only for very deep wallets. And if you ask nicely, the staff will even take you track side. ;)


View attachment 2314923View attachment 2314924
WOW!

Do you have any more photos?
 
WOW!

Do you have any more photos?
Mainly got videos actually, the sound of these classic F1 cars is amazing. The six wheel Tyrell car on the circuit is awesome as well. :)

But yes, all so cool, and you can get really up and close. Highly recommended to go.




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Interesting video:

Looks like the stewards could have waved the Sainz penalty under "Force Majeure" rules, but were concerned that this would both create a precedent that teams would start using regularly to protest penalties and that another team (implied to be AMG Mercedes) would have appealed the waver and that would have had to be adjudicated post-season and if Ferrari wins the CC at Abu Dhabi but then loses the appeal, it might mean AMG would be awarded second.
 
Interesting video:

Looks like the stewards could have waved the Sainz penalty under "Force Majeure" rules, but were concerned that this would both create a precedent that teams would start using regularly to protest penalties and that another team (implied to be AMG Mercedes) would have appealed the waver and that would have had to be adjudicated post-season and if Ferrari wins the CC at Abu Dhabi but then loses the appeal, it might mean AMG would be awarded second.

If I were Ferrari, I’d be suing the track promoters for recuperation costs as the damage was costly, not to mention the potential lost points which are worth money to the team. It was ridiculous and I doubt any of the teams would have objected seeing as how faultless Sainz and Ferrari were in the incident.
 
If I were Ferrari, I’d be suing the track promoters for recuperation costs as the damage was costly, not to mention the potential lost points which are worth money to the team. It was ridiculous and I doubt any of the teams would have objected seeing as how faultless Sainz and Ferrari were in the incident.
Well Toto is clear on the record not being on the side of Ferrari. My guess is because of a perceived threat more than anything else. But still.
 
If I were Ferrari, I’d be suing the track promoters for recuperation costs as the damage was costly, not to mention the potential lost points which are worth money to the team.

At a minimum, the team should be reimbursed for the component costs since it would impact their OpEx under the spending cap.


It was ridiculous and I doubt any of the teams would have objected seeing as how faultless Sainz and Ferrari were in the incident.

Well Toto is clear on the record not being on the side of Ferrari. My guess is because of a perceived threat more than anything else. But still.

If AMG had informed the stewards they would appeal a "force majeure" ruling, the logical reason for them to do so is they and Ferrari are fighting over second in the Constructor's Championship and with the Ferrari's pace, if Sainz had been allowed to start second, chances are both would have finished on the podium and possibly have won.
 
At a minimum, the team should be reimbursed for the component costs since it would impact their OpEx under the spending cap.






If AMG had informed the stewards they would appeal a "force majeure" ruling, the logical reason for them to do so is they and Ferrari are fighting over second in the Constructor's Championship and with the Ferrari's pace, if Sainz had been allowed to start second, chances are both would have finished on the podium and possibly have won.

Absolutely, the track was at fault completely.

At the very least I think Ferrari should return the favour to Mercedes should they ever be in the same situation.
 
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