Formula One fans believe that the racing series is increasingly financially inaccessible to the average person, new data shows.
As the popularity of the sport has increased in the last decade, so has the price of tickets, merchandise, and streaming services.
According to a recent survey of 55 motorsport fans, 45.5% of fans believe race weekend tickets are significantly overpriced.
A further 55.6% and 53.7% said that official team merch and streaming service subscriptions respectively are also too expensive.
The cost of attending Formula One has risen notably in the last 10 years. In 2016, a 3-day General Admission pass to the British Grand Prix was an average of £155, but for the same ticket to the same race in 2026, it could cost around £344.
One fan said: “I was planning on attending Silverstone again but the tickets had increased by so much.
“It’s completely pricing out genuine fans from being able to attend, it’s quite upsetting.”
This isn’t exclusive to the British GP either. The F1 calendar has 24 races, and every one of them has seen considerable price jumps in recent years.
Since Liberty Media acquired the sport in 2017, F1 has brought in millions of new fans. In particular, younger audiences and US viewers through Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive and the F1 movie released last year.
An FIA Formula One commission meeting held in July last year reported that the global fanbase of the sport stood at 827 million with a year-on-year increase of over 10%. It also highlighted the demographic change of 43% of the total fan base being under 35 and 42% being female.
They additionally reported growth in social media platforms, stating a combined following of 106 million compared to 18 million in 2018. These numbers demonstrate a clear increase in popularity, but with increased popularity comes increased demand and therefore increased prices.
One survey participant said: “It’s infuriating to see F1 take advantage of and profit off of demand.
“Not only do ticket prices skyrocket, so do accommodation prices, flight prices, and even food prices in the local area to the track.”
Another added that the rising costs send a message as to who F1 wants at their events.
“They still want it to be an exclusive sport, even when they mention trying to make it more accessible.”
Many motorsport fans are turning to other racing series to get their fix of speed. Almost 70% of participants said that they have attended or considered attending a race outside of F1. Series such as Formula E, Indycar, and the World Endurance Championship are popular choices.
The most common reason given for this was, unsurprisingly, that it was more affordable to go to these alternative series.
Tickets for the 2025 London E-Prix, for example, started at £21 for the Fan Village. Although these tickets did not provide track views, they had a live screening of the race and entertainment. Grandstands ranged from £50 to £100 for more premium seats, with Fan Village access included.
But having more reasonably priced racing options doesn’t take away the sting of F1 being financially inaccessible. A huge part of being a sports fan is experiencing the atmosphere and excitement for yourself. For a sport as thrilling as F1, fans will undeniably share this sentiment.
“I feel insanely sad that I can’t afford to go to see a race,” one fan in the survey said.
“Silverstone is hundreds of pounds for a ticket and that doesn’t include hotels and travel.
“As a single mum, I know it’s just not doable.”
Even watching the races from home is a financial barrier for some. Sky Sports has exclusive streaming rights for F1 in the UK. And the subscription costs £22 per month on top of paying for the base Sky TV contract.
Comparatively, ITVX broadcast every Formula E practice session, qualifying, and race without requiring a paid subscription, making it significantly more accessible. No such deal exists for Formula 1, so some fans are forced to choose between incomplete race highlights on social media or illegal streaming websites just to follow their sport.
One fan added: “I’d love to pay for an official streaming service, but the only one available is more expensive than a weekly shop each month so it just can’t be justified.”
Rising costs are inarguably an issue in F1. Whilst F1 has always been associated with wealth and luxury, the sport doesn’t seem to have improved accessibility in line with its growth. Formula 1 management have made admirable efforts to widen the demographic of fans, but this is meaningless if none of these new fans can even afford to watch.
Formula 1, Liberty Media and the British Grand Prix have been contacted for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels
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