F1 Under Fire From Fan Over Alleged Grand Prix Ticket Overcharging
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Formula One fan has criticized F1's official ticketing website on Reddit, claiming that they were overcharged for Austrian Grand Prix tickets that were available for much less at the circuit. The fan received a disappointing response when they approached for a refund. Several fans have commented on the thread, revealing similar experiences.
The fan in question has been furious and has asked others to remain cautious when purchasing F1 tickets online. The comments in the thread suggest that the official website selling F1 tickets is an agent, while the circuit is the actual seller.
The aggrieved fan stated they received neither a refund nor an apology for being overcharged. The post, which is titled "tickets.formula1.com overcharged me €500+ – be cautious," read:
"Bought Austrian GP general admission tickets in January. Asked their customer support what tickets my kids (2 & 5) needed – they said full-price. So I paid €195 + €8 handling each.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 leads George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria...
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 leads George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. More"Two weeks before the race, tickets arrived showing €150 each. At the track, I learned kids under 14 are free. I overpaid €500+ on tickets for €300!
"Post-race, I tried email – always got "undeliverable" after 24h. On WhatsApp, they instantly refused any refund, no apology.
"We enjoyed the weekend and don't regret going, but we could have saved €500 or used that money for much better seats.
"So my advice is to buy directly from the circuit or better resellers to avoid overpaying."
One fan responded with a similar experience at the 2024 Belgian GP. The comment read:
"Buying directly from the circuit is much cheaper. I dont remember how much but last year I went the full weekend to Spa and the price difference on the websites was significant."
Comment
byu/pafpajpav from discussion
informula1
Another fan offered a piece of advice:
"Always by tickets from the tracks website. F1 is the middle man/reseller when you buy from f1 tickets" [sic]
Comment
byu/pafpajpav from discussion
informula1
This fan stated it wasn't F1's fault. The comment read:
"With many concerts (or any event really) that have both in-house and third party (Ticketmaster, StubHub, etc) ticket availability, it is in your best interest to always check the venue's website first. Their prices are usually lower and, in the very least, avoid the dumb service surcharge.
"These tickets are usually the first to go when tickets go on sale.
"I understand it's a bit frustrating to pay extra, but just be aware next time. The F1 ticket website didn't really do anything wrong here. It's clear they didn't get any of these "free for 14 and under" tickets. I wouldn't expect them to say "go to the track website for free 14 and under tickets" either."
Comment
byu/pafpajpav from discussion
informula1
One fan stated that they faced an entirely different situation, advising that it's always good to compare prices on multiple websites before making a purchase. The comment read:
"Had the same but different thing when buying tickets for the Dutch GP. The Dutch GP site was saying €800 per person for the three days but on the f1 site, the same tickets are €400 and some change each. So it really does pay to shop around."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
15 hours ago
- Newsweek
Lewis Hamilton's Former Mercedes Teammate Offers Crucial Advice to Ferrari
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team has been enduring a challenging 2025 season thus far, and Lewis Hamilton's former Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, has asked the team to listen to the seven-time world champion. This comes after Hamilton sent documents to Ferrari to elevate the team's competitiveness at all levels. Hamilton's debut season with the Maranello-based team has been a bumpy ride thus far, with most challenges surrounding the SF-25 F1 car. To enhance the car's performance and ensure no elements are carried forward to the 2026 car, the Briton has sent several documents detailing his feedback and suggestions. Hamilton revealed ahead of the race at Spa-Francorchamps that he also held meetings with the top-level management and engineers to ensure the entire team remains on the same page. Beyond just the car, he also advised Ferrari on making "structural" adjustments to the team. The 40-year-old driver arrived at Ferrari with the most impressive driver resume a team could have asked for, and his knowledge about what goes into becoming a championship-winning team could be extremely crucial for Ferrari. Here's what Hamilton said about the changes: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari prepares to drive in the garage prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 14, 2025... Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari prepares to drive in the garage prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 14, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. More"Yeah, I was at the factory for two weeks, a couple of days each week. We did preparation — naturally, going over where we were in the previous race, things that we need to change. I held a lot of meetings, so I've called on lots of meetings with the heads of the team. "I've sat with John [Elkann], Benedetto [Vigna], and Fred [Vasseur] in several meetings. I've sat with the head of car development, with Loic [Serra] and also the heads of different departments — talking about the engine for next year, front suspension for next year, rear suspension for next year, things that you want, issues that I have with this car. "I've sent documents, as I've done throughout the year. After the first few races, I did a full document for the team. Then, during this break, I had another two documents that I sent in. So, then I come in and want to address those. "Some of it's structural adjustments that we need to make as a team in order to get better in all the areas we want to improve. And the other one was really about the car — the current issues that I have with this car. Some things you do want to take on to next year's car, and some that you need to work on changing for next year. "We did development for — tried the 2026 car for the first time and started work on that. Thirty engineers come into the room, and you sit and debrief with every single one of them. So, big, big push. And otherwise just training — maybe a little bit too hard, a bit heavy this weekend." Given Hamilton's knowledge and premier class racing experience, former F1 champion Rosberg has asked Ferrari to take Hamilton's input seriously. He said: "He's a seven-time World Champion, so you definitely have to listen to what a seven-time World Champion is telling you. But it also takes time. Many of the things they cannot just change overnight. If the brakes are an issue, it's a long lead time to develop the new brake system. Or if he's not happy with the balance, it's a really long process. "So in many senses, he will be even thinking about next year already now as well, with some of the things that he's talking about. I think it's a good sign, though, that we're hearing that Lewis is pushing, you know. He's not like resign, giving up, but he's really pushing hard, the team, the owners, the team boss. That's a great sign."
Newsweek
16 hours ago
- Newsweek
Adrian Newey-Designed RB17 Hypercar is Faster Than Max Verstappen at Spa
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Red Bull's RB17 track-focused hypercar is faster than a Formula One car at the Belgian Grand Prix's Spa-Francorchamps circuit on the simulator. This has been claimed by the technical director of Red Bull Advanced Technologies, Rob Gray. The RB17 beat the time set by Max Verstappen in his RB21 F1 car during the 2025 Belgian GP qualifying. Designed by one of F1's legendary design gurus and Red Bull Racing's former chief technical director, Adrian Newey, the RB17 has been crafted to deliver F1-level lap times, offering drivers the feeling of racing a Grand Prix challenger. Coming to the heart of the matter, the RB17 is powered by a 4.5-liter V10 engine producing 1,200 HP, all of which is sent to the rear wheels. Weighing just under 900 kilograms, the RB17 packs a monumental power-to-weight ratio, helping it reach top speeds of up to 350 km/h. Only 50 units of the hypercar will be on sale, making it highly exclusive. While the RB17 is made to match F1 performance levels, Gray revealed that it is faster than a Grand Prix car around Spa on the simulator. Speaking on the Talking Bull podcast with Nicola Hume and former F1 driver David Coulthard, Gray opened up on the lap times of the RB17 when asked by Coulthard about what the car was capable of on slick tires. He said: Adrian Newey poses for a photo with the newly unveiled Red Bull RB17 hypercar during Day Two of the Goodwood Festival of Speed at Goodwood on July 12, 2024 in Chichester, England. Adrian Newey poses for a photo with the newly unveiled Red Bull RB17 hypercar during Day Two of the Goodwood Festival of Speed at Goodwood on July 12, 2024 in Chichester, England."In the virtual world, it is faster than an F1 car. In Spa, I think they did a 1:38, something like that. Um, so yeah, incredibly fast." For comparison, Max Verstappen secured P4 with a lap time of 1:40.903 during the Belgian GP qualifying session this year. Lando Norris, who secured pole position, set his fastest lap time of 1:40.562. That makes the RB17 around two seconds faster than an F1 car, which in the world of racing is a lot of performance. However, the car has yet to prove its prowess off the simulator on a real Grand Prix circuit. Newey, who designed Red Bull's dominant RB19 of the current ground effect era that helped the team win 21 out of 22 races in 2023, said that the RB17 was a project that allowed him to do something different from his routine F1 work. He said: "I guess there's a number of years I've been in F1 that to keep myself fresh and avoid going stale, I feel sometimes I need other projects to kind of give inspiration and so forth so that when I'm in F1, I'm not feeling as if I'm always doing the same thing. "The [Aston Martin] Valkyrie was the first project in that mould, then I kind of started to think what can be the next project? I didn't want to simply do Valkyrie 2, it had to be something different. I pondered that for quite a while." He added: "I started to think, 'Okay, could we come up with a car which would be accessible to drivers with relatively limited track experience and they could then grow with the car?' "The model I kind of pictured in my own head, if you like, is say you decide you want to start playing golf, then you go to a golf club, hit a few balls and the balls go flying everywhere, but you enjoy it. Then you think, 'Right, I want to get better at this', so you employ a caddie, coach... "Part of the enjoyment is playing the game, and part of it is [helping] yourself to become better at the game, and this is trying to take that same model."
Newsweek
16 hours ago
- Newsweek
Ferrari F1 Team Principal Demands Key Change to Hunt Down McLaren
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Scuderia Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has highlighted the key area his team needs to focus on to challenge the McLaren Racing Formula One team. Vasseur admitted that while his team has the pace, it could take that big leap forward by being consistent every race weekend. Ferrari has endured a challenging first half of the 2025 season, where neither Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton has been able to win a Grand Prix. Although Leclerc has finished five times on the podium, the seven-time world champion is facing challenges in adapting to the SF-25 F1 car following his move from Mercedes to Ferrari early this year. Leclerc got close to winning the last race at the Hungaroring after starting from pole position, a first for Ferrari. He managed to keep Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at bay until the second pitstop, which handed a one-stopper Norris the race lead. However, a problem with the chassis on Leclerc's SF-25 compromised his pace, leading him to drop from second to fourth. The race highlighted Ferrari's strong pace, but a technical problem deprived the team of its first win. Vasseur believes his team needs to remain consistent every race weekend to narrow the gap to the dominant McLarens. He explained: Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 28, 2024 in Spa, Belgium. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 28, 2024 in Spa, Belgium."It's mega difficult to predict, also because I think the picture of one day is not necessarily true the next weekend. But at least I would say that the last two [races] that we are back on the pace. "We are consistently on it – not the last stint; I'm not completely stupid, guys – we are quite consistent on the tires, we are able to manage the pace and if we are back in qualifying, it means that we will fight with them. "I think that the advantage that they have today is that they are always there – it doesn't matter [the conditions]. OK, in qualifying, we were a bit faster, but it was marginal, and they are performing in every single condition when we are a bit more inconsistent during the weekend. "We need to be very consistent in every single condition. In the free practice to have a good preparation for the race, in Q1, Q2, Q3, with all the sets in the race, with the different compounds and so on. I think it's where today they are a bit more performant than us." Vasseur explained that Ferrari's pace during the Hungarian GP was evident with a good enough tire advantage, but the race ended with mounting frustration. He added: "You do the pole position, it's always a bit easier to stay in front than to be behind. I don't know if the gap in the first stint is two tenths with [Oscar] Piastri or it's one tenth, but in this magnitude, I think the pace was there. "We were even able to extend a little bit when we were under pressure with the pit stop. It means that we had the pace at this stage to do one or two tenths more or less. "I think this part of the race went very well for us, that it was really under control, that we didn't have the feeling to push too much. We were even able to extend, but we didn't lose the consistency and the tires at all. "We stopped just to avoid the undercut, but we could have done a couple of laps more at the same pace. It's frustrating."
