F1: lack of interest in GP Las Vegas forces “discount” on tickets days before the race | Motorsport

The current Formula 1 season is nearing its end and Max Verstappen has already secured his third consecutive world title. The Brazilian GP was the last race held and, as always, the Brazilians filled every place in the race. Interlagos Autodrome, in Sao Paulo. However, the next and penultimate stage of the 2023 calendar, the Las Vegas GP (USA), has a very different scenario and the organization was forced to drastically reduce ticket prices to attract audiences.

A report from CNN in the United States warned about the public’s lack of interest in the Las Vegas GP, which returns to the calendar after more than 40 years away. The main reason lies precisely in the definition of the championship, as Verstappen was champion at the Qatar GP, more than a month ago.

According to TickPick, the company responsible for online ticket sales, prices for race day fell 35% after Verstappen’s title, with the cheapest average price going from US$1,645 to US$1,060, just over R $5k in current direct conversion. These tickets, when they went on sale, cost around US$2,000.

Prices for training days have also decreased. According to CNN, the most significant drops were on Thursday and Friday. The price of the cheapest ticket was reduced by 50%, from US$385 to US$180 — R$875. On Thursday and Friday prices fell by almost 60%, from US$825 to US$342 — R$ 1,660.

As a result of this lack of interest, hotels are also suffering. The average price of a hotel room in the city is US$283 per night, or R$1,375, according to CNN. This represents a 24% drop compared to the average prices before the championship was defined.

Other attractions at the Las Vegas GP

On Friday (17), two days before the race, RM Sotheby’s will promote a commemorative auction in the city with two great Mercedes-Benz rarities that should together bring in more than R$100 million. The event takes place at the Las Vegas Wynn’s Awakening Theater and, of the 32 models that will be auctioned, the main stars are the Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR Coupe and Roadster.

The expectation is that the first model can yield up to US$9 million, around R$44 million in direct conversion. The convertible option must be purchased for a slightly higher maximum value: US$13 million or R$63.8 million. The values ​​are estimated by the auction house itself.

It is worth remembering that another big star of the German brand will also be at auction: the F1 car from Hamilton’s first victory at Mercedes, which should have the hammer hammered for at least R$75 million. To find out all the details, just click here.

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