The Cost of an F1 Weekend Around the World [Data Study]

With a broadcasting deal with ESPN and the popular Netflix series Drive to Survive, Formula 1 is officially an American sensation. The sport’s surge in popularity in the United States has led to race additions in Austin, Las Vegas, and Miami.

As interest in Formula 1 rises globally, new fans may wonder how much it costs to attend a race in person. To answer that question, the FinanceBuzz team researched travel, lodging, race tickets, and more to determine the cost for American fans to attend each of the 24 races scheduled for the 2024 F1 season.

Key findings

• The overall average cost of an F1 weekend is $4,694.
• The average cost for a budget-conscious F1 weekend is $1,953.
• Averaging $23,578, Monaco is the most expensive F1 weekend on the calendar.
• With an average cost of $1,999, the Mexican Grand Prix is the most affordable F1 weekend.

How we did it

For this analysis, we looked up the following cost factors:

• Flight costs: We averaged the price of Kayak’s designated best flights from New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago to each city hosting an F1 race. Flight itineraries were structured to arrive the day before any official race weekend activities and leave the day after the race.
• Lodging: We averaged the costs for all listings on the first page of Booking.com’s top picks, which include traditional hotels, home, and apartment rentals. Additionally, we singled out the most affordable option when evaluating costs for a more budget-friendly weekend. Costs were calculated for the entire length of a stay, checking in the day before each race weekend begins and checking out the day after each race.
• Tickets: We took F1Destinations.com’s average cost for all tickets for each race in the 2023 season and adjusted them for inflation to reflect probable prices in 2024. We also singled out the costs of the most affordable general admission tickets for each race for a budget-conscious weekend.
• Miscellaneous: To cover expenses for transportation, food, and merchandise/souvenirs, we budgeted $550 in total miscellaneous costs during an average weekend and $300 for a more budget-friendly weekend.

The average cost of an F1 weekend

Across the 24 races that comprise the 2024 Formula 1 schedule, the average weekend would cost U.S. fans $4,694 between lodging, tickets, and daily spending cash. Round eight in Monaco is significantly more expensive than the rest of the schedule. If that race is excluded, the average drops by nearly $900.

Of course, plenty of F1 fans out there would be happy cutting costs on things like accommodation and tickets as long as they get to experience their favorite sport in person. For those fans, the average F1 weekend averages around $2,400.

The most expensive F1 races

Round eight in Monaco is by far the most expensive race to attend. Although tickets to that race are only the fourth most expensive of the season, lodging costs in the small nation are incredibly expensive during race weekend, averaging over $20,000.

As a result, the average cost to attend the Monaco Grand Prix is nearly three times more expensive than any other race on the calendar.

Accommodation expenses make up the majority of the price for the most expensive races. For example, the average cost for a four-day stay near the British Grand Prix’s Silverstone Circuit is nearly $5,500, while a place to stay in Austin, Texas, for the United States Grand Prix averages just over $4,000.

One of Formula 1’s newest and most anticipated races commands the highest ticket prices. Tickets for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is run on the streets of Sin City, will cost fans just over $1,700 on average. The Miami Grand Prix is the only other weekend where ticket costs exceed the $1,000 mark.

The least expensive F1 races

Not all race weekends have to break the bank. Fans can attend several full race weekends for a fraction of the cost of lodging alone at the most expensive locations. For example, the entire weekend cost for the Mexican Grand Prix is only around $300 more than the cost for tickets alone at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Mexico’s affordability isn’t solely due to its proximity to the United States. In fact, the next four most affordable race weekends take place on different continents, including two in the Middle East and one in Asia. Costs for each of those weekends are within $400 of the price for the Mexican Grand Prix, making them great cost-efficient options for F1 fans to travel far from home.

The best value when it comes to Formula 1 ticket prices tends to be early in the season. Four of the five races with the least expensive tickets on average occur in the first five rounds of the season, with round five’s Chinese Grand Prix having the least expensive tickets at an average cost of $152 for the weekend.

Tips for saving money at the F1 races

Whether you prefer watching the races live or on TV, here are some tips to help you save while enjoying your favorite sport.

• Use a top travel card to earn big rewards. F1 races take place worldwide, so dedicated fans who use one of the best travel credit cards to see races in person can rack up rewards over the course of the season.
• Save when buying merch to support your favorite driver. From merchandise related to a specific driver or an entire F1 team, using the Capital One Shopping extension is a great way to ensure you get the best price when buying F1 gear and apparel.
• Use credit card points to travel. If you’re a savvy card user, you can earn rewards and save on flights, hotels, and other travel expenses when you use one of the best travel credit cards for beginners.

2024 F1 weekend costs

Average race weekend costs

Round	Race	Circuit	Date (2024)	Airfare	Lodging	Tickets	Miscellaneous	Total
1	Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain International Circuit	Feb 29-Mar 2	$1,087	$1,222	$273	$550	$3,132
2	Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Jeddah Corniche Circuit	Mar 7-9	$988	$1,397	$403	$550	$3,338
3	Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit	Mar 22-24	$1,315	$2,836	$284	$550	$4,985
4	Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course	Apr 5-7	$1,678	$461	$238	$550	$2,927
5	Chinese Grand Prix	Shanghai International Circuit	Apr 19-21	$1,081	$589	$152	$550	$2,372
6	Miami Grand Prix	Miami International Autodrome	May 3-5	$330	$1,454	$1,146	$550	$3,481
7	Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix	Imola Circuit	May 17-19	$714	$1,884	$452	$550	$3,600
8	Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco	May 24-26	$1,097	$21,234	$697	$550	$23,578
9	Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	Jun 7-9	$397	$3,038	$306	$550	$4,291
10	Spanish Grand Prix	Spain Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya	Jun 21-23	$986	$1,075	$338	$550	$2,949
11	Austrian Grand Prix	Red Bull Ring	Jun 28-30	$1,566	$1,751	$322	$550	$4,189
12	British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit	Jul 5-7	$1,305	$5,448	$573	$550	$7,875
13	Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring	Jul 19-21	$1,124	$1,618	$190	$550	$3,482
14	Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps	Jul 26-28	$988	$1,259	$405	$550	$3,202
15	Dutch Grand Prix	Circuit Zandvoort	Aug 23-25	$883	$3,431	$493	$550	$5,357
16	Italian Grand Prix	Monza Circuit	Aug 30-Sep 1	$894	$1,326	$361	$550	$3,131
17	Azerbaijan Grand Prix	Baku City Circuit	Sep 13-15	$1,419	$1,299	$391	$550	$3,660
18	Singapore Grand Prix	Marina Bay Street Circuit	Sep 20-22	$1,264	$1,035	$543	$550	$3,392
19	United States Grand Prix	Circuit of the Americas	Oct 18-20	$422	$4,017	$687	$550	$5,676
20	Mexican Grand Prix	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez	Oct 25-27	$349	$392	$709	$550	$1,999
21	Brazilian Grand Prix	Interlagos Circuit	Nov 1-3	$897	$462	$402	$550	$2,311
22	Las Vegas Grand Prix	Las Vegas Strip Circuit	Nov 21-23	$367	$1,359	$1,717	$550	$3,993
23	Qatar Grand Prix	Lusail International Circuit	Nov 29-Dec 1	$1,382	n/a	$340	$550	$2,272
24	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Yas Marina Circuit	Dec 6-8	$1,031	n/a	$562	$550	$2,143
Averages				$982	$2,663	$499	$550	$4,694
Average w/o Monaco				$977	$1,779	$491	$550	$3,796

Budget-friendly race weekend costs

Round	Race	Circuit	Date (2024)	Airfare	Lodging	Tickets	Miscellaneous	Total
1	Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain International Circuit	Feb 29-Mar 2	$1,087	$424	$177	$300	$1,988
2	Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Jeddah Corniche Circuit	Mar 7-9	$988	$210	$143	$300	$1,642
3	Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit	Mar 22-24	$1,315	$502	$179	$300	$2,296
4	Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course	Apr 5-7	$1,678	$197	$74	$300	$2,249
5	Chinese Grand Prix	Shanghai International Circuit	Apr 19-21	$1,081	$229	$84	$300	$1,694
6	Miami Grand Prix	Miami International Autodrome	May 3-5	$330	$496	$608	$300	$1,734
7	Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix	Imola Circuit	May 17-19	$714	$437	$101	$300	$1,552
8	Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco	May 24-26	$1,097	$10,277	$311	$300	$11,985
9	Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	Jun 7-9	$397	$1,466	$193	$300	$2,355
10	Spanish Grand Prix	Spain Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya	Jun 21-23	$986	$294	$168	$300	$1,748
11	Austrian Grand Prix	Red Bull Ring	Jun 28-30	$1,566	$466	$117	$300	$2,450
12	British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit	Jul 5-7	$1,305	$1,201	$445	$300	$3,251
13	Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring	Jul 19-21	$1,124	$402	$111	$300	$1,937
14	Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps	Jul 26-28	$988	$437	$207	$300	$1,932
15	Dutch Grand Prix	Circuit Zandvoort	Aug 23-25	$883	$437	$280	$300	$1,900
16	Italian Grand Prix	Monza Circuit	Aug 30-Sep 1	$894	$331	$117	$300	$1,642
17	Azerbaijan Grand Prix	Baku City Circuit	Sep 13-15	$1,419	$82	$165	$300	$1,966
18	Singapore Grand Prix	Marina Bay Street Circuit	Sep 20-22	$1,264	$214	$280	$300	$2,058
19	United States Grand Prix	Circuit of the Americas	Oct 18-20	$422	$1,192	$489	$300	$2,404
20	Mexican Grand Prix	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez	Oct 25-27	$349	$61	$191	$300	$900
21	Brazilian Grand Prix	Interlagos Circuit	Nov 1-3	$897	$100	$227	$300	$1,524
22	Las Vegas Grand Prix	Las Vegas Strip Circuit	Nov 21-23	$367	$171	$515	$300	$1,353
23	Qatar Grand Prix	Lusail International Circuit	Nov 29-Dec 1	$1,382	n/a	$170	$300	$1,852
24	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Yas Marina Circuit	Dec 6-8	$1,031	n/a	$280	$300	$1,611
Averages				$982	$892	$235	$300	$2,409
Average w/o Monaco				$977	$445	$231	$300	$1,953

Methodology

Financebuzz collected average lodging, airfare, and ticket data to determine the prices for each weekend of the 2024 Formula 1 schedule. Specific sources are as follows:

• Airfare - Kayak.com - Prices for the “best” round-trip flight (as determined by the Kayak algorithm) were collected for flights from New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Those prices were then averaged together. Flight itineraries were organized to ensure that fans would arrive in the city hosting each race the day before any race weekend activities began and leave the day after the race.
• Lodging - Booking.com - Prices for the first full page of results for “Our top picks” were averaged together to determine the average price for lodging, while the single least expensive listing on the first page was used to determine the budget-friendly price. All stays were arranged to include check-in the day before race weekend events and check-out the day after the race. The actual racetrack location for each race was used as the target destination for nearby lodging in each city. Booking.com listings include both traditional hotels and Airbnb or Vrbo-style rentals.
• Tickets - F1Destinations.com - The “Average price” for a three-day ticket for each race during the 2023 season was collected, and then a 3% increase was applied to account for inflation. The inflation increase was used when calculating the average price for each race weekend. The General Admission cost plus a 3% inflation adjustment was used to calculate frugal weekend costs.

Additionally, a flat budget of $550 total was applied for the average weekend costs, and $300 was used for the budget-conscious weekend costs to account for miscellaneous expenses such as transportation, food, and merchandise or souvenirs.