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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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