The United States Grand Prix organisers have revealed that ticket sales for the 2024 event have gone up tenfold since Max Verstappen‘s Formula 1 dominance ended.
The annual round at Austin has been one of the highest-attended races on the entire F1 roster since the Circuit of the Americas came onto the calendar back in 2012.
That has remained despite F1 continuing to increase its presence in the United States with new rounds in Miami (2022) and a nighttime event in Las Vegas (2023).
However, COTA race promoter Bobby Epstein has disclosed that the round was on course to experience its lowest attendance since the pandemic until recent weeks.
Epstein has stated that was set to be the case as Verstappen, who won 19 times last term, piloted Red Bull’s 2024 challenger, the RB20, to seven victories in 10 races.
But Red Bull’s regression prompting Verstappen to be winless in eight rounds has set up a potential title battle which has inspired a late influx in ticket sales at Austin.
“I think it would have been our weakest year in four, since the pandemic,” Epstein told Autosport.
“Our ticket sales really took off when Max stopped winning and it got more competitive.
“So, I give a lot of credit to our fan base and the audience, they’re paying attention and I think it’s exciting to see the season shape up the way it is.
“We’re expecting another big crowd, probably somewhere around where it’s been the last couple years.
“I would think whatever the record is for a Saturday sprint race, we should shatter that record, because Eminem has outsold Taylor Swift [who performed at the 2016 edition], and we’ve increased the size of the infield lawn to get to near 100,000 for the concert. So, I think 130,000 to 150,000 people will be there for the Saturday Sprint race.”
Las Vegas GP hasn’t impacted COTA
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is held a month after Austin, but Epstein is adamant that the closeness of the two races on the calendar hasn’t been a hindrance to COTA.
“It’s probably a wash in terms of our attendance,” he deciphered.
“It brings some more attention to the sport, and then it competes for ticket sales to some extent, but not so much, because they’re so uniquely different events.
“I like it, because it’s a spectacle and it builds the sport globally. I think Miami does more for building the US audience because of the time that it’s on.
“But I love the spectacle of the Vegas race and I hope more people watch it. I don’t think it’s had a big impact on Austin.”
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