The United States Grand Prix was a terrible event in financial terms according to the chairman of the Circuit of the Americas, Bobby Epstein.
Terrible weather conditions, which saw cancelled and delayed sessions, drove many fans away and those who chose to brave the conditions and stay, didn’t spend anywhere near as much as they normally would on things like food and drink.
“It was a tough weekend, financially devastating for the company,” he told the Statesman newspaper.
“We lost millions on concessions. And we suffered from some fans having such a bad experience they won’t be back, though I hope we can change their mind.”
Attendance dropped from 107,778 in 2014 to 101,667 for the race which saw Lewis Hamilton crowned a three-time champion. Both figures are down on the 117,000 attendees during its inagural year on the calendar.
Epstein reckons the upcoming Mexican GP, which is located just 700 miles south of Austin, is also a factor in the lower attendance.
“The Mexico race hurt us,” he added, believing it have cost them in the “millions” in terms of lost revenue through tickets sales and concessions.
