Formula 1 Tickets

Although this year’s Formula 1 season is the biggest in history, it is during the European summer where the season is at its busiest and best. With racing taking place across some of the best tracks in the business, any of the stops below would be a fantastic place to watch some truly top class racing.

Britain has long been regarded as one of the spiritual homes of Formula 1. Having produced a string of World Champions, many teams are headquartered in the UK, and teams such as McLaren, Williams and Red Bull view the British GP as their home race and are always desperate to win it.

Taking place at Silverstone, the Northampton track first hosted the race in 1948 and despite being one of the most familiar tracks on the circuit, the track is perfect for wheel to wheel racing and often creates huge excitement.

Another potential date for your diary is the Belgium Grand Prix. Held in the picturesque region of Spa, for decades this track has been regarded as one of the very best in the sport.

Containing a mixture of wide sweeping turns and several long straights that act as ideal spots for overtaking, Spa is the ultimate racing circuit.

Of the street racing circuits available on the 2024 calendar, despite being the least known track on the calendar, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has won wide-ranging acclaim for its suitability for racing. Whilst some street circuits can turn into a procession, the track at Azerbaijan allows for plenty of overtaking and should be a race for your shortlist.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - ref Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 - F1 Race (formula1.com)

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on F1 tickets, every race on the calendar is well worth attending. However, there are some tracks that might not offer a brilliant racing experience in comparison to others.

Although every team and driver wants to win around Monaco, the race itself can be very uneventful. The first street circuit in Formula 1 history, the narrow roads mean that overtaking is virtually impossible, and over the last few years, there have been complaints that the race can turn into a procession.

Whilst the race takes place in a truly picturesque setting, if you want to see wheel-to-wheel excitement, Monaco isn’t the circuit for you.

In recent times the F1 season has opened in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Bahrain circuit often ranks as one of the worst tracks for overtaking, and due to the fact that the first race of the year can often see teams still making changes to their cars, it can sometimes lead to some strange results.

With teams often introducing upgrades later in the year, it might be wiser to watch a race in the heart of the season rather than this one at the beginning.

Monaco Grand Prix - ref Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 - F1 Race (formula1.com)

The beauty of Formula 1 is that it is so much more than just a race. Tickets can be bought for all three days, which includes practice, qualifying and race day, or individual tickets can be purchased for dedicated sessions.

The cheapest tickets will be for the practice sessions. Reserved on the Fridays of the race weekend and the morning of qualifying, the purpose of practice is to ensure that the drivers and teams set up their cars to ensure the best performance possible in qualifying and the race itself.

In Practice, teams will tinker with the tyres, decide on strategy and use practice times to acclimatise to the track. There is no racing on these days.

Qualifying is critical for a successful weekend and usually takes place on the Saturday of race weekends. Divided into three separate sessions, the idea of qualifying is to record the fastest lap time in the hope that a driver or team will start at the front of the grid for the race. Lasting two hours, qualifying can often be gripping. With each lap meaning something, it can be a brilliant session to attend.

Formula 1 race days usually take place on Sundays. Drivers will start on the grid based on their performance in qualifying. Depending on the length of the track, different races have a different volume of laps, but races usually last for two hours.

The most expensive individual ticket that can be purchased, a race day ticket will allow you to soak up the pre-race atmosphere and will also allow you to watch all of the post race podium celebrations.

No, although it gets very little TV coverage, Formula 2 and GP racing also take place over a Formula 1 weekend.

With the majority of Formula 1 teams also having a financial interest in both Formula 2 and GP racing, the idea of these races is for the stars of the future to work their way up to the Formula 1 level. These races are often the perfect breeding ground for future champions.

After F1 qualifying on the Saturday, both Formula 2 and GP racing will hold a feature race that can be watched as a part of your ticket.

Both disciplines will also hold a smaller sprint race on the morning of the Formula 1 race. If you have a race day ticket you will also be able to watch this shorter sprint race.

Lewis Hamiton wins British Grand Prix - ref 2021 British Grand Prix race report & highlights: Hamilton overcomes first-lap collision with Verstappen to hunt down Leclerc for 8th British GP win | Formula 1®

With the F1 hierarchy keen to ensure that F1 continues to appeal to the younger generations, Sprint races have been introduced, with these acting as qualifying for the main race.

The idea of Sprint racing is to offer up additional driver and constructor points, which in a tight Championship race could prove to be the difference between winning and losing. Sprint races usually last no more than 20 laps. Qualifying for these races will take place on the Friday of the race weekend.

Six tracks on the 2024 calendar, China, Miami, Austria, Austin, Qatar and Sao Paulo will all host Sprint races and due to the extra racing involved, tickets for these races can be more expensive than other races throughout the year.

As a Formula 1 track can often be several miles long, it isn’t surprising that there are several different places where you can sit and watch the action.

The most expensive seats will always be near the start/finish line. Home to the paddock where the teams and drivers prepare for the race, seats near the start will often be able to witness the most exciting element of the race, and it also isn’t uncommon to see overtaking take place down the home straight.

Temporary stands are often set up all over the course, often positioned in areas of the track where fantastic vantage points are guaranteed.

It is common for the stands to be large, with seats both high and low in the stands offering different advantages. Those seated lower down will have a great view of the cars whooshing past, whereas those seated towards the upper half of the stands may be able to see more of the cars making their way across other parts of the track.

There will also be some tickets available in covered stands. Whilst not available at every track, in countries where rain might be possible, seats in these stands will ensure that you stay dry!

It is also worth noting that the further away you are from the start line, the cheaper the tickets usually are. Your ticket will usually only permit you to watch races from the stand where the ticket is valid for.

When actually watching a Formula 1 race, you won’t be able to see the entirety of the race track. However, usually adjacent to any stand is a big screen that will allow you to watch the whole race from your seat.

No matter where you sit, toilets and concessions will be widely available. It is important to note that race days can become exceptionally busy. Grands Prix such as the British Grand Prix can see 160,000 people descend on the venue, so you may find yourself queuing for all of the essentials.

Las Vegas Grand Prix -  ref The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix Was All the Spectacle We Expected (robbreport.com)

For true racing fans, a ticket across the entire F1 race weekend is the ultimate goal, and whilst these tickets can be expensive, at certain tracks on the F1 calendar, savings can be made due to people being able to camp on-site.

The British GP, Austrian, Belgian, Hungarian and French Grand Prix’s are just five races that allow camping and this could be a great way to help keep costs down whilst still having a great time and meeting fellow racing enthusiasts.

If this is an option for you, camping tickets will need to be bought separately from your main ticket.

Singapore Grand Prix - ref Singapore Grand Prix Tickets 2024 | Official F1 Tickets (motorsporttickets.com)

Yes, as Formula 1 has partnerships with some of the most luxurious brands in the world, the one area in which Formula 1 excels is with its VIP Packages.

VIP tickets will differ from track to track but usually any hospitality tickets will give access to areas around the paddock, and seats are often located near the start/finish line.

Depending on how much you wish to pay, VIP tickets can vary from just food and drink to other tickets that will grant access to the pit lane or grid before racing begins.

There are a couple of ways that you can buy tickets for Formula 1 races.

The first way to purchase tickets is through the official F1 website. Tickets for the entirety of the race weekend or individual sessions will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis and you will need to be quick as F1 tickets are usually snapped up exceptionally quickly. It is usually the race tickets that will sell out first, followed by qualifying and then practice.

On the site a range of tickets will be made available and depending on availability you can often choose which part of the track you wish to sit.

If you want to browse your options or you find tickets on the main site are sold out then don’t fear. At Ticket Compare we have a range of tickets across the entirety of the race weekend as well as VIP and hospitality options.

With tickets available for every race, we have you covered for any Formula 1 tickets that you wish to buy.