September 30, 20214 yr I mean it's not just COTA, people are predicting Miami 2022 to be about the same price. I am prepared to spend $900-1000 on 3-day GA tickets for me and the wife. I have a buddy who is also going. He plays on the European Tour and his management company represents Mark Weber and Damon Hill. We are hoping to get some upgraded tickets through the agency but they aren't sure what they can do because interest is already high. It has to be all of the Drive to Survive people wanting to see a race for the first time.
September 30, 20214 yr That’s crazy. I guess I will skip this year. Maybe I’ll try and go on Friday. Still thinking there will be more tickets eventually. But maybe it’s limited due to not having staff for a big crowd? Just seems weird that it’s already sold out supposedly
September 30, 20214 yr Author 31 minutes ago, Atxracer said: That's ridiculous. Every year I have done upper T15 for like 650 with COTA calling me asking to buy instead of me calling them. This year when I did think about buying tickets they were already sold out. I imagine that's more "drive to survive" more than Covid but who knows. This world is nuts. 15 minutes ago, Noozak said: I mean it's not just COTA, people are predicting Miami 2022 to be about the same price. I am prepared to spend $900-1000 on 3-day GA tickets for me and the wife. I have a buddy who is also going. He plays on the European Tour and his management company represents Mark Weber and Damon Hill. We are hoping to get some upgraded tickets through the agency but they aren't sure what they can do because interest is already high. It has to be all of the Drive to Survive people wanting to see a race for the first time. Seems like a bit of both to me (pent-up demand + DTS), with a dose of COTA being COTA mixed in. They calling it a sellout is pretty odd, given that they could fit 500K to 1M people in the place. They probably have something up their sleeve imho. They usually do. Edited September 30, 20214 yr by wood I can't type worth a fuck.
October 1, 20214 yr when I bought the Sunday only GA tickets last week I signed on at like 2pm and was 3,000 or so in line, didn't actually get tickets to around 3:30pm
October 1, 20214 yr I’m glad my crew rolled the dice back in April or May when tickets went on sale. We always sit in the main straight grand stand. I love watching the pits all weekend and the TVs are great there.
October 1, 20214 yr 15 hours ago, Noozak said: It has to be all of the Drive to Survive people wanting to see a race for the first time. Yep. One of my coworkers and her husband binged all three seasons of DtS before Silverstone, and now they're F1 fanatics. They're getting GA tickets for COTA this year. DtS has really spurred interest Stateside for F1. Edited October 1, 20214 yr by Dutch
October 1, 20214 yr 2 hours ago, XYZ said: So USA GP is sold out??? Even Friday? You can get very cheap Friday tickets through third-party ticket resellers. As of a couple of days ago, they were about half the price of buying through COTA.
October 1, 20214 yr 4 hours ago, Dutch said: Yep. One of my coworkers and her husband binged all three seasons of DtS before Silverstone, and now they're F1 fanatics. They're getting GA tickets for COTA this year. DtS has really spurred interest Stateside for F1. So that's how I got into the sport, but it was Season 1 and went to my first race in 2019. I guess with the pandemic more people started in with the show even though it had been out for a while? Season 1 was a fantastic primer since I hadn't watched any F1 before. Now that I've watched the actual seasons live, DTS is a bit like re-watching a game where you already know who wins. Edited October 1, 20214 yr by FirstTimeCaller
October 1, 20214 yr I just saw this on Reddit. I know it's an old joke that Porsche and Audi are always interested in joining Formula 1 but never do. I assume this means they are going to join as an engine supplier rather than a full racing team
October 1, 20214 yr 17 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said: So that's how I got into the sport, but it was Season 1 and went to my first race in 2019. I guess with the pandemic more people started in with the show even though it had been out for a while? Season 1 was a fantastic primer since I hadn't watched any F1 before. Now that I've watched the actual seasons live, DTS is a bit like re-watching a game where you already know who wins. The show is how I got into F1, too. I watched it when I was in HS back in the Prost/Senna days, but hadn't watched in a long time. DTS is great.
October 1, 20214 yr 22 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said: So that's how I got into the sport, but it was Season 1 and went to my first race in 2019. I guess with the pandemic more people started in with the show even though it had been out for a while? Season 1 was a fantastic primer since I hadn't watched any F1 before. Now that I've watched the actual seasons live, DTS is a bit like re-watching a game where you already know who wins. Me too. IIRC, season 1 dropped right before the 2019 Chinese GP. Haven't missed a race since. Still love DtS, but I'm seeing what older fans mentioned about it in prior threads on this board. Contriving controversy, etc. The notable one for me was last year, when Buxton said there was real animosity between Lando and Carlos. Yeah... no. I laughed during that episode. There was so much animosity that McLaren sent him off to Ferrari with a love note. Still lulz that Zak speaks "third-most" Italian at the MTC.
October 1, 20214 yr Cool thing about THIS season, is DtS isn't going to need to manufacture any extra drama. I'm really looking forward to seeing the behind-the-scenes Max/Lewis and also the Bottas/Merc drama unfold.
October 1, 20214 yr Sort of in the vein with DTS and past races... can y'all remember happenings and results of specific races? For instance, I have no idea who won Austria (assume Max?) or Bahrain or what even happened in most races. I remember the really big events -- Max blowing a tire at Baku and the Silverstone drama this year -- but I'm amazed that people seem to remember details of who won individual races.
October 1, 20214 yr My first intro into F1 was a college Buddy from Europe. He and a group bought tickets as soon as available. Turn 12. Fantastic. Hate the fact that I had no idea about the sport and didn’t appreciate the lineup we watched that weekend. Seb Alonzo Hamilton Massa Button Kimi RoGrow Hulk Ricciardo Nico Rosberg Michael Schumacher Mark Webber.
October 1, 20214 yr Author 54 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said: Sort of in the vein with DTS and past races... can y'all remember happenings and results of specific races? For instance, I have no idea who won Austria (assume Max?) or Bahrain or what even happened in most races. I remember the really big events -- Max blowing a tire at Baku and the Silverstone drama this year -- but I'm amazed that people seem to remember details of who won individual races. I can remember a fair amount of stuff, but I m consistently floored by the recall of some posters, esp on the Autosport board, talking about whole races 5, 10, 20 years ago, in detail like they just watched it yesterday. It's uncanny. Same with some posters here re: Texas Football.
October 1, 20214 yr 1 hour ago, ChickenSandwich said: My first intro into F1 was a college Buddy from Europe. He and a group bought tickets as soon as available. Turn 12. Fantastic. Hate the fact that I had no idea about the sport and didn’t appreciate the lineup we watched that weekend. Seb Alonzo Hamilton Massa Button Kimi RoGrow Hulk Ricciardo Nico Rosberg Michael Schumacher Mark Webber. Damn…seven world champions. That’s a hell of a grid.
October 2, 20214 yr Yeah, I’m not the best at remembering specific races, and as you watch more it gets harder. I’m the same with Texas football. I seem to remember specific incidents better than specific races. Or, that a specific event makes me remember a particular race. If the race is standard, not a chance.
October 2, 20214 yr 6 hours ago, FirstTimeCaller said: You can get very cheap Friday tickets through third-party ticket resellers. As of a couple of days ago, they were about half the price of buying through COTA. Third-part resellers such as who?
October 2, 20214 yr Author 3 hours ago, XYZ said: Third-part resellers such as who? I like Tickpick, because they automatically include fees in their prices, but you can set Stubhub to do the same. Tickpick tends to run a bit cheaper than Stubhub, and also has good customer service in my experience. Edited October 2, 20214 yr by wood
October 2, 20214 yr Pulled the trigger on Saturday tickets this morning. This will be my first F1 event in person, and I’m taking my daughter who is a huge fan. Can’t wait.
October 2, 20214 yr 1 hour ago, Amos Moses said: Pulled the trigger on Saturday tickets this morning. This will be my first F1 event in person, and I’m taking my daughter who is a huge fan. Can’t wait. It's a lot fun. Couple of suggestions based on my experience going to my first event: -Check out the track toward the end of the main straight where the cars are going fastest. I was posted at Turn 1 watching practice my first time. It was cool, but nothing crazy as the cars have slowed down to make the corner. Then I walked down toward the straight where they are going flat out. Holy shit. They are missiles. I couldn't believe they went from that speed to what I was watching at Turn 1 in such a short distance. - Watch a bit from Turn 3 where the cars are going through the esses. You get a big appreciation for the handling. I went from "Man, it would be so cool to experience the feel of an F1 car on track" to "Yeah, there's no way I could handle that, even as a passenger." Race day is fun just from an atmosphere standpoint. Honestly, however, I much prefer watching on TV as you only get to see one part of the track while there in person. I think going to Qualifying like you are is ideal. Get to see some action, but watch the main event at home.
October 2, 20214 yr 19 hours ago, wood said: I can remember a fair amount of stuff, but I m consistently floored by the recall of some posters, esp on the Autosport board, talking about whole races 5, 10, 20 years ago, in detail like they just watched it yesterday. It's uncanny. Same with some posters here re: Texas Football. I've posted about this before and I wondered if it's just my memory going to shit. People be like "oh yeah, he hurdled him just like Jamaal Charles did to #23 @ Kansas State in the 2006 game" and I'm just like WTF. So we're all clear: this is NOT a normal thing, right?
October 2, 20214 yr Author 51 minutes ago, 52-80 said: I've posted about this before and I wondered if it's just my memory going to shit. People be like "oh yeah, he hurdled him just like Jamaal Charles did to #23 @ Kansas State in the 2006 game" and I'm just like WTF. So we're all clear: this is NOT a normal thing, right? I don't think it's normal, but I'm just another dumbass like you that can't remember shit! Edited October 2, 20214 yr by wood
October 2, 20214 yr I'm a huge motorsport fan. No fucking way I'm spending $500 on an admission ticket. Period.
October 2, 20214 yr 6 minutes ago, RPM said: I'm a huge motorsport fan. No fucking way I'm spending $500 on an admission ticket. Period. Yeah, for that price you could get seven years of F1TV.
October 2, 20214 yr Author 43 minutes ago, RPM said: I'm a huge motorsport fan. No fucking way I'm spending $500 on an admission ticket. Period. Yeah it's crazy.
October 4, 20214 yr Any other raceday tips? I'm in Turn 12 with my dad(82) and want to be sure he is comfortable. Seat cushions allowed?
October 4, 20214 yr 15 minutes ago, mackavelli said: Any other raceday tips? I'm in Turn 12 with my dad(82) and want to be sure he is comfortable. Seat cushions allowed? Shouldn't be an issue. General admission had people bringing all sorts of camp chairs, etc. Be prepared for crazy expensive food and long lines. I'm sure someone will know a good spot to go that's out of the way. There's always something going on the track, so don't think you'll be bored getting there early. Gives you plenty of time to get there and get in. There's just so many people that even if COTA were a well-oiled machine it would take a while for in and out. Definitely use the bathroom before you get in the car to leave. If you like expensive cars, just walking the close-in parking lots is pretty crazy. Lots of supercars parked there.
October 4, 20214 yr Author Yeah seat cushions are allowed. I've never tried to take in a stadium seat, but it would probably work, too. One thing to look out for particularly at T12 is the way the sun will reflect off the aluminum right up into your face. Take sunscreen.
October 4, 20214 yr 11 hours ago, mackavelli said: Any other raceday tips? I'm in Turn 12 with my dad(82) and want to be sure he is comfortable. Seat cushions allowed? Are you only going on Sunday, or will you be there other days? If only Sunday, then it's pretty straightforward. We typically get there early, hit the hospitality tents for some drinks, and then get to our seats before the race. If you're going for other days, then I have lots of suggestions. Friday is actually my favorite day out there, because the crowds are minimal and the atmosphere is way more relaxed. Saturday is also great.
October 4, 20214 yr at this point, if we are wanting to go to the race next year we should buy tickets ASAP when they are available for Sunday, right?
October 4, 20214 yr 3 minutes ago, NoName said: at this point, if we are wanting to go to the race next year we should buy tickets ASAP when they are available for Sunday, right? Probably so. It's usually sometime in the spring, April-Mayish as I recall.
October 4, 20214 yr 9 minutes ago, utee94 said: Are you only going on Sunday, or will you be there other days? If only Sunday, then it's pretty straightforward. We typically get there early, hit the hospitality tents for some drinks, and then get to our seats before the race. If you're going for other days, then I have lots of suggestions. Friday is actually my favorite day out there, because the crowds are minimal and the atmosphere is way more relaxed. Saturday is also great. I am going all 3 days. Got into F1 during pandemic and want to full experience. Kicking my self for missing out on some years in Austin where I could have gone. Parking in Lot F
October 4, 20214 yr 25 minutes ago, mackavelli said: I am going all 3 days. Got into F1 during pandemic and want to full experience. Kicking my self for missing out on some years in Austin where I could have gone. Parking in Lot F Cool, Lot F is fine, I think it's the largest one they have. From there, you'll be entering at the Grand Plaza, which is the most impressive view of the venue, IMO. Not sure how ambulatory your dad is, so what I do, might not be ideal for you-- but for the first couple days, we're constantly moving from spot to spot, to catch action from many different places. F1 will have 2 practices sessions on Friday, and another Saturday, and then qualy later Saturday afternoon. We always like to watch those sessions from different places like Turn 1, and the esses from T3-T6, We also usually wahoo our way into the main grandstands for one of those Friday practice sessions. Aside from F1 though, there will be at least a couple of support races, that will also have practice and qualifying sessions, as well as their own races, throughout the weekend. Catching those from different spots, is a lot of fun, too. I don't ever actually go to my seats in the Turn15 grandstands, until the actual race on Sunday afternoon. Edited October 4, 20214 yr by utee94
October 4, 20214 yr I’m looking at GA tickets for Fri or Sat and haven’t been to an event at cota before. I assume a General Admission ticket allows access to all GA areas but I’m seeing listings for GA, GA5, GA8, GA12, GA61…you get the idea. Anyone know what the number represents?
October 4, 20214 yr Author 10 minutes ago, Duval Street said: I’m looking at GA tickets for Fri or Sat and haven’t been to an event at cota before. I assume a General Admission ticket allows access to all GA areas but I’m seeing listings for GA, GA5, GA8, GA12, GA61…you get the idea. Anyone know what the number represents? I can't remember what the number represents, but GA gets you access to the whole track, at least for F1 it does. They fucked us again for MotoGP, closing 1/3 of the track - from T8 to T12. At NASCAR they had it closed from T5 to T12. Unreal.
October 4, 20214 yr 52 minutes ago, Duval Street said: I’m looking at GA tickets for Fri or Sat and haven’t been to an event at cota before. I assume a General Admission ticket allows access to all GA areas but I’m seeing listings for GA, GA5, GA8, GA12, GA61…you get the idea. Anyone know what the number represents? Think of GA as just getting in the door. Then you get to watch from anywhere you want, except fixed seats. My experience was that it didn't even have to be in designated spots shown on the map. Find a spot, watch from there. The only time anything is checked it when you enter COTA. After that, it's a free-for-all until you get to seated sections.
October 4, 20214 yr I opted for a mezzanine seat on Friday, less than $60 with fees, hoping to see some pit action from there as well as being able to escape the sun. Might do a GA on Saturday, Sunday will be on my couch.
October 4, 20214 yr 1 hour ago, faps said: Did they use the whole track for NASCAR or just the V8 Supercar layout? Whole track. They just didn't let fans go anywhere on the entire "back half." Turn3 and 4 were all you could get to over there.
October 4, 20214 yr 1 hour ago, Jive Turkey said: 😳 The idea of running 26.2 miles with that heavy helmet sounds like the worst thing ever.
October 4, 20214 yr Author 53 minutes ago, utee94 said: Whole track. They just didn't let fans go anywhere on the entire "back half." Turn3 and 4 were all you could get to over there. Yep. Fuckers.
October 4, 20214 yr Author 7 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said: The idea of running 26.2 miles with that heavy helmet sounds like the worst thing ever. fixed.
October 5, 20214 yr 37 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said: Goes without saying I’m sure, but legit hearing protection is mandatory for me. What?
October 5, 20214 yr The F1 cars in their current incarnation of engine formula, aren't really all that loud. I definitely don't need ear protection out on the grassy areas of GA, or up at Turn1, or in my seats at Turn15. You MIGHT want to use ear protection if you're in the main grandstands, where the canyon-like structures trap the sound, but even then, it's not really all that necessary. NASCAR, on the other hand, was absolutely thunderous inside the main grandstands, and still loud AF out in the open. I definitely used ear protection for that. And you should have ear protection handy, anyway, in case one of the support races features cars louder than F1.
October 5, 20214 yr F1 are loud'ish with deep whoomp from the induction noise, but its tolerable. no more of the buzzsaw scream from the older N/A V12/V10/V8
October 5, 20214 yr Maybe the 2012 V8s were just that much louder in my memory. The Ferrari challenge race was loud as shit during the downshifts at turn 12 from the grandstand. Each gear a shotgun blast. You can also really see the brakes light up slowing for that turn. That year it was also where all of the wrecks happened when they couldn’t break in time. I have yet to hear the new spec engine so guessing it’s a bit different.
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