Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone Says Teams Can Determine Ticket Prices

Mercedes F1 Exec Dir Toto Wolff revealed that F1 teams had "broached the subject of high ticket prices" with F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone during recent meetings, according to Jonathan Noble of AUTOSPORT.

The matter has become a "big talking point because empty grandstands at traditional events like the German and Italian GPs have prompted questions about why fans are no longer going to races." Ticket prices are "so high because the income from spectators is one of the only ways that promoters can recover the high race sanctioning fees that are paid to Ecclestone."

Speaking in response to Wolff's comments, Ecclestone insisted that it "would be easy to bring down race hosting fees to make tickets cheaper — but that can only happen if teams are willing to accept less money from him, too." Ecclestone said of Wolff's call for lower prices, "Has he told you how? You should tell him about reducing what they want for racing, and then we can reduce the fees. That is the problem."

Ecclestone also expressed doubts that the "decline in audiences at grands prix is solely down to high ticket prices." Ecclestone: "With sport, there is so much of it — and only so much time — that everything has lost a little bit. It's the same thing with the promoters." AUTOSPORT