F1 a flop in China?

Tickets sales down 40+% in one year. The speed, money and glamour of Formula One racing may have swept China's wealthiest and glitziest city last year but in 2005 ticket sales suggest the novelty is wearing off.

Although it is one of the most important events on Shanghai's burgeoning annual sports calendar, ticket sales for the season-ending Chinese Grand Prix are down sharply from last year's debut.

Last year ticket organizers sold 150,000 tickets for race day and some 260,000 spectators showed over the three-day event. But equaling those sales looks increasingly unlikely ahead of Sunday's race when McLaren and Renault will vie for the constructors' title. On Friday the grandstand was full of empty seats.

"The sales figure so far indicates that around 110,000 spectators will attend the main race day on Sunday," said Yu Zhifei, general manager of the Shanghai International Circuit.

One reason for the decline is the high prices, ranging from 370 to 3,980 yuan (45 to 490 US dollars) in a city where even average white collar salaries run around 6,000 yuan (740 dollars) a month, putting the spectacle beyond most people's means.

Transportation arrangements were a major problem last year, as organizers eager to ease traffic congestion banned taxis and personal cars, but then failed to provide enough shuttles.

Yu pledged then to fix the problem and provide some 3,000 free shuttle buses to take the spectators to the track 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of downtown.

"There was criticism about our services last year and we will address the problems this year," Yu said, and hoped the new measures would be enough to stir interest. "I hope the actual turnout will be higher when the race begins on Sunday afternoon." AFP [Editor's Note: We are told the Chinese spent so much to build the track and line Bernie's pockets that they will never recoup their investment.]

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