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Sluggish ticket sales in Spain

Fri 03 Jul, 09:24 AM


Organisers of the European Grand Prix at Valencia have reduced the seating capacity of its city street circuit ahead of next month's event.

The venue made its Formula One debut last year but tickets for the 2009 race are ‘not selling as fast’, promoter Jorge Martinez Aspar, of Valmor Sports, admitted.

Last year we reported that the event sold out after offering 112,771 seats, with Aspar indicating he would consider increasing the capacity of the grandstands for subsequent events. But he is now telling the Spanish news agency EFE that approximately 35,000 fewer seats will be available for the August 23 race ‘although we are still investigating’.

Aspar added that the reduction in demand was anticipated after seeing significantly fewer tickets sold for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in May.

He also laments the FIA-FOTA war, criticising those who ‘spoke too much’. "My hope is that from now on the last months can be forgotten," Aspar added.

 

Comment 1 - 15 of 15

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  1. Reg: can you explain your comment about Europe being­ more expensive as the costs are higher? I am not sure­ what you mean

    From Ellie, on Sun 5 Jul 9:28PM

  2. No fans , no money, no F1 !----REG ?

    From RON, on Sun 5 Jul 8:30AM

  3. Reg Tedious No fans, no excitement, no atmosphere, no­ television audience.
    Look at all the sports events­ around the world, bums on seats generate the biggest TV­ revenues. No fans, no F1

    From Ronsenglish, on Sun 5 Jul 2:39AM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    The idea that F1 is based in Europe is interesting. It­ is a world championship and does need to travel.­ However Europe is an expensive part of the season as­ costs are higher. We could axe the British GP and the­ Spanish and German races too. These could be replaced­ with races in the Czech Republic (Brno is a good track)­ Poland and Bulgaria. Morroco already has a WTCC race,­ upgrade the track and you have an African race without­ going too far! So many fans on here seem to think they­ should be listened too, why? In the real world the fans­ contribute the smallest amount to the pot of gold that­ is F1. Why do fans think they are important? No country­ has a god given right to a GP. When the UK has no race­ and Toyota have packed their bags and gone home there­ will still be F1.

    From Ian, on Sat 4 Jul 3:44PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the hamster slapping will continue

    From Burt, on Sat 4 Jul 2:14AM

  6. I feel that F1 has it's history deeply rooted in­ Europe and believe that most host country's have­ more than two world class race tracks thats wear? all­ the race fans are ,not in far east , deserts or monsoon­ race tracks. Trying to make F1 a world sport is a great­ idea,THAT 'S what TV is for, if you want to save F1­ as well as the cost of racing KEEP IT LOCAL ( ARE YOU­ LISTENING UNCLE BERNIE) !!!!!!!!!!!!

    From RON, on Fri 3 Jul 10:40PM

  7. Maybe the way toget Bernie to realize the state of F1­ is to not pay the full ransom, but give him a­ percentage of the gate and then determine how much the­ so called F1 show is actually worth!!!!!!!!

    From RON, on Fri 3 Jul 10:21PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    You see , Alonso is talking to much , thanks Flabio you­ better keep the kid quiet.

    From Ape, on Fri 3 Jul 7:01PM

  9. bring back jerez and ditch the other two 'paint­ dry' grand prixs from spain...

    From Pablo from Bolivia, on Fri 3 Jul 5:58PM

  10. Actually I really enjoyed the Valencia race, not that I­ would like to see any more "street" circuits­ on the calendar we have quite enough now.
    Without a­ gated event it is very diificult to make everyone pay­ for watching the race. Auntie J&&&&­ terrace overlooks the cirquit and she make great Paella­ and Tortilla. This does happen in hundreds maybe­ thousands of places.
    I know because I found such a­ place the first year the Molson Indy was run in­ Toronto, there were jus 5 of us that year. the­ following year there were hundreds.
    The Organisers must­ have a hard time making such events pay, unless the­ "Dwarf" reduces his exhorbitant fees, for his­ favoured street events.

    From Walking quiet, on Fri 3 Jul 5:40PM

  11. Not surprising the sales are down at Valencia... it was­ a precession last year

    From yeovilfan1, on Fri 3 Jul 5:32PM

  12. Its well past time the UK had 2 GP, most of the teams­ are based here and you would get good support for both­ races. Adam L is bang on, they really could not give a­ stuff about F1, far more into their motorcycles than­ car racing. Still, what do us nobodys know eh, we are­ just the poor dumm idiots who actually pay for the­ tickets and watch it, what would we know about what we­ want eh, far better to leave it to rich twats who go­ from GP to GP in private jets and never look a fan in­ the eye to decide what the fans would want.

    okay now­ breath Cashe............. in with the good, out with­ the bad........

    From Cashel, on Fri 3 Jul 2:58PM

  13. Giving Spain two races on the strength of one driver­ was a pretty short-sighted idea. They're not­ natural GP fans - once Spain stops winning, Spain stops­ watching.

    From Adam L, on Fri 3 Jul 11:57AM

  14. Who wants to watch yet another procession, last years­ Valencia wasn't the best TV spectacle no matter how­ much they try to "big it up".

    One Spanish­ yawn is more than enough.

    From Phil R, on Fri 3 Jul 11:03AM

  15. Oh look another clever idea from Bernie gone to @#$%

    From Phantom, on Fri 3 Jul 10:29AM
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