Three-time world champion Max Verstappen was blamed for being the reason why tickets for the 2024 British GP were not selling out. But in a stark turn of events, the Dutchman is now being lauded as fans have started to scramble for the last tickets available.
The championship battle has intensified over the last few Grand Prix weekends. And last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix could be a sign of things to come in 2024.
During the race in Spielberg, title rivals Verstappen and Lando Norris collided on lap 64. This led George Russell and Mercedes to sneak in an unexpected win.
In the aftermath of this incident, it has been reported that the interest in the race at Silverstone this weekend has risen meteorically. Motorsport-Total wrote, “George Russell’s surprise victory in Spielberg and the aftermath of the collision between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have led to fans scrambling for tickets.”
“He’s not going to change” ❌
Christian Horner has warned Lando Norris to expect the same ‘tough’ racing from Max Verstappen ahead of the British Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/ECdEWKSvyS
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 2, 2024
Therefore, it seems that the stage has now been set perfectly for the fans at the British GP. Norris, who was left off worse after their contact, is expected to pull one back on the #1 driver. This storyline involving a British driver is probably the reason why fans are eager to witness the action first-hand and on the trackside.
This recent development is a welcome change in the attitude of the fans for the promoters of the event. Previously, the organizers of the Grand Prix had come under immense fire for the expensive ticket pricing and were expecting a below-average turnout for the event.
Has Verstappen rescued a failing British GP?
Verstappen’s antics during the race at the Red Bull Ring have seemingly sparked immense interest from F1 fans. However, another reason for expecting a sold-out Silverstone is the fans gearing up to cheer hometown favorite Norris who is realistically the only Briton on the grid with a car fast enough to challenge Red Bull.
Earlier this season, Verstappen’s dominance was being blamed for sluggish ticket sales. In response, the Dutchman asked the promoters to reconsider their marketing rather than blaming him. He had said, “As a promoter, you have to get your ticket pricing strategy right. If you lower the price, you could sell the tickets faster.”
Max Verstappen hit back at Silverstone promoter Stuart Pringle over comments regarding Red Bull’s dominance hurting ticket sales for the #BritishGP, with Lewis Hamilton sharing his concerns about the prices of them in their #SpanishGP media sessions. #F1 pic.twitter.com/eF8GjYQifl
— Pit Debrief (@PitDebrief) June 20, 2024
Even seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had jumped to the reigning champion’s defense. Hamilton also urged the promoters to lower the prices as he deemed them exorbitant for an average fan to afford.
