The Complete Beginners Guide to Attending a Formula 1 Race

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport – and attending one of the Formula 1 Grand Prix races is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Incredible speeds around 200km/h (124mph), the world’s best drivers, and endless drama….What’s not to love? Attending a Formula 1 race needs to be on your bucket list. 

We attended our first Formula 1 race in 2024 and were immediately hooked! Once we attended our first F1 race, there were several things I wish I had done differently. The more you know about attending your first F1 race in person, the better. Fair warning, though: attending your first F1 race in person is addictive, and you will want to go back right away. 

I truly believe the best way to get the most out of your Formula 1 race is to come prepared. It’s a long day, and you’ll need to consider all the elements and factors to make the most of it. These are my tried-and-tested tips and tricks to make the most of attending your F1 race – to ensure you love your first Formula 1 experience as much as possible! 

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How Does a Formula 1 Race Weekend Work?

Most spectators attend a Formula 1 weekend for the Grand Prix race, but the reality is that there’s so much more during race weekend than simply the Grand Prix. Your Formula 1 ticket will include access to other events such as the Formula 2, F1 Academy, Formula 3, the Porsche Supercup and the Driver’s Parade ahead of the race. That’s on top of all the free practices and qualifying for Formula 1, too. And if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a ticket to one of the few Formula 1 Sprint Weekends, too. 

How to Attend a Formula 1 Race: Picking Which Formula 1 Race to Attend 

The F1 calendar has over two dozen races on it each year. How do you pick which F1 race to attend? Consider these factors: 

• Proximity: Where are you based, and where is your closest Grand Prix? How easy will it be to get there? Or will this be a bigger trip, where the Grand Prix is just one element? There are so many ways to pick which Formula 1 race to attend – and proximity and type of overall trip are easy to consider. 
• Cost: The pricing of available tickets will determine your options, too. We’ll talk more about pricing later. 
• Logistics: When we’re talking about logistics, I mean the ease of getting to/from track, the amount of walking required and what facilities they have at the track. Certain tracks are notorious for their traffic jams, while others offer much better systems to get you in and out.
• Excitement: Certain tracks are just….well, more exciting. Or more iconic. Some F1 fans dream about attending the iconic Monaco Grand Prix in person, while others want to see a rainy qualifying at Spa. Weigh the budget and proximity with the overall excitement and vibe of certain tracks – because some tracks may be more desirable to you personally, and therefore worth the trek. 

Additionally, if you’re picking between certain races, I’d highly recommend considering weather at the track. For example, the Hungarian Grand Prix normally takes place during July or August – and during those months, it’s extremely hot and sunny in Budapest. 

When we went, temperatures were well over 30C, or 88F. If you can swing it, I’d recommend splurging on the covered seating, especially if you’re attending a Grand Prix somewhere where it might be ridiculously hot – or on the contrary, somewhere where it often rains (like Spa or Silverstone). 

The Cheapest F1 Race to Attend

Budget is always a factor when it comes to attending Formula 1. It’s not a cheap hobby, after all. 

The cheapest F1 races to attend are normally the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Chinese Grand Prix and the Japanese Grand Prix. If you’re looking for even cheaper tickets, you should opt for the general admission seating – which means you’ll sit on the grass around the ring. 

On the contrary, the most expensive F1 races include the Miami Grand Prix, the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the Monaco Grand Prix, if you include the accommodations on top of the ticket. 

Buying Your F1 Grand Prix Ticket

How do you pick which seat to buy at a Formula 1 Grand Prix? Well, most tracks offer three types of general tickets: 

• General Admission, which comes with no reserved seating (but oftentimes, you’ll fight it out to find a spot in one of the many grassy sections on the track)
• Grandstand, uncovered seating: Each Formula 1 race offers plenty of grandstand seating under various names, depending on its location (for example: silver, gold, etc.) – and you’ll be able to see online which seating is uncovered. At some races, like the Hungarian Grand Prix, most of the grandstand seating is uncovered. 
• Grandstand, covered seating: These prime spots often sell out quickly, but are generally located by the pit lane and around key corners (depending on the track). Most importantly, they offer covered seating – which can make or break your experience. These tickets are generally the most expensive.

Ready to snag your ticket? Some races – such as Silverstone – might be sold out in advance. Or other races, like Hungaroring in Budapest, may sell out their covered seating.

You’ll find the official F1 ticketing site here, but keep in mind: they are reselling tickets. Oftentimes, you’ll pay an added 200 Euros on top of the price. Instead, consider buying your ticket directly from the track (for example: the Dutch Grand Prix has its own site to buy tickets directly, as does the Hungaroring). When you’re ready, browse from their ticketing options and purchase! 

The Full Cost to Attend a Formula 1 Race

The ticket price is only a small portion of your overall cost to attend an F1 race. How much does it cost to see an F1 race? The reality is that you’ll need to consider a number of different factors, including: 

1. Cost of the Ticket
2. Transport to/from the City 
3. Accommodations 
4. Sightseeing in the city, if you’re planning on seeing some of the city
5. Transport to/from the track (taxis, shuttles, rental car) 
6. Parking costs, if you’re renting a car
7. Food at the track (more on this below)
8. Any merchandise you may want to purchase 

The costs can add up quickly – and that’s why many people love attending the cheaper Formula 1 races.  

Grand Prix Weekend: Food & Drink at the Formula 1 Grand Prix 

If you’re planning to spend all weekend at the track, the food can make or break your experience at a Grand Prix – especially because you can’t exactly leave the track and go back to town to grab food. 

The truth? Food options and food pricing at a Formula 1 Grand Prix will vary greatly, depending on which track you attend. The Miami Grand Prix, for example, had staggering food prices. But when we attended the Budapest Grand Prix, we never paid more than 10 – 15 euros per meal. At the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Spa, prices are often 15 Euros per meal, and the quality of the food was quite poor.

I’d recommend doing research on your specific race in advance and, if necessary, packing a lunch from your local grocery store – which will save you a significant amount of money. 

Pro tip: Formula 1 races have strict limits on what you can and cannot bring into the track. You will likely be limited on how much food and water you can bring. Check restrictions for your specific ticket in advance.  

Grand Prix Weekend: Where to Stay

Picking accommodations for your Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend can make your whole experience much easier – or much more difficult. 

If you’re planning to attend a street race, like Baku, Madrid, Singapore or Monaco, it may be worth splurging on a hotel room with a view of the race. This way, you won’t have to pay for official tickets – you can just look out your window! But in other cases, you’ll want to book a hotel. 

When booking a hotel, consider the proximity to the track – and how you plan to get there. This will be different for each race. For example, at Silverstone, Hilton runs a hotel right on the track! 

If you’re thinking about taking a shuttle to and from the race, look up the pickup and drop off points. Likewise, if you’re taking public transit, find out where it starts. 

For example, for the Hungarian Grand Prix, we opted to stay on the “Pest” side close to Heroes Square, where they pick up and drop off for the shuttle to the track. This meant we could easily walk home after the shuttle dropped us off. However, if you had stayed on the opposite side of the river, you might add an extra 20 minutes onto your commute time. 

Grand Prix Weekend: Packing for the Track

What do you need to bring when attending a Formula 1 race? Here’s a checklist of items we brought (and wished we brought!) to our first Formula one race. 

• Electrolytes, especially if it’s hot out! 
• As much water as you’re allowed to bring – don’t worry, they will have refill stations.
• Ear plugs (we bought these, but regular earplugs work just fine)
• Rain coat (always bring a raincoat in case!)
• Spare power pack for your phone
• Snacks
• Tickets, printed out
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Small towel to aid with sun protection, sweating – or simply sit on it!
• Seat cushion, if applicable
• Binoculars, if you’re sitting far off

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments! 

Grand Prix Weekend: Getting to the Track

For most Formula 1 races, you’ll have four options when getting to the track:

• Public transit
• Taxi or rideshare service like Bolt or Uber 
• Shuttle
• Rental car – or your own car

If you have a car, this is perhaps the easiest and quickest option. At many races, parking is straightforward and easy. For Budapest, we would have loved to have our own car – especially when we were waiting to get to the track on Sunday. It took two hours to get there, and we were sitting in a taxi with no A/C. 

If you do opt for a taxi or rideshare service, keep in mind that you might be able to get there easily – but you won’t find one easily on the way back. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, the wait time for a taxi heading home was 3 – 4 hours. 

Sometimes, the shuttle option is the easiest. Many times, this is a quick, affordable option for spectators looking to get home. If you can buy tickets in advance, especially on race day, I’d highly recommend it! 

Attending a Formula 1 Race: Final Takeaways 

Attending your first Formula 1 race is truly one for the bucket lists! Remember to do your research, pack enough for the track and most of all… Enjoy it! Because there is truly nothing like seeing your first F1 race in person. 

Samantha Tatro

Samantha Tatro is a Czech-American third culture kid who grew up living and traveling abroad. Many years later, after living in California and working as a journalist, she decided to take the leap and move abroad again…this time to Prague, Czech Republic. Samantha started Undiscovered Path Home to help couples and solo female travelers find the courage to visit countries – and locations – off the beaten path. Her work has appeared in Bon Appetit, NBC News, The Adecco Group, and more.