The reality of Formula 1: What It's Really like without a Paddock Pass

BLOG #1

The luxury side of social media

Scroll through Formula 1 TikTok or Instagram, and you’ll probably think every race weekend is all about champagne, celebrities, and luxury hospitality. Every vlog seems to feature VIP guests with paddock passes—lanyards around their necks, glasses of free champagne in hand, relaxing in exclusive suites, meeting drivers, and taking photos inside the garages.

Now this isn’t meant as critisism to those people. Who simply have the opportunity to experience F1 from another perspective. Because who wouldn’t want to be in the paddock enjoying luxury catering, amazing views, and all of the glitz and glamor of the paddock?

But for most Formula 1 fans, race weekends look very different. Though an average weekend ticket for an F1 weekend can cost up to 500 euros, that price tag doesn’t come along with all of the glamorous amenities that the paddock provides.

As someone fortunate enough to have attended 3 race weekends, Monza (2024), Zandvoort (2025), and Austria (2026), I would say I have experience in “surviving F1” without a paddock pass.

The hidden cost of a race weekend

The reality is simple: Formula 1 is not like any other sporting event, but it shares similarities. Such as the general price of necessities: food and drinks. During my visits, a water bottle costs around 6 euros at an F1 track, a beer almost 10 euros, and it goes up depending on the drink. Food can cost up to 20 euros, an example being the Austrian Grand Prix, where a giant pretzel costs 15 euros.

These prices seem absurd. Luckily enough, some tracks actually allow guests to bring in their own food and water, but I have only experienced that at the Red Bull Ring. In comparison, the paddock clubs and VIP guests get all their food for free: private and luxury catering, all-day buffets, free refills, the works. This obviously seems fair for the price tag, as paddock tickets can be up to twenty thousand US dollars, with the most expensive paddock ticket being thirty-two thousand US dollars.

Surviving the heat

Weather is a key point in the difference from “normal” tickets to the paddock club, “normal fans” who either have Grandstand or General admission tickets have little to no support in harsh weather conditions.

A personal example is the Monza GP in 2024, where the temperature got up to 40 degrees celcius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit with no clouds to be seen. I had the general admission tickets, the “cheapest” tickets you can get for an F1 race, which still start at around 120 euros. The track itself is iconic and beautiful, but the weather was very hard to ignore. Water stations are located around every F1 track, meaning if you bring a refillable water bottle, you have the chance to go to one of many water stations and fill it up.

The reality of that is long lines and far walking distances. The Monza track also didn’t allow any umbrellas or shade equipment, meaning all fans were sitting in the blazing sun for hours. There was little to no shade; when a single cloud crossed over the sun, the entire crowd cheered. Even wearing shorts and a thin T-shirt, you would still be dripping in sweat.

Monza shares that similarity with the Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring. Luckily enough, the Red Bull Ring has no rules regarding bringing in shade equipment such as umbrellas. I was fortunate enough to have a grandstand ticket for the weekend. The only downside to my amazing grandstand was that there was no coverage. Meaning fans were stuck in the sun for hours on end; I saw a lot of fans sitting behind the grandstands in shady places just to escape the sun for a few minutes.

Just like Monza, the Red Bull Ring was equipped with Water stations and something called mist stations, where cold water is pushed out of a large fan. Again, long lines that could go on for hundreds of meters just to refill a water bottle or get misted.

I have seen numerous ambulances rush into crowds and pick up fans who had either fainted or completely passed out. This is due to dehydration, too much sun, being overwhelmed, and generally poor organisation from the tracks themselves.

In comparison, the VIP guests and paddock club members can enjoy air-conditioned lounges, ice-cold drinks, and shade. Even if these amenities make sense with the price tag, it heavily contrasts with the reality of the harsh weather and how it affects people visiting.

Travelling to the circuit

Travel is another huge part of visiting an F1 race. Most fans take public transport or bike/walk to and from the track. An example being Monza: taking a train from Milan, where most fans choose to stay, as it is around 40 minutes by train to the Monza track. These trains are packed, even at 6 AM. Then there is a lot of walking. You are considered “lucky” if you manage to get a spot on a shuttle, which is usually a bus taking you from a point outside the track to the main entrance gates or vise versa.

Same thing in Zandvoort and the Austrian GP. In Zandvoort, almost every fan I saw came with their bikes, which seems like a great idea until the rain starts to pour and you have to park your bike 15 minutes away from the track itself. At the Austrian Grand Prix, I chose to camp 15 minutes away from the track (highly recommend). I only had to walk around 20 minutes, depending on how packed it was; this is an exception from many of the other tracks.

On the tracks themselves, walking is the main thing you will be doing if you are visiting without a paddock pass. At every GP I have attended, I have had around twenty-five thousand steps every day. Just from walking around the track to get to the fanzone, to my grandstand, food and drink spots, and bathrooms. This completely depends on how long the Track is and how far your specific grandstand/GA is.

In comparison, the paddock club and VIP guests have private shuttles taking them from A to B or even personal buggy drivers, who drive them around the track and/or paddock to their destination.

why id still choose the fans

Overall, there are benefits to having an F1 paddock pass, but it also takes away the life of Formula 1. The energy of being in the crowd, with all of the fans cheering on their favorite drivers.

Why do I care so much?. Because many new F1 fans who are considering going to races always end up seeing the “luxury” aspects of attending the GP and never the “reality”

In my “reality,” I wouldn’t exchange my experiences for anything. It’s part of the fun and experience: running around the track to get food and water, walking for ages, and finally sitting down when you find your seat. Seeing international fans, making connections, and standing outside the fan zone at 5 AM might sound miserable, but when your favourite driver finally walks past and waves at the crowd, you completely forget how tired you are. The energy itself is electric during Qualifying, Practice sessions, the race, and just during the moments in between F1 events. With live music, special shows, and all the fans coming together to enjoy.

To me, Formula 1 isn’t about the glitz and glamour; it’s about the fans, the experience you make, and the memories you take home with you. It’s about all of the friends I have made and shared ideas and stories with.

So even if you don’t have a paddock pass, don’t think that means your trip to an F1 race won’t be luxurious. The true luxury is having fun.

What is your experience? Tell me about it below.

-Eva Hansen (motorsportswitheva)