Sprint races ‘not moving the needle’ for ticket sales demand as US GP update issued

COTA boss Bobby Epstein has said that, while Sprint races offer ticket-holders more value for money, the weekend format doesn’t necessarily drive more ticket sales.

The possibility of further Sprint races being added to the F1 calendar in the near future is one that F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has mooted, but COTA boss Bobby Epstein doesn’t believe the format is a major factor for fans considering buying tickets for a Grand Prix weekend.

Bobby Epstein: Sprint races increase the value of F1 tickets

This year, F1 hosts six Sprint races, with one of the alternative format weekends being the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.

The Sprint format was rolled out for the first time in 2021, being held at three events across the calendar, with F1 experimenting with the weekend format by reducing practice to one session and hosting a short 30-minute race.

The number of Sprint weekends increased to six in 2023. This number looks set to remain for 2026, although the Sprint calendar has not yet been officially confirmed, although the prospect is there to increase the number of Sprints for 2027.

COTA has played host to a Sprint race since 2023, hosting its third such event when F1 arrives in Texas next month.

For the circuit’s chairman, Bobby Epstein, the format isn’t a must-have to attract fans to the United States Grand Prix, but he does feel the extra action gives fans greater value for money across a weekend.

“I think it just gives more value to the ticket, and for that, we appreciate it,” he told select media, including PlanetF1.com, earlier this week.

“I don’t know that it’s translated to a lot more in ticket sales, but the fans seem to be warming up to it.

“It wasn’t immediately seen as a desirable asset, and it didn’t necessarily drive ticket sales for a while.

“I just think it increases the value of the ticket and gives people more, which we always appreciate.

“It does provide value to the fan that does buy a ticket; it gives them more for their money, and so, for that reason alone, we want as much entertainment as we can get for the weekend.

“So I’m for it just because… we do a lot of things that don’t necessarily sell more tickets, but they make the experience great for the fan that comes. I think this would be one of those items.”

Put to him that he wasn’t particularly sold on the idea back in 2023, when COTA hosted its first Sprint race, Epstein said he doesn’t believe the Sprint race has any effect on the number of tickets sold.

“I’m still not sure that it drives ticket sales, but if it does bring people out, if they’re buying a weekend pass and they stay more hours at the circuit, that’s better for us… [it’s] more content,” he said.

“I don’t know that people make their buying decision about whether they decide to come to a Grand Prix because it has a Sprint race or not.

“I still don’t know that that’s a key driver, but maybe it becomes one, and maybe it’s becoming more so.

“I have to look at the data and see if our Saturday ticket sales versus Sunday or Friday have changed in terms of the attendance and scan rates.

“We just haven’t seen it move the needle in terms of sales and demand, but I have no doubt that it’s more entertainment, and we’re all about that.”

What’s the future for the United States Grand Prix?

COTA has been on the calendar since 2012, with Epstein’s event the first United States-based event to begin capturing the American audience after the departure of Indianapolis from the calendar five years prior.

Since Austin created an American surge in interest, further spurred on by Liberty Media’s embracing of social and alternative media, Miami and Las Vegas have since joined the calendar.

At present, COTA’s contract expires at the conclusion of its 2026 event, while circuits like Monaco, Bahrain, Austria, Melbourne, and Miami have all signed long-term deals for at least the next decade.

In Epstein’s eyes, there is no sense that there is no desire not to continue in Austin beyond the end of the current deal.

“Conversations are ongoing, and I think we’re optimistic,” he said.

“I have little doubt that they [F1] want to do anything but continue, and likewise, [so] do we.

“So that is a pretty good starting point for conversation, but there hasn’t been a sense of urgency on either one of our ends, I don’t think. When it’s time, we’ll make it, we’ll come to an agreement.”

Investment into the COTA campus is ongoing, with the establishment of a hotel and an amusement park named ‘Cotaland’ – complete with a new ‘Circuit Breaker’ rollercoaster, which Epstein says is “51/49” likely to be certified and ready for this year’s Grand Prix weekend.

The investment into the improvement of COTA’s facilities not only makes it a venue worth visiting at any time throughout the year, he said, but also may serve as a gateway for non-F1 fans to spark an interest.

“The hotel is making its way through city council approval about a month ago for a state programme that it wants to participate in, and we’re excited to have them as a tenant on campus, because it just means 700,000 to a million more visitors a year coming to the campus,” he said.

“That’s great for the upcoming amusement park or water park or any other entertainment, but it’s especially great when we’re trying to get new fans engaged in the sport, because if they can come out and simply see the track…  many people can’t even visualize what an F1 track looks like.

“So many Americans still think of the oval for NASCAR.

“But, when they come out and see it and see what these drivers are up against, it gets them interested, especially the kids.

“When they see the venue, and they learn about the event and can take a tour of it and maybe take a tour of an F1 garage and learn a little bit about the technology behind the sport, they can become engaged in it.

“So, for us, it’s just creating a platform to get new fans and and and ensure a future. The amusement park is built between Turns 19 and 20, intentionally along the edge of the track, with its main restaurant having a deck that looks out at the track.

“So, even if you’re out there with your family for a casual, enjoyable amusement park weekend, you still may be intrigued by what you see going by you on the track, or the amusement park is going to have what we’re calling the world’s greatest ride, which should be the world’s greatest ride, which would be the ability to take a hot lap on the track.

“If you’re a thrill seeker and you seek roller coaster rides, we’ve certainly got to have some big roller coasters. But what could be greater than getting a ride on a three and a half mile Grand Prix track?

“We think there are many creative ways to get people excited about the sport when it’s not there. The hotel is one of those things.”

Such investments mean the venue is less reliant on the Grand Prix in isolation as a means of generating revenue, Epstein explained.

“This extra stuff probably still works, because a lot of the extra stuff is to appeal to the non-F1 fan, right?” he said.

“They’re not coming because there’s a Grand Prix there.

“They’re coming because Austin’s a nice destination, and we don’t have anything like that for families in town.

“We can use that as a platform to get more fans for the sport. So yeah, I think it works.

“I think it works with or without the Grand Prix, but even better… certainly the Hot Lap programme is something that will do better if the race is there. But I think Austin is a good destination, independently.”

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