Every year since 1996 when the Australian Grand Prix first came to Melbourne, I’ve always looked forward to it as the highlight of the year.  The opportunity to watch my favorite sport live in person without exuberant travel expenses is always a good opportunity. To live that “chasing the dream” lifestyle if only for one week of the year.  However, 2009 will set another precedent for me as I chose to shun the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park and Formula 1 as a whole.  

To my friends that I have made over the years at Albert Park especially wonderful fellow fans and former members of the Super Aguri F1 team who have found employment elsewhere and are traveling to Melbourne, I apologize for not being able to see you at the AGP this year.  

For those of you who know me well, your first reaction to my statement above would be: “Is it only because Takuma Sato lost his ride?” That is partially correct.  Amongst other arguments, for a sport to encourage and changing rules to suit overtaking then deny a competitor who doesn’t need rule changes to be able to overtake on track is well beyond me.  However, that is not the entire story.

I estimated I’ve spent over AUD$10,000 over the last 13 AGPs I’ve attended, and that is not including the souvenirs that I have purchased.  However, I’ve found other than making friends at autograph alley and being given some very special privileges by Takuma Sato and his management as well as my friends at SAF1; my memories of the AGP are almost always of working like a slave for meager student wages to save up to fund my one big splurge each year at the AGP.  However, for where the money has gone, I’ve learnt the hard way that trackside F1 fans are still very much being given a raw deal by F1, the  FIA, race organizers and certain local businesses.

We all know, accommodation costs during any Grand Prix time anywhere worldwide attract huge margins.  Many higher end hotel rooms in Singapore remained empty for the Grand Prix period due to steep premiums charged.  I certainly decided against visiting Singapore during Grand Prix time as I have been there recently and know exactly what I should be paying for my hotel room and local expenses.  I most certainly refuse to pay the “Grand Prix” premium just for the privilege to stay there for that week.  I was also told of horror stories of fellow fans being ripped off by hoteliers and taxi drivers in Bahrain just because they’re  F1 fans so they’re open to be fleeced by the locals.

Ticket prices (especially grandstand)  are beyond affordable for most fans, especially families wanting a fun day out.  I’ve almost always had to save for an entire year for that big Grand Prix splurge.  Not an easy feat when you’re a student (at the time) with a very limited income and burning the candle at both ends.  Even now I have a full time job and a salary; I am finding it very difficult to justify spending such an amount for 4 days sitting on a rather uncomfortable plastic seat without any cover from the elements and watching shrinking F1 and support race schedules.  For the same amount as a prime grandstand seat for myself only, my wife and I spent a great 3 days (fully accommodated) traveling down The Great Ocean Road in a very picturesque part of Victoria.  Why anyone would spend on something that represents such a rotten value for money is well beyond me.  

If you get hungry on track and you’re not a freeloader, you’d be in for an even ruder shock with poorly priced food and drinks.  To be fair, I have been told the quality of food offered at Melbourne is significantly better than other races in different countries.  (The same source has also been quoted to describe hamburgers sold at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix are “Disgusting”) However, the prices of food and drinks on track are still very steep because those concerned had to pay a lot to event organizers to be there.    

The cost of attending a Grand Prix anywhere in the world is now well beyond a household budget; especially this one.  With a sizeable mortgage to be repaid and the reality of the recession very likely to affect our employment, this is one cost that we can do without.

Just to rub it in, minor celebrities are brought to the races and given the red carpet.  Cynically, the regular fans are supposed to rejoice at the sight of those celebrities and other associated freeloaders wining, dining and be given freebies at the fans’ expense.  It annoys me no end that hardcore enthusiasts like us are excluded, or at worst, treated like terrorists by organizers and security guards; while those so-called celebrities and corporate freeloaders are treated like royalty.  My fellow fans and I have had many skirmishes with security guards on track for that and nearly every other reason.  They usually are over-zealous and take it upon themselves to protect the said freeloaders and wannabes.  I had a female friend who was even bashed by one for minding her own business at autograph alley, and another friend was pushed over by another guard for trying to ask for a team owner’s autograph.  Yet, the security contractors and event organizer acted as though nothing’s happened and both had to pay their own medical expenses.

 Over the years, I’ve also had to fight hammer and tongs with security to put banners up in support of our drivers and team; and this was escalated all the way up to the event organizers.  More bizarrely, last year an Asian friend of mine was told by another guard he’d be deported from Australia if he tried to climb a fence on the track.

He’s an Australian Citizen.

So, for all of the above reasons, I don’t think I’ll miss attending the Australian Grand Prix, or any other F1 race for that matter this year, if not for ever.  I will not pay some shady banking consortium my hard earned money to be treated as a third rate citizen, be pushed around, be ripped off or to pay for some freeloaders to come and enjoy what I should really be getting for my money’s worth.  Somebody has to speak up for the regular fan that has been priced out of a seat so others can enjoy freebies on top of freebies.

 I have lost all respect for F1 and the Australian Grand Prix, given the treatment we’ve always had over the last 13 years, which is nothing but contempt.  

F1 needs to be reminded that they can not afford to lose its core fan group anywhere worldwide.  So, if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you seek as I would, I urge you to vote with your wallet and your feet, and join me in refusing to attend the Australian Grand Prix and F1 races worldwide.