Formula 1 has a real problem in North America right now. We usually expect the Canadian Grand Prix to be an absolute party. It is normally one of the best events of the year. But things look very different this time around. With the cars about to hit the track, Montreal bosses admit they still have seats left to fill.

A recent report by GrandPrix.com pointed out that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is not sold out yet. This is happening even though the promoters added a lot more racing to the schedule. Montreal gets its first-ever Sprint weekend this year. We also get to see Formula 2 and F1 Academy on the track.

So why are fans staying home? The answer sits directly at the box office.

The 20 Percent Penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix

The biggest reason for slow sales is simple. It costs too much. After last year’s race, the track raised prices a lot. Le Journal de Montreal reported that some three-day grandstand seats cost almost 20 percent more than they did last year.

Canadian GP President Jean-Philippe Paradis and COO Sandrine Garneau admit they still have tickets to sell. You can still buy general admission passes. Terrace seats and even some high-end club packages are also sitting empty right now.

The track spent the winter building massive new suites. Garneau said they had to do this to keep up with the rest of the world. “We needed to be competitive and more modern by increasing our capacity in the face of permanent paddocks,” she explained.

But shiny new suites do not matter if regular fans cannot afford to go. Many industry watchers feel these price hikes just push the real fans away. Normal people simply cannot justify spending that kind of cash.

A Scheduling Headache with Indy

High prices are only part of the mess. F1 also messed up the calendar.

This year, the Canadian Grand Prix runs on the exact same weekend as the Indianapolis 500. We are used to Monaco clashing with Indy. But moving Montreal to late May forces North American fans to pick sides. You have to split your attention. More importantly, you have to divide your travel budget.

Paradis stood by their new schedule. He thinks the Sprint format gives fans “real competition instead of people testing their cars”. He also feels that having Formula 2 adds real value for the ticket buyers.

However, more racing does not make the weekend any cheaper. The slow ticket sales in Montreal should be a huge wake-up call for F1. Yes, fans want to see the best drivers. But they are finally showing that they refuse to be ripped off.