A Formula One fan has criticized F1’s official ticketing website on Reddit, claiming that they were overcharged for Austrian Grand Prix tickets that were available for much less at the circuit. The fan received a disappointing response when they approached for a refund. Several fans have commented on the thread, revealing similar experiences.
The fan in question has been furious and has asked others to remain cautious when purchasing F1 tickets online. The comments in the thread suggest that the official website selling F1 tickets is an agent, while the circuit is the actual seller.
The aggrieved fan stated they received neither a refund nor an apology for being overcharged. The post, which is titled “tickets.formula1.com overcharged me €500+ – be cautious,” read:
“Bought Austrian GP general admission tickets in January. Asked their customer support what tickets my kids (2 & 5) needed – they said full-price. So I paid €195 + €8 handling each.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 leads George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria…
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 leads George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria.
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“Two weeks before the race, tickets arrived showing €150 each. At the track, I learned kids under 14 are free. I overpaid €500+ on tickets for €300!
“Post-race, I tried email – always got “undeliverable” after 24h. On WhatsApp, they instantly refused any refund, no apology.
“We enjoyed the weekend and don’t regret going, but we could have saved €500 or used that money for much better seats.
“So my advice is to buy directly from the circuit or better resellers to avoid overpaying.”
One fan responded with a similar experience at the 2024 Belgian GP. The comment read:
“Buying directly from the circuit is much cheaper. I dont remember how much but last year I went the full weekend to Spa and the price difference on the websites was significant.”
Another fan offered a piece of advice:
“Always by tickets from the tracks website. F1 is the middle man/reseller when you buy from f1 tickets” [sic]
This fan stated it wasn’t F1’s fault. The comment read:
“With many concerts (or any event really) that have both in-house and third party (Ticketmaster, StubHub, etc) ticket availability, it is in your best interest to always check the venue’s website first. Their prices are usually lower and, in the very least, avoid the dumb service surcharge.
“These tickets are usually the first to go when tickets go on sale.
“I understand it’s a bit frustrating to pay extra, but just be aware next time. The F1 ticket website didn’t really do anything wrong here. It’s clear they didn’t get any of these “free for 14 and under” tickets. I wouldn’t expect them to say “go to the track website for free 14 and under tickets” either.”
One fan stated that they faced an entirely different situation, advising that it’s always good to compare prices on multiple websites before making a purchase. The comment read:
“Had the same but different thing when buying tickets for the Dutch GP. The Dutch GP site was saying €800 per person for the three days but on the f1 site, the same tickets are €400 and some change each. So it really does pay to shop around.”
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