Indian GP: Grandstand rates down, general tickets costlier

Greater Noida, April 10 (IANS) Tickets for the grandstand at the second Formula One Grand Prix will cost less while the cheapest will cost almost 50 percent more, the organisers said Tuesday as the tickets for the October race went on sale.

A grandstand ticket for the three-day event will cost Rs.30,000 instead of the Rs.35,000 charged in the inaugural edition. The cheapest ticket for the natural stand will come at Rs. 3,500, Rs.1,000 more than what it was last year.

The single-day ticket option for Sunday's race is only for the grandstand and will comes for Rs.20,000, an increase of Rs.5,000. The grandstand ticket will be inclusive of a food and beverage voucher worth Rs.3,000.

The overall seating capacity at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) is pegged at 99,384 while the 2011 edition saw capacity upwards of 100,000. This is because the picnic stand has been merged with the natural stand.

Race promoters Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) have not touched the price of the star and classic stands, which remain at Rs.8,500 and Rs.6,500.

The tickets are available at bookmyshow.com

JPSI managing director Sameer Gaur explained why the tickets were put on sale so early for the Oct 26-28 event. In 2011, the tickets went on sale only in August.

'We decided to launch the tickets around six months in advance as people coming from within and outside India will be able to plan their travel in a better way. They can book the tickets right away and also plan to visit the Taj Mahal which is a little over two hours from the venue and also go to the nearby cities,' Gaur told IANS in the BIC pit lane.

The cheapest tickets were sold out within three days of their launch last year.

The first Indian Grand Prix was a huge success with 95,000 fans turning up at the BIC.