Jake Dixon’s victory in the Moto2 race at Silverstone last Sunday was a moment for the home fans to enjoy. But as he encouraged the crowd to produce an even louder cheer to accompany only his third victory in the series, it was also a moment to assess Britain’s relationship with MotoGP.
Perhaps there was good reason why Dixon was underwhelmed by the crowd’s first attempt – he couldn’t hear them. Four weeks earlier, 164,000 people watched Lewis Hamilton’s incredible Formula 1 victory at Silverstone, smashing the venue’s single-day attendance record.
But just 42,529 turned up for MotoGP on Sunday, despite the championship enjoying bumper crowds at tracks such as Le Mans and Jerez earlier in the season. So why the poor attendance? There’s a number of factors.
As of Saturday night, unsurprisingly given the low attendance, tickets for Sunday were still available with prices starting at £110 for adults for general admission. That gave access to selected open-air grandstands, general viewing areas and the fan zone. It’s expensive when you consider that Premier League tickets start at around £40 for a roll-up rate.
The argument is, though, that you get access to a full race schedule, plus a concert and off-track entertainment. The price is also half that of an equivalent general admission Sunday ticket for the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Another element is that the date of the MotoGP race fell in the summer holidays, meaning families could be away. MotoGP will avoid this scenario next year by bringing the race forward to 25 May, but this unwisely pitches it against the F1 Monaco Grand Prix and Indy 500, and immediately before the start of the Isle of Man TT.
Dixon won the Moto2 race on home turf, but the turnout for MotoGP was notably less than F1
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Another suggestion is that the coverage is behind a paywall. Broadcaster TNT holds the UK rights, meaning those who want to watch it are required to pay for a subscription.
While the deal brings money into MotoGP, it is potentially limiting its audience. That said, Sky F1 has a similar deal in place, and that has not caused a drop in F1 attendances, although Channel 4 does provide a free-to-air highlights show.
Maybe the most significant matter, however, is the lack of British talent in MotoGP – and that doesn’t look like changing any time soon. This is Dixon’s seventh season in Moto2 and, at 28, he looks unlikely to…
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