Fans who were unable to purchase tickets for F1's launch event at London's O2 Arena next yr have been urged not to purchase from resale web sites.
Formula 1's seventy fifth anniversary season will begin in unfamiliar surroundings when all 10 teams display their 2025 colours side by side on February 18.
The event will bring together all 20 drivers and their team principals, giving fans their first have a look at what the F1 field will appear like on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 16.
Tickets went on sale Friday morning and sold out in only 45 minutes, with demand far exceeding the event's capability.
The price range of £58 to £113 plus booking fee appeared to discourage few people, with some fans waiting online for hours before the box office opened.
Almost immediately after tickets sold out, large numbers of tickets began appearing on resale web sites – with some asking for amounts in excess of £1,000.
Motorsport.com understands that discussions between F1 and The O2 also led to the conclusion that some tickets on resale markets were for seats that don’t exist.
O2 painting
Photo: Formula 1
“We are aware that several tickets for our season-opening event at The O2 have been listed on unofficial resale websites,” F1 said in a press release.
“We can confirm that that is contrary to the terms of sale and that any tickets purchased via an unofficial resale platform usually are not valid for entry.
“While working with The O2, we also discovered that many of the offers are fake. We advise all our fans to only purchase tickets via theo2.co.uk or official AXS resale.”
Unlike recent high-demand events, tickets for the immersive evening – branded F175 – weren’t subject to dynamic pricing and while it is just not illegal to resell tickets through third-party firms at inflated prices, the stance taken by F1 and The O2 should put people off.
