Formula 1 is one of the most elite and expensive sports in the world. It’s no secret that teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars to develop the most advanced racecars possible. Every year, Formula 1 puts on massive events in the Middle East, Americas, Asia (not Africa), and across Europe, the most famous being the Monaco GP.

However, the tickets to attend these events are incredibly costly, especially if you’re from South Africa, paying for everything in rands. As we all patiently wait to see if Formula 1 will return to Kyalami, it may be interesting to take a look at how much it would cost to attend one of the most glamorous sporting events of the year, the Monaco Grand Prix.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

The Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco, the most iconic race on the calendar, is known for luxury, making it the one of the most expensive F1 weekends to attend. There are a number of different tickets that you can get to attend the race, but spending a weekend in Monaco is incredibly pricey.

The Cost Breakdown

When it comes to calculating the costs of attending a Formula 1 race weekend, there are a few major categories to consider. While all eyes may be on the actual ticket for the race weekend, there are additional costs that can quickly add up.

This includes flights to Europe, accommodation, transportation, and general expenses over the weekend. To give you an idea of how much it costs to attend the famous race, we’ll break everything down into ‘affordable-‘, ‘premium-‘, and ‘luxury’ experiences. We used a forex rate of R20,50 to the Euro, and rounded all figures for ease of reading.

Flights To Monaco

Monaco is a principality nestled on the French coast. This means that there’s no airport in Monaco that you can fly to directly. Instead, you will need to fly to Nice and take a car, ferry, or helicopter to Monaco. Flights from South Africa to Nice can range depending on what kind of ticket you take and how many layovers you’re willing to sit through. Here’s a quick guide on the various price points.

Economy flights: R12 000 to R15 000
Business-class flights: R50 000 to R100 000
First-class flights: R200 000 to R250 000

Accommodation in Monaco

Hotels and apartments in Monaco get booked way in advance. Since Monaco is the pinnacle of the F1 calendar for celebs and the ultra-wealthy, you can expect to pay two to five times the price to book a hotel over a Grand Prix weekend.

If you want to catch all the F1 action, you’ll need to fly in on Friday morning to attend the first practice session. This means that you would need to check in on Friday morning and stay until Monday morning. Here’s a quick look at how much this will cost.

3-star hotel: R50 000 to R75 000 per room
4-star hotel: R100 000 to R150 000 per room
5-star hotel: R250 000 to R400 000 per room

Read more F1 content in our dedicated section by clicking here.

Formula 1 Tickets

There are multiple different tickets that you can get to witness the Monaco GP. The most affordable tickets are for grandstand seats. These tickets can also range depending on where you’re sitting around the track. Tickets with reserved seats are also more expensive than general admission tickets.

The second level of tickets is hospitality tickets. These tickets give you access to private areas around the track where you can watch the race in absolute comfort. Some packages also include food and drinks, with some having professional chefs on call to cater to your every need.

The ultimate experience is the official F1 Paddock Club. This ticket comes with private seating above the paddock, where you can enjoy an uninterrupted view of the pits and the start/finish line. The Paddock Club also gives you access to private areas of the track where the drivers walk around and prepare for the race. These tickets are almost a sure way to rub shoulders with ex-drivers and celebs while enjoying fine food and French champagne.

Grandstand tickets: R20 000 to R50 000 for a three-day pass
Hospitality tickets: R100 000 to R150 000 for a three-day pass
Paddock Club tickets: R300 000 to R400 000 for a three-day pass

Transportation and Smaller Costs

In addition to these major costs, there are smaller costs that you may need to budget for. This includes transportation around Monaco, food, and the odd souvenir to bring back home. While these costs can vary greatly depending on your personal budget and taste, here’s a quick estimate for each level.

If you’re looking for an affordable experience, you may choose to take an Uber to Monaco and stick to small cafes and fast food. However, you can splurge and get a private helicopter directly from Nice to your hotel or yacht in Monaco.

Affordable experience: R10 000 to R15 000
Premium experience: R20 000 to R30 000
Luxury experience: R100 000 to R300 000

PS. The 7-minute, one-way helicopter transfer from Nice to Monaco will set you back around R10 000 per person.

Let’s Wrap It Up

As you can see, the Monaco Grand Prix is incredibly expensive, even if you’re trying to plan your trip on a budget. Here’s a quick rundown of how much attending the Grand Prix will cost for each budget.

Affordable Option Monaco GP

Economy flights: R12 000 to R15 000
3-star hotel: R50 000 to R75 000 per room
Grandstand tickets: R20 000 to R50 000 for a three-day pass
Affordable experience: R10 000 to R15 000
Total: R92 000 – R155 000

Premium Option Monaco GP

Business-class flights: R50 000 to R100 000
4-star hotel: R100 000 to R150 000 per room
Hospitality tickets: R100 000 to R150 000 for a three-day pass
Premium experience: R20 000 to R30 000
Total: R270 000 to R430 000

Luxury Option Monaco GP

First-class flights: R200 000 to R250 000
5-star hotel: R250 000 to R400 000 per room
Paddock Club tickets: R300 000 to R400 000 for a three-day pass
Luxury experience: R100 000 to R300 000
Total: R850 000 to R1 350 000