Here’s Why COTA are Selling Grand Prix Tickets At Costco

Posted on August 21, 2023 | by Dre Harrison You’ve probably seen it on social media over the summer break and it’s an image that may have come as a surprise – a supermarket chain displaying and selling Grand Prix tickets at the counter! With constant talk on the internet about America’s place on F1’s calendar, it was inevitable that US and UK bulk-shopper supermarket chain Costco selling General Admission tickets for the United States Grand Prix at Austin on October 22nd would be a hot talking point. So why has the promoters of the race gone down this road? When quizzed on the topic in a media scrum that included The Race, track boss Bobby Epstein explained why Costco is selling their tickets, while working in a thinly-veiled jab at the coverage of the US ticket prices. “First, I’m surprised that it gets the attention this year when we’ve sold there many times in the past,” said Epstein. “But I think one of the things we want to do is – there’s so much coverage, you guys have given so much scope to the expensive tickets and the jaw-dropping prices, or the million-dollar package in Vegas.” Epstein added: “Dom Perignon is sold at Costco but it represents its value and we are trying to find every way we can to tell the customer that a ticket of the US Grand Prix is affordable and there’s great value in it.” Epstein also claimed that, by adding “ten-twelve thousand rooms”, the price of accommodation has been kept in check. “I think the hotel prices this year are lower than they were, even without [being] inflation-adjusted, I think the prices are lower this year than they were in year one.” So there’s some insight as to why Costco is selling GP tickets alongside some fancy champagne. Now I wonder when their famous chocolate cake’s coming back. Asking for a friend… Do you think it’s a good thing that COTA are selling its tickets in a Supermarket?