“It’s foolish to pin the whole blame on Rossi’s absence” The high nine-time world champion’s ability to draw in fans was undeniable even in the past few years of his career as his results on track waned.
That’s why series promoter Dorna has done everything in its power to still lure him back for the race in any capacity at all, electing to retire his number 46 not in the press conference room like normal for ceremonies like that but instead on the main straight right before qualifying – an event that even then couldn’t pack in much of a crowd, taking place in front of a not exactly full grandstand on the main straight.
“It’s foolish to pin the whole blame on Rossi’s absence” The high…
But it would be foolish (and a little insulting, to be honest) to pin the whole blame on Rossi’s absence when there’s a much more glaring reason. We’re in the midst of a cost of living crisis as the world tries to dig its way out of two years of pandemic and as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drives up the price of daily necessities – something that’s been particularly felt in Italy with its reliance on Russian natural gas.
And, with its location meaning that Mugello is normally not one of the cheapest races at the best of times, 2022 has driven that cost even higher. Flights are expensive, hotels are expensive, and hire cars are next level at the minute, orders of magnitude more than past years.
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Even if you live down the street and can stay at home every night and walk in, though, ticket prices might well put you off attending. A general admission ticket without a grandstand seat (not that you need one at Mugello) comes in at a whopping €169.
That’s almost double the price of a similar one at Le Mans two weeks ago, where you could attend the three days for only €90 – and where as a result the French GP crammed in a massive 225,000 people over Friday through Sunday.
