The Menus From Formula 1 Have Gone Viral For All The Wrong Reasons, Here’s How People Reacted

Every Formula One race has its own identity and on May 3-5, fans from all over the world tuned in to the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.

The beach vibes and celebrity glamour set the stage and the racing lived up to the hype as a sell-out crowd watched Lando Norris secure his first F1 victory.

However, there's one more thing that's been making the headlines. Food prices.

Business reporter Darren Rovell shared a picture on social media showing the $180 platter of carne asada nachos, $190 for chicken wings, $280 for Maine lobster rolls, and the $400 option to add an ounce of caviar to any item. The image, understandably, has been receiving plenty of attention.

"I think what [Darren Rovell] missed on that one was that's actually a suite menu. So, it's lobster rolls for like eight to ten people ... $280 for lobster for 10 people in a suite is still a lot of money. But it's lobster. It's not a hot dog," Miami Dolphins CEO and Miami Grand Prix managing partner Tom Garfinkel commented on the issue.

Miami also reportedly offered concessions from more than 65 local food vendors, bucking the trend of traditional stadium food, with meal prices ranging around $20.

"It's not lost on me that the tickets are expensive. So, I'm always talking to the concessionaire about trying to keep concession prices lower. With inflation, the cost of goods has gone up, not just the cost to operate," Garfinkel said.

"We do have significant, over 65, independent kitchens on site. We have a lot of different vendors, a lot of different purveyors. We have to run power to all these sites, water, all these things. It's expensive, but we try not to pass that off on the consumer in terms of crazy prices. People have to be able to come out and be able to eat, drink and have a good time. And so we try to focus on those things."

Formula 1 will return later this year for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas (Oct. 18-20) and the Las Vegas Grand Prix (Nov. 21-23), and affordability continues to be a hot topic.

The latter, for example, offers a $150 opening-day ticket and $600 general admission for the three-day weekend. The organizers are also adding 10,000 more general admission tickets, some including food and beverage, with new bench seating in some areas for fans to experience the action.

"[We're] trying to get that ticket price down for some people who really want to join that entry-level seat on the track," Renee Wilm, Las Vegas Grand Prix CEO, said. "These new GA sections will also include a bench to grandstand for viewing. It won't be assigned seating, but it will allow our fans to be able to find a place to sit and watch the cars fly by."

The Grand Prix held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, offers a $389 three-day general admission ticket before fees.