You’ve likely come across Champions Club when looking at Grand Prix tickets. But what do you actually get? This guide covers everything included, from the paddock tour to the grid walk, so you can decide if it’s right for your race weekend.
What to expect in this guide
• What Champions Club is and how much it costs • What’s included? • What happens during the paddock tour and grid walk • How Champions Club compares to Paddock Club and standard hospitality • When to book for the best availability
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
If you’re planning a Grand Prix trip, you’ll quickly discover there are many different ticket options. One you’ll see at every race is the Champions Club.
The Champions Club is a hospitality package. It sits in the mid-to-upper price range for F1 hospitality experiences.
It usually costs more than standard hospitality offered by the circuit or race promoter. But it costs less than the Formula One Paddock Club, which is the premium option at any Grand Prix.
It gives you access to areas and moments that most ticket holders never see.
Champions Club is sold as a three-day ticket. You can’t buy single-day access. If you miss a day at the circuit, you’ll miss the perks scheduled for that day. There’s no flexibility to reschedule. The only exception I’ve seen is the Belgian Grand Prix, where a two-day option was available.
Champions Club tickets vary by Grand Prix, local currency, and exchange rates. As a rough guide, expect to pay between £2,500 and £3,500 per person for a three-day ticket.
What’s Included in Champions Club
The Champions Club package is consistent across all Formula One Grands Prix. Here’s what you get:
• Track-side hospitality • Appearances from F1 insiders • Guided tour of the Formula One Paddock • Grid walk with Championship Trophy photo
Here’s what each of these means in practice.
Track-Side Hospitality
The hospitality element is where you’ll eat, drink, and watch the racing.
The facility varies from circuit to circuit. In recent years, some circuits have built new structures to accommodate the Champions Club. Others use existing facilities at the track, which may limit the number of guests.
The location also changes depending on the circuit. Some Champions Club facilities are close to the start/finish straight and the pit building. Others sit at points around the track where you’re more likely to see overtaking and wheel-to-wheel action.
How you watch the racing depends on the circuit. At some races, your Champions Club package includes a grandstand seat. At others, you’ll watch from the Champions Club facility itself. That usually means a terrace, balcony, or rooftop.
The hospitality includes a light lunch, snacks throughout the day, and an open bar serving beer, wine, and soft drinks.
There’s no strict dress code. Smart casual is the norm. Team gear is acceptable.
You don’t have to stay in the Champions Club area all day. You can explore other parts of the circuit, like the F1 fan zone or merchandise areas. But you won’t be able to access grandstands unless a grandstand seat is included in your package.
Insider Appearances
Throughout your Champions Club experience, you’ll hear from people who work in Formula One.
These could be former drivers, current F1 media personalities, team executives, or the F1 safety car driver.
The specific guests vary by race and aren’t announced far in advance. But the appearances give you insight into the sport from people who work in it day to day.
Paddock Tour
The paddock tour is only included with premium experiences like Champions Club and Paddock Club. Most F1 fans never get this access.
The paddock is the area behind the team garages. It’s reserved for F1 teams, FIA officials, key partners like fuel and tire suppliers, and the media. It’s where the teams operate during the race weekend.
An official host will guide you through the paddock for 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll walk among the team motorhomes and see how a Formula One team works during a race weekend.
The tours are flexible. If there’s something specific you’d like to see, it’s worth asking your guide.
You’re free to take photos during the paddock tour.
You may see a driver walking past. Drivers move between the garage and their team motorhome throughout the weekend, and you’ll be in their path. It’s a matter of timing, but spotting a familiar face is not uncommon.
The paddock tour may take place at any point over the Grand Prix weekend. You’ll be allocated a specific time closer to the event.
Fans get a cap signed by Fernando Alonso during a paddock tour
Grid Walk and Championship Trophy Photo
You’ll have the chance to stand on the Formula One grid.
This is the exact spot where the cars will line up before the lights go out on Sunday.
To be clear: you won’t be walking alongside Formula One cars. This isn’t access to the grid before the race itself. But it is a chance to see what the drivers see.
Standing on the grid gives you a different perspective. You’ll look up at the grandstands, down the start/finish straight toward Turn 1, and stand in the grid box where your favourite driver will start the Grand Prix the following day.
You’ll also have a professional photograph taken on the grid with the Formula One Championship Trophy. It’s a keepsake from your weekend.
The Champions Club Grid Walk and Trophy Photo take place on Saturday evening, after the final track action of the day.
This timing matters if you’re booking an organised tour or travelling to and from the circuit on a shuttle bus service. Most tour buses and shuttle buses depart from the circuit after the final on-track action, which is before the grid walk takes place. You’ll need to arrange your own transport back to your hotel after the grid walk.
Stand on the grid for a driver’s perspective.
How Champions Club Compares
Champions Club is a step up from regular grandstand tickets. You get hospitality included, plus the additional perks.
It’s uncommon to find these perks included with promoter or circuit-operated hospitality facilities. The paddock tour and grid walk are what set Champions Club apart.
A Formula One Paddock Club ticket costs roughly twice the price of Champions Club. With a Paddock Club ticket, you get at least two opportunities to visit the Formula One pit lane on all three days of the weekend. The pit lane is the working area in front of the team garages, where cars enter and exit during the session. You also get a guided tour of the track and a guided tour of the paddock, plus hospitality in a prime location, often directly above the team garages.
Paddock Club is more access, more often.
When to Book
Booking timing depends on which Grand Prix you want to attend.
Some races sell out quickly. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix are examples of high-demand events. You’ll need to book early to secure your spot.
Other Grands Prix don’t have the same level of demand. You can often book closer to the event. But Champions Club will likely sell out at some point for every race.
Is Champions Club Right for You?
The Champions Club gives you access to parts of a Grand Prix weekend that regular ticket holders never experience.
It sits between standard hospitality and Paddock Club in both access and price.
If paddock access, insider insights, and the grid walk photo matter to you, Champions Club includes all three at every Grand Prix on the calendar.
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Paddock Tour
The paddock tour is only included with premium experiences like Champions Club and Paddock Club. Most F1 fans never get this access.
The paddock is the area behind the team garages. It’s reserved for F1 teams, FIA officials, key partners like fuel and tire suppliers, and the media. It’s where the teams operate during the race weekend.
An official host will guide you through the paddock for 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll walk among the team motorhomes and see how a Formula One team works during a race weekend.
The tours are flexible. If there’s something specific you’d like to see, it’s worth asking your guide.
You’re free to take photos during the paddock tour.
You may see a driver walking past. Drivers move between the garage and their team motorhome throughout the weekend, and you’ll be in their path. It’s a matter of timing, but spotting a familiar face is not uncommon.
The paddock tour may take place at any point over the Grand Prix weekend. You’ll be allocated a specific time closer to the event.
FAQ's
The Champions Club is a mid-to-upper tier hospitality package available at every Formula One Grand Prix. It includes track-side hospitality, appearances from F1 insiders, a guided paddock tour, and a grid walk with Championship Trophy photo.
Champions Club tickets cost between £2,500 and £3,500 per person for a three-day ticket. The exact price varies by Grand Prix, local currency, and exchange rates.
No. Champions Club is sold as a three-day ticket only. You can't buy single-day access.
Champions Club hospitality includes a light lunch, snacks throughout the day, and an open bar serving beer, wine, and soft drinks.
The paddock tour is a 15 to 20 minute guided walk through the area behind the team garages. You'll walk among team motorhomes and see how Formula One teams operate during a race weekend. You're free to take photos during the tour.
There's no strict dress code. Smart casual is the norm. Team gear is perfectly acceptable.
Paddock Club costs roughly twice the price of Champions Club. Paddock Club includes at least two pit lane visits on all three days, a guided track tour, a paddock tour, and hospitality directly above the team garages. Paddock Club offers more access, more often.
Booking timing depends on the Grand Prix. High-demand races like the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix sell out quickly and require early booking. Other races have more availability closer to the event, but Champions Club will likely sell out at some point for every race.
It's possible but not guaranteed. Drivers regularly move between the garage and team motorhome during the paddock tour, so you may see them. It's a matter of timing and luck, but spotting familiar faces is not uncommon.
It depends on the circuit. At some races, your Champions Club package includes a grandstand seat. At others, you'll watch from the Champions Club facility itself, usually from a terrace, balcony, or rooftop.
Rob is an experienced independent travel consultant and travel content creator.
His love for Formula One started in the 1990s, watching the greats like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, and Mika Hakkinen. He traveled to his first Grand Prix in 1999. It was the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Since then, Rob has traveled to over 2/3 of Grand Prix’ on the current Formula One calendar.
Fast forward to today, and Rob has turned his passion into a career, dedicating his time to helping others plan their dream Formula One trips.
His favourite Grand Prix destinations are Austria and Austin, and when he’s not attending a Formula One Grand Prix, you’ll find him closer to home, walking or cycling in the Peak District National Park.
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