Belgian GP - The occasions fans have been refunded in other sports

Fans at Spa in Belgium — Photo: © LAT Images

Belgian Grand Prix

Belgian GP - The occasions fans have been refunded in other sports

F1 has so far declined calls to refund fans

Ewan Gale

Monday 30 August 2021 17:08

Following the washout of a Belgian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton immediately called for the fans who had stood for hours in the rain and cold to be refunded.

Virtually every driver and team has since praised the fans for what they were forced to go through, yet F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali dismissed reimbursement calls.

While it is understood F1 is currently in talks with the Belgian GP promoters to find a way forward, GPFans Global has looked back to find high-profile instances of sports fans being refunded.

Second Ashes Test 2019

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The England vs Australia Test series in cricket saw day one of the second five-day test washed out due to rain without a ball being bowled.

The England and Wales Cricket Board issued full refunds as per its policy, with less than 15 overs being played on the day.

The same can be said for the Test match between England and India at the same venue a year previous. If you want a refund for a rain washout, go and watch the cricket!

British MotoGP 2018

The British round of the 2018 MotoGP championship had huge ramifications for Silverstone.

The track had been resurfaced at the start of the year and been heavily criticised after the F1 race for being bumpy.

For the MotoGP weekend in August, the heavens opened and mini-lakes formed at the braking zones of Stowe and Brooklands.

This led to a mass pile-up during practice resulting in injury for Tito Rabat, so when conditions remained the same on race day, no running was completed.

Fans were left fuming and demanding refunds whilst MotoGP rights holder Dorna pointed fingers at the circuit. Refunds were eventually given, with the full amount repaid for race day ticketholders.

Work began to resurface the track again the very next day.

British Grand Prix 2012

The race where fans were told to stay away from the circuit for qualifying actually saw a then-record turnout. That didn't stop north of 10,000 fans asking for refunds after deciding not to turn up to Silverstone in 2012.

Heavy rainfall turned car parks into quagmires, with Silverstone's chiefs asking for respite in order to allow parking spaces to dry in time for race day.

Campsites were turned into muddy bogs and all this led to a refund bill of around £1million for the British Grand Prix venue.

Wimbledon 2006

The first day of the 120th Wimbledon tennis championships was washed out after only 40 minutes of play in 2006.

Despite the persistent rain, the organisers waited until 19:20 BST to call it a day, echoing the Belgian Grand Prix scenes.

Rules stated full reimbursement must be given if less than an hours play was achieved, meaning a near £1million reported bill for the organisers.

United States Grand Prix 2005

The ultimate embarrassment for F1 came at the 2005 US Grand Prix where Michelin-tyred runners were unable to compete due to the structure of the tyre being unable to cope with Indianapolis' banking.

F1 refused to pay ticket holders back, as did the circuit, citing a race had been run and that six cars were a full enough field.

A lawsuit by fans against the two parties fell through, however, Michelin itself offered refunds for the fans.

Southampton vs Mancherster United 2021

The English Premier League football match between Southampton and Manchester United on Sunday, August 22 saw home fans stranded outside the stadium as the game was played due to a ticket and entry issue.

Some tickets did not scan at entry gates whilst certain supporters had not received their tickets in time for the game.

Southampton FC issued apologies across the following days and offered full refunds both for single match tickets and season ticket holders.