‘No way I’m paying $150 for a polo’: F1 merch prices stun fans

With Formula 1 heading to Albert Park this weekend for the Melbourne Grand Prix, Aussie fans excited to stock up on their favourite team's merchandise have been left stunned by the exorbitant prices. 

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A post on a Melbourne Reddit thread highlighted the elevated prices for racing team merch, with prices near the track often inflated by between 20 and 70 per cent compared to those online.

"Yeah, yeah it's always going to be more expensive at the track, and you won't be able to wear it on the day. But with items like this hat 70 per cent cheaper on the official F1 store, don't do it to yourself!" the Reddit user wrote.

The post included a photo of an official Mercedes-Benz hat priced at $100, with the exact same cap currently available on the Mercedes-Benz website for just $30, reduced from $70.

The Reddit photo also shows a T-shirt that retails for $120 online but has a markup of $20 to $140 near the track.

One user argued inflated prices were par for the course, commenting "That's just merchandise and any big event… You don't go to a concert expecting merch to be cheap".

Another joked, "They should be paying you to wear their logo".

At the McLaren stand, you can expect to pay $280–$300 for an official racing jacket, $170 for a polo shirt and $90 for a hat.

Meanwhile, on the official McLaren website, the same polo is $139, and the hat is $80.

People on the Reddit post also offered advice on finding cheaper merch.

"Go to the AFL shop on Elizabeth Street. They have a room of old-season stuff that's usually quite cheap, and they often have F1 stuff there too," said one user.

"Years ago, when I would buy team merch, I would just wait until the end of the season when things were heavily reduced because there's no way I'm paying $150 for a polo that makes me look like a walking billboard, lol. But yeah. Advice to any new F1 fans who aren't in a rush to get team gear: Just hold off for end-of-season sales," another wrote. 

If you're heading to the track this weekend, your best bet is to stock up on your merch via other avenues if you don't want to break the bank.