As the finale of the 2024 Formula One season comes to an end at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi this weekend, Indian travellers will be cheering on either McLaren or Ferrari in their tussle for the constructors’ championship, gunning for Lando Norris or Charles Leclerc to finish second in the drivers’ championship, and revelling in a season that saw seven different drivers win multiple grand prix, a first for the sport.
The popularity of F1 shows in the number of Indians willing to attend a grand prix. According to Skyscanner’s “Travel Trends 2025” report, “sport mode” is an upcoming trend for Indian travellers next year. Over half (53 per cent) of them are eager to attend a live sporting event in 2025, either domestically or internationally. In fact, 63 per cent are keen to soak in the experience for entertainment purposes, while 50 per cent want a chance to see their favourite stars in action.
The preceding race in Qatar and the upcoming one in Abu Dhabi offer a perfect mix of both, making them unmissable for Indian F1 fans.
For Abu Dhabi, the search data shows a 57 per cent jump in volume in the week of December 2 as compared to the following week, suggesting Indians’ eagerness to witness the iconic Yas Marina showdown. In fact, the search volume for travel during this period is 97 per cent higher than in 2023.
The search data also indicated that the volume was highest from New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru for trips to Doha, Qatar in November compared to October and December—with it being twice as high compared to November 2023. Even better, airfares to Doha had dropped by 15 per cent in 2024 compared to last year, according to the "Travel Trends 2025" report, making it a steal for value-seeking Indians.
(With inputs from a press release)
