formula one

Monaco Grand Prix wrap up and the distinct advantages of a Personal Seat Licensein Austin

Once again the Monaco Grand Prix lived up to expectations. We had the anticipated first corner pileup that fortunately resulted in no injuries, but did lead to the retirement of some strong podium contenders like local favorite Romain Grosjean.

This incident was followed by a straightforward race where all the passing relied on the teams pit stop strategies. Sebastien Vettel had the only strategy that really differed from the rest of the grid: The others started on super soft tires, whereas he started on the harder tires, allowing him to stay on the track longer and do a few laps free of traffic. The tactic resulted in him overtaking two cars after everyone was done with their pit stops.

The weather kept the crowd waiting for a shakeup of the positions, with rain looming over the second half of the race. It started coming down in the final laps, but just on certain portions of the track. This did, however, make for a few nail-biting moments as Nico Rosberg, and Fernando Alonso caught up to Mark Webber and put the pressure on him. But Webber held on, kept his cool and was able to become the sixth different winner in six Grand Prixs, as well as a two-time Monaco GP winner.

The last decade has seen Formula One branded as rather boring, with the same winners time after time (be it whether Schumacher and Ferrari or Vettel and Red Bull). But this season is bringing the sport back to life; it is nearly impossible to predict the next race’s winners. Hopefully the remainder of the season will continue to be balanced, and we will end up with one of the most exciting Grand Prix in Austin this fall since we are the second to last stop of the season.

The teams get a weekend off until next week's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. So rather than a race preview, I’ll discuss why I have already bought my Personal Seat License at Circuit of the Americas.

Like many of you, last year I signed up on the Circuit of the Americas website to receive e-mail updates for tickets, events, etc. Then it was announced earlier this year that the first round of ticket sales would only be for Personal Seat Licenses (PSL), something were not used to seeing in motorsports.

But this is not a new concept in sports: the University of Texas football stadium has a similar system, as well as the Dallas Cowboys. Basically, you purchase your right to buy a ticket every season for a pre-determined number of years which, at the Circuit of the Americas, is 15 years. The price of the PSL does not include the cost of the season pass, which you have to purchase every year in order to retain.

Not only was the first round of ticket sales going to be limited to PSLs, but you had to sign up in advance for this first round and pay a $100 deposit. I’ll admit that all of this commitment had me thinking twice, but ultimately, I went ahead and put a deposit down. Then in February the pricing of the PSLs came out, and at first glance, I was blinded by the high prices of certain sections. At this point I figured I would just wait for general admission tickets to be released.

But then in April after much discussion with some friends about what we were going to do for Formula One, we scheduled a meeting at the Circuit of the Americas ticket sales office in Austin. Our thought was there must be reasons why the PSLs are priced the way they are and maybe we were not fully understanding the advantages from reading the Circuit of the Americas website. During this meeting we realized that we had not looked at the layout in enough detail and eventually found some seats that not only provided great views but were also affordable.

We also discovered that once we amortize the initial cost of a PSL over 15 years (and the annual season pass over the year), it’s actually reasonable if you can afford the upfront cost. As an Austinite the PSL made most sense; Circuit of the Americas plans to host a dozen other events every year, though events like concerts won’t be included in the season pass.

As a PSL holder you will get first right of refusal before the concert tickets go on sale to the general public. Anyone who’s tried to purchase an Austin City Limits 3-day pass over the past several years knows that large-scale music events in Austin tend to sell out instantly.

Also, if you cannot attend an event to which you have a ticket owing to your season pass, you are allowed to sell it. I suspect this is how Ticketmaster is already selling Grand Prix tickets on their website.

To sum things up, if you’re on the fence about a Personal Seat License, I would suggest contacting Circuit of the Americas and letting them review the advantages and disadvantages of a PSL according to your needs. It isn’t for everyone, but I know I have no regrets — and I enjoy the comfort of already knowing where I will be sitting.

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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