The British Grand Prix has become the most expensive event in Britain. Formula One fans will have to fork out a staggering £300 for a grandstand seat at Silverstone for next year's race on July 7th - £230 more than for a ticket at the FA Cup final.

Prices have risen at the Northamptonshire circuit by £100 as organisers have been forced to cut spectator capacity by 30,000 in an effort to save the event.

Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, threatened to axe the event from the Formula One calendar next season unless improvements were made to ease congestion around the track.

Rob Bain, chief executive of promoters Octagon Motorsports Limited, believes fans will enjoy "an enhanced quality experience". But that means enthusiasts having to pay exorbitant prices for a race which lasts, in dry conditions, for just 80 minutes.

Bain is convinced fans are getting "good value for money", but in comparison to many of Britain's major attractions, those who follow other sports are onto a winner.

The most expensive tickets for last season's FA Cup final between Liverpool and Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff were £70, while for England's vital World Cup qualifier against Greece at Old Trafford, they were £42.

As a thank you to the fans who have followed England around the country during the last year since Wembley's closure, the English Football Association have slashed the prices of tickets for the friendly with Sweden on November 10th. The most any fan will pay is £20.

Centre court tickets for the thrill-a-minute Wimbledon men's singles final in July between Pat Rafter and Goran Ivanisevic were only £66, with the women's final £6 cheaper.

Other than finals days, you could watch nine hours of tennis every day for the previous 12 days - weather permitting - for as much as it costs to see the British Grand Prix.

Spokesman Johnny Perkins said: "With prices starting from £26, a true fan really does get their money's worth. It's very good value."

A week-long pass for the British Open at Royal Lytham St Annes earlier this year was only £125, with a ticket for the final day costing just £35.

Although members are only allowed into the exclusive Queen's Stand for Derby Day at Epsom, the average punter only paid £40 on the day to enter The Club and £32 if tickets were bought in advance.

The highest-priced tickets for the forthcoming rugby union international between England and Australia at Twickenham, which is a sell-out, were £40.

While for the British Motorcycle Grand Prix at Donington Park, a weekend pass from Friday to Sunday was £40, while race day was £30.

Only a certain number of high-profile boxing events can lay claim to be more expensive than the British Grand Prix.

Ringside seats for Lennox Lewis' defence of his WBC and IBF world titles last July against Frans Botha cost an astonishing £750.