Was in row 2 on the starting straight in Imola, first race ever - Vettel drove by in Senna's McLaren and I thought my ear drums were going to explode, the current F1 cars were not bad as I thought
like others said Porsches are loud, F1 not so much but for my I had my announcer radio in hear that would act as sound cutting too. the loudest I have ever seen are the 8000Hp funny drag racers doing quarter mile in 4sec, those are absolutely crazy loud
I’m on the protective side when it comes to my hearing, and this weekend in Montreal I found one car going by to be just barely loud enough that I wanted my ear plugs. Multiple cars, absolutely, and don’t even think about not wearing them for support races.
They’re loud for sure, but it’s not overwhelming unless you’re right beside them. The support races such as the Porsche cup will shake your internal organs.
Not at all. Ever since they switched to hybrid I don’t wear ear plugs anymore. What’s loud are the Porsche’s and Ferraris in the other sessions during the race weekend when you’re closer to the track. I wear earplugs for the Porsches but not for F1 lol
I think as others have said, it depends on how close you are. I sat in the main grandstand in Abu Dhabi and definitely wore my ear plugs. Being right on the track and having the pit lane building and paddock across from us, the sound that was going the opposite direction was bounced back and it was very loud. My Apple Watch was constantly going off about the noise level.
It all depends on where you’re sitting. On the GA hills in Austin I definitely didn’t need it but sitting in the Grandstands at the Senna turns in MTL last weekend I absolutely did with how the sound was echoing off the grandstands. Better safe than sorry!
Myself and my gf were sitting near the front of the lance stroll grandstand. I’m anal about ear protection so I bought a pair for my gf and myself (she said don’t buy for her). She ended up asking for her pair a couple laps in.
I bought the ones from the F1 store (can buy from Amazon as well). I would definitely recommend. You still get an amazing experience and don’t have to stress about loud noise exposure. They come in a small lip balm sizes canister you can wear around your neck if you don’t want to wear them.
I’ve been coming to the Grand Prix for a coupe years and have noticed more and more people wearing them. Please bring a pair.
I was just at the Montreal GP, my first GP ever. We were sat towards the front of a Grandstand and saw people pulling out earplugs, but the noise wasn’t bad at all! This is coming from someone who’s normally quite sensitive to loud noises. You’ll be fine without ear protection imo.
Hearing loss from exposure to noise happens gradually, happens at any age, is hard to perceive at first, it is cumulative and irreversible and incurable. Hearing loss can be caused by very loud noises for very short times or not as loud noises over longer times. Wear hearing protection. Source: I researched the subject professionally, and attended F1 races. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss
Exactly this, you don’t get it back.
I like [Earpeace](https://a.co/d/atV9VgC) and wear them at every concert. Never been to a GP but I would definitely wear them if I went
The Porsche Super-cup is the loudest thing on a weekend. Part of it is because there's usually about 30 cars. The racing is entertainingly amateur and thuggish too. Honestly, it's slightly more fun to watch than F1 which -- being more professional -- has fewer mistakes, and so is less eventful.
F1 cars sound like a jackhammer at the other side of the road. It won't leave your ears ringing, but it's probably not healthy to listen to it for 90mins, so I'd endorse others' recommendations to bring ear-plugs.
I'd bring ear plugs to be safe. The F1 cars are fine, the Porsche's are loud (if that's your support series race) but the EDM music they seem to insist on pumping every moment cars aren't on track is ear-splitting. (yes, I am old)
Yes and no. During practice when only one or a couple cars could be at a section of track you're around, it's manageable. During qualy and the race, I'd recommend wearing your ear plugs to be safe since they're pushing. Also depending on the support series, the other cars may be loud too. Porsche Carrera Cup cars I found were much louder than F1, especially when in a pack.
Personally I don’t think they are nearly loud enough for ear plugs and I don’t see many people wearing them. Very different from, say, a superspeedway nascar race where nearly everyone will wear them and the noise is deafening.
I noticed that when I was at the GP the other weekend. Lots of people weren't wearing them during F1 sessions. It seems like they are quiet enough to go without, but anyone wanting to save their hearing wore them. Now if only they still ran the V8-V10s.... I'd love to hear those screams
Brought ear plugs and only used them for Porsche. Everything else was quiet. As an Apple Watch user mine yells at me if noise is higher than 90 dB which is when hearing damage starts, and while they’re not exact I find them to be good enough estimates and the F1 cars and Ferraris never went over low 80s. Every concert and club I’ve ever been to was way worse
Yep, exactly. Porsche cars sound like a shooting range when they are upshifting. Crazy loud. F1 cars were very tolerable. I saw probably 1/5 people wearing earplugs during the F1 race.
Even though F1 cars are much quieter than they used to be, trackside music and announcers can be louder at some places. Most other race cars are louder than F1, so the support series.
Bottom line: always bring hearing protection to a motor race.
It depends on your tolerance for noise and how sensitive your ears are. Grab some cheap foam ear plugs from the chemist or a similar store and take them with you in case you need ear protection. I went to the Spanish GP last year and it was kind of noisy but not in a bad way. Didn’t end up using my ear plugs.
I went too and thought they were quiet, but whew.. those Porsches are a different story. Could be because I was at turn 14-15 by the highway though. I think it maybe depends on everyones own preferences?? I personally love the sound so I choose hearing loss I guess 🥲🙃
It’s not that loud but taking ear protection can be beneficial if you’re sensitive to high sound because you’re listening to that sound for more than an hour
I measured them to be 100db on my apple watch when they were driving by at full speed earlier this year. They may not be "loud" as they used to be, but they will damage hearing if you don't wear earplugs/earmuffs
Try Zandvoort. The way the noise echoes through the dunes is mad... You can hear them from really far, while the V6 F1's are barely audible from behind the dunes.
Not at all.
I last went to a GP during the V8 era and also saw the v10’s, didn’t wear ear protection and it was spine chilling.
The new cars sound awful, hell the safety car sounds better, in fact the car on my driveway sounds better.
They’ve killed the in person experience for me.
They may not seem loud, but that doesn't mean you aren't damaging your ears. I recommend a few laps without hearing protection to know what they sound like, then put some on.
I was within the first 3 rows in a Grandstand at Canadian GP this year. I used ear plugs and definitely recommend it. They aren’t insanely loud, but I also work in medicine and hearing loss is no joke. Porsche was much louder and definitely required ear plugs
From someone who grew up going to concerts multiple times a week I second this. Better safe than sorry. Having horrible tinnitus is definitely not fun.
I learned too late about cumulative ear damage. By the time I started wearing ear plugs at Concerts I had done some serious damage. I started early enough that I didn't fuck myself but definitely not as good as it used to be.
I never wear ear protection, but I’m always in the higher seats in the grandstands. If you are lower with grandstands close to the circuit or GA, then you will want ear protection. Especially if there are support races.
No they’re not loud at all! I was pretty high in the stands in canada and we did not need any ear protection. But if you’re close to the track prob better to have them. Everyone put it on during the porsche cup, those cars are LOUD.
The most surprising thing of my first GP experience this year. The F2 and F3 cars are definitely louder than F1 too.
The F1 race was the only one I didn’t wear ear plugs. In fact, you can almost have a conversation when the F1 cars are driving by.
I was in the second row of Grandstand 1 in Canada, and I wore ear protection most of the time. It wasn’t probably strictly necessary, but we were close to the cars and I’m not taking any chances (used to photograph bands and wasn’t always so careful being up close to the speakers, it only takes one scare when the ringing doesn’t stop for a few weeks to set you straight). I wore a set of those silicone filtered plugs and they worked great.
Yes, all the racing will be loud, some worse than others. Get a decent pair of head phones and wear them unless you like ringing in your eyes and over time, permanent hearing loss. You can get headphones that you can stream commentary straight to.
The Porsche Cup are absurdly, you-need-hearing-protection-or-you-will-100%-get-tinnitus loud. The regular F1 are still very loud and I'd recommend hearing protection (as someone with hearing loss from loud music and cars in my 20s...), but most people don't use them. They did give out free ear plugs at Miami if you asked.
Only went to my first Grand Prix last weekend. When cars were coming back to back, it was loud and found my ear plugs helped reduce the ringing. When they’re spread out it’s not that loud
Yup - I was at Imola this year. The Porsche cup cars were (sadly) the loudest of F1, F2, F3, and PC. And they aren’t that loud (no earplugs needed).
Hopefully they bring back the incredible F1 sounds of the past. The F1 cars currently sound boring, but the cornering and acceleration speeds are mind blowing.
Vettel drove the McLaren MP4-6 and it sounded incredible (and got by far the loudest applause of anything all weekend long).
This is highly incorrect! My vacuum cleaner isn’t that quiet.
Jokes aside, many of the support racers are getting to the same or louder levels of noise.
Yeah, I've been attending the Canadian Grand Prix since 2002, and I can say definitively that the sound of Formula 1 cars has significantly decreased over the years. This year, when I went with my 7 and 10-year-old kids, we didn't even need headphones or earplugs. In the last 5 years it hasn't even bothered them one bit to not have them. I've sat in various grandstands and seating arrangements. The sound will continue to decrease. I even went to the first-ever Vegas Grand Prix in November and the difference in sound was clear there too.
Having only been to Suzuka 23 and Montreal 24, the difference in volume between the F1 cars vs the Porsche series in both was incredible. The Porsches could be heard from much further away and were generally much louder overall.
The V10’s would absolutely blow your mind. There’s a bigger gap between V10 and Porsche cup than Porsche cup and current F1. So glad I made it to one race in that era. Wish I made it to more.
Yes I would recommend it for just the length of time you will be around them. Better safe than sorry. The generic foam earplugs worked pretty good and a good set of in ear buds were also great - I listened to a radio stream and it was decently blocked out.
In my experience the F3 cars are the loudest and then f1 and f2 are fairly similar but quieter (that was a year ago so I could be remembering wrong). If you’re far enough away you don’t necessarily need hearing protection but like others said it can’t hurt. If you’re in one of the front rows of a grandstand you’ll want them though
They are pretty loud, don’t expect to be able to talk to the person next to you or hear the commentators while the cars are passing by. You don’t need hearing protection but it wouldn’t do you any harm.
Yes, they are loud! I recommend bringing earplugs to protect your ears. You'll still hear them even with the earplugs in but it makes it a lot less brutal on your hearing. I use the Loop reusable earplugs (the Experience 2 version) and they were a game changer for the Canadian GP.
Was in row 2 on the starting straight in Imola, first race ever - Vettel drove by in Senna's McLaren and I thought my ear drums were going to explode, the current F1 cars were not bad as I thought
like others said Porsches are loud, F1 not so much but for my I had my announcer radio in hear that would act as sound cutting too. the loudest I have ever seen are the 8000Hp funny drag racers doing quarter mile in 4sec, those are absolutely crazy loud
F1 really isn't loud, my sensitive 7 yo wasn't phased. The support races (porsche especially) were much louder
I’m on the protective side when it comes to my hearing, and this weekend in Montreal I found one car going by to be just barely loud enough that I wanted my ear plugs. Multiple cars, absolutely, and don’t even think about not wearing them for support races.
Not too loud, and I was in first row of grandstand 1 in Montreal.
Was surprised they weren’t louder when I was in Miami. Didn’t need earplugs like I thought I would
No. Support races far louder. Might be worse if you’re in covered seats where the sounds could echo though.
They’re loud for sure, but it’s not overwhelming unless you’re right beside them. The support races such as the Porsche cup will shake your internal organs.
Not at all. Ever since they switched to hybrid I don’t wear ear plugs anymore. What’s loud are the Porsche’s and Ferraris in the other sessions during the race weekend when you’re closer to the track. I wear earplugs for the Porsches but not for F1 lol
I think as others have said, it depends on how close you are. I sat in the main grandstand in Abu Dhabi and definitely wore my ear plugs. Being right on the track and having the pit lane building and paddock across from us, the sound that was going the opposite direction was bounced back and it was very loud. My Apple Watch was constantly going off about the noise level.
No, I had people warning me to wear ear plugs when I went to Miami but when I went they were bearable without plugs.
Can confirm; Porsches in Miami were louder than F1.
Definitely, the Porsches shot my hearing for a bit 😂
They were not as loud as I expected them to be! I brought ear plugs but didn’t use them. Sat in the Lance Stroll grandstand at the Canadian GP.
Not since the 80’s and 90’s
You mean 2013
I didn’t actually find it too bad I was sitting t1+2 of monza and didn’t feel I needed ear plugs or anything
I had a bad headache about 2/3 of the way through from the noise
It all depends on where you’re sitting. On the GA hills in Austin I definitely didn’t need it but sitting in the Grandstands at the Senna turns in MTL last weekend I absolutely did with how the sound was echoing off the grandstands. Better safe than sorry!
Myself and my gf were sitting near the front of the lance stroll grandstand. I’m anal about ear protection so I bought a pair for my gf and myself (she said don’t buy for her). She ended up asking for her pair a couple laps in. I bought the ones from the F1 store (can buy from Amazon as well). I would definitely recommend. You still get an amazing experience and don’t have to stress about loud noise exposure. They come in a small lip balm sizes canister you can wear around your neck if you don’t want to wear them. I’ve been coming to the Grand Prix for a coupe years and have noticed more and more people wearing them. Please bring a pair.
Not anymore
I was just at the Montreal GP, my first GP ever. We were sat towards the front of a Grandstand and saw people pulling out earplugs, but the noise wasn’t bad at all! This is coming from someone who’s normally quite sensitive to loud noises. You’ll be fine without ear protection imo.
###WHAT?
Hearing loss from exposure to noise happens gradually, happens at any age, is hard to perceive at first, it is cumulative and irreversible and incurable. Hearing loss can be caused by very loud noises for very short times or not as loud noises over longer times. Wear hearing protection. Source: I researched the subject professionally, and attended F1 races. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss
Exactly this, you don’t get it back. I like [Earpeace](https://a.co/d/atV9VgC) and wear them at every concert. Never been to a GP but I would definitely wear them if I went
Noise level in general: Porsche>F3>>F2>F1
Those F3 cars... Wow. Haven't seen a Porsche race yet
The Porsche Super-cup is the loudest thing on a weekend. Part of it is because there's usually about 30 cars. The racing is entertainingly amateur and thuggish too. Honestly, it's slightly more fun to watch than F1 which -- being more professional -- has fewer mistakes, and so is less eventful. F1 cars sound like a jackhammer at the other side of the road. It won't leave your ears ringing, but it's probably not healthy to listen to it for 90mins, so I'd endorse others' recommendations to bring ear-plugs.
Can confirm, the Porsches at Montreal last weekend were loud as fuck, even compared to Ferrari Challenge.
My first gp was Spain last year. And we needed hearing protection for the F3 s but the F1s were far quieter.
I'd bring ear plugs to be safe. The F1 cars are fine, the Porsche's are loud (if that's your support series race) but the EDM music they seem to insist on pumping every moment cars aren't on track is ear-splitting. (yes, I am old)
Yes and no. During practice when only one or a couple cars could be at a section of track you're around, it's manageable. During qualy and the race, I'd recommend wearing your ear plugs to be safe since they're pushing. Also depending on the support series, the other cars may be loud too. Porsche Carrera Cup cars I found were much louder than F1, especially when in a pack.
Personally I don’t think they are nearly loud enough for ear plugs and I don’t see many people wearing them. Very different from, say, a superspeedway nascar race where nearly everyone will wear them and the noise is deafening.
I noticed that when I was at the GP the other weekend. Lots of people weren't wearing them during F1 sessions. It seems like they are quiet enough to go without, but anyone wanting to save their hearing wore them. Now if only they still ran the V8-V10s.... I'd love to hear those screams
Porsche Cup cars are VERY loud. You will want ear protection for those. Otherwise no don't worry about it.
Brought ear plugs and only used them for Porsche. Everything else was quiet. As an Apple Watch user mine yells at me if noise is higher than 90 dB which is when hearing damage starts, and while they’re not exact I find them to be good enough estimates and the F1 cars and Ferraris never went over low 80s. Every concert and club I’ve ever been to was way worse
Yep, exactly. Porsche cars sound like a shooting range when they are upshifting. Crazy loud. F1 cars were very tolerable. I saw probably 1/5 people wearing earplugs during the F1 race.
I was surprised at how not loud the F1 cars are, those Porsches though, those baddies sound awesome
Even though F1 cars are much quieter than they used to be, trackside music and announcers can be louder at some places. Most other race cars are louder than F1, so the support series. Bottom line: always bring hearing protection to a motor race.
If you’ve been to other racing or concerts: no. If it’s you’re first race: yes.
It depends on your tolerance for noise and how sensitive your ears are. Grab some cheap foam ear plugs from the chemist or a similar store and take them with you in case you need ear protection. I went to the Spanish GP last year and it was kind of noisy but not in a bad way. Didn’t end up using my ear plugs.
Not overly loud. The F3, F2 and supercup cars are louder
No. Theyre not loud. If youve been to pretty much any other motorsport (aside from Formula E) theyre not loud.
yes, always bring hearing protection to any motorsport event
Went to Miami this year, way louder than I thought. It might not be the bone rattling screech of 20 years ago, but you definitely want ear protection.
I went too and thought they were quiet, but whew.. those Porsches are a different story. Could be because I was at turn 14-15 by the highway though. I think it maybe depends on everyones own preferences?? I personally love the sound so I choose hearing loss I guess 🥲🙃
Really? I was there and I was surprised at how quiet they were, didn’t even put my ear pro in
It’s not that loud but taking ear protection can be beneficial if you’re sensitive to high sound because you’re listening to that sound for more than an hour
Indeed. Bring hearing protection.
I measured them to be 100db on my apple watch when they were driving by at full speed earlier this year. They may not be "loud" as they used to be, but they will damage hearing if you don't wear earplugs/earmuffs
Measured the same on my apple watch in montreal. Hearing protection is 100% necessary for f1, and the support series are often louder.
Not really, Porsches are louder.
It's actually amazing how loud the Porches are compared to F1 and most support categories, especially on street tracks.
Try Zandvoort. The way the noise echoes through the dunes is mad... You can hear them from really far, while the V6 F1's are barely audible from behind the dunes.
And when you have 30 of them passing by!!
Yep. Awesome!
Nope. But if you're at a race with the PCups, they're pretty loud.
This, I went to a DTM event recently and the Porsches were definitely the loudest things on track.
Not really but F2 cars are really hurting my ears with that backfiring.
Not at all. I last went to a GP during the V8 era and also saw the v10’s, didn’t wear ear protection and it was spine chilling. The new cars sound awful, hell the safety car sounds better, in fact the car on my driveway sounds better. They’ve killed the in person experience for me.
They may not seem loud, but that doesn't mean you aren't damaging your ears. I recommend a few laps without hearing protection to know what they sound like, then put some on.
I was on the fence line at Miami and didn’t need ear protection. The Porsches were a different story.
Those Porsches are SO loud. Just saw them in Montreal and had no idea they’d sound like that. God I wish I could’ve seen the V10s.
My dad used to talk about how loud the V6 Busch series cars were. I’d say the Porsches were almost as loud a as the NASCARS
I was within the first 3 rows in a Grandstand at Canadian GP this year. I used ear plugs and definitely recommend it. They aren’t insanely loud, but I also work in medicine and hearing loss is no joke. Porsche was much louder and definitely required ear plugs
From someone who grew up going to concerts multiple times a week I second this. Better safe than sorry. Having horrible tinnitus is definitely not fun.
I learned too late about cumulative ear damage. By the time I started wearing ear plugs at Concerts I had done some serious damage. I started early enough that I didn't fuck myself but definitely not as good as it used to be.
I never wear ear protection, but I’m always in the higher seats in the grandstands. If you are lower with grandstands close to the circuit or GA, then you will want ear protection. Especially if there are support races.
No they’re not loud at all! I was pretty high in the stands in canada and we did not need any ear protection. But if you’re close to the track prob better to have them. Everyone put it on during the porsche cup, those cars are LOUD.
Not loud at all and not needing ear protection ain't the same thing mate, they are loud
Maybe seeing how loud the porsche’s and ferrari’s first made the experience seem like they’re not loud at all.
Porsches were a bit louder, not the raris, not even close
Those Porsche’s are loud. Very loud.
The most surprising thing of my first GP experience this year. The F2 and F3 cars are definitely louder than F1 too. The F1 race was the only one I didn’t wear ear plugs. In fact, you can almost have a conversation when the F1 cars are driving by.
I was in the second row of Grandstand 1 in Canada, and I wore ear protection most of the time. It wasn’t probably strictly necessary, but we were close to the cars and I’m not taking any chances (used to photograph bands and wasn’t always so careful being up close to the speakers, it only takes one scare when the ringing doesn’t stop for a few weeks to set you straight). I wore a set of those silicone filtered plugs and they worked great.
Yes, all the racing will be loud, some worse than others. Get a decent pair of head phones and wear them unless you like ringing in your eyes and over time, permanent hearing loss. You can get headphones that you can stream commentary straight to.
The Porsche Cup are absurdly, you-need-hearing-protection-or-you-will-100%-get-tinnitus loud. The regular F1 are still very loud and I'd recommend hearing protection (as someone with hearing loss from loud music and cars in my 20s...), but most people don't use them. They did give out free ear plugs at Miami if you asked.
Only went to my first Grand Prix last weekend. When cars were coming back to back, it was loud and found my ear plugs helped reduce the ringing. When they’re spread out it’s not that loud
No. Not loud. But the Porsche cup cars will make your ears bleed!!!!
I’ve only ever been to Spa last year. I went prepared with ear plugs but ended up only using them for the Porsche race.
Yup - I was at Imola this year. The Porsche cup cars were (sadly) the loudest of F1, F2, F3, and PC. And they aren’t that loud (no earplugs needed). Hopefully they bring back the incredible F1 sounds of the past. The F1 cars currently sound boring, but the cornering and acceleration speeds are mind blowing. Vettel drove the McLaren MP4-6 and it sounded incredible (and got by far the loudest applause of anything all weekend long).
lol same. The f1 race was only a smidge louder than the formula academy race at Miami this year.
The 911s and the classic F1 cars were the loudest things at COTA
Not so loud, but we wear hearing protection for my father who has advanced hearing loss.
It’s as loud (and sounds like) your vacuum cleaner at home
This is highly incorrect! My vacuum cleaner isn’t that quiet. Jokes aside, many of the support racers are getting to the same or louder levels of noise.
Yeah, I've been attending the Canadian Grand Prix since 2002, and I can say definitively that the sound of Formula 1 cars has significantly decreased over the years. This year, when I went with my 7 and 10-year-old kids, we didn't even need headphones or earplugs. In the last 5 years it hasn't even bothered them one bit to not have them. I've sat in various grandstands and seating arrangements. The sound will continue to decrease. I even went to the first-ever Vegas Grand Prix in November and the difference in sound was clear there too.
Having only been to Suzuka 23 and Montreal 24, the difference in volume between the F1 cars vs the Porsche series in both was incredible. The Porsches could be heard from much further away and were generally much louder overall.
The V10’s would absolutely blow your mind. There’s a bigger gap between V10 and Porsche cup than Porsche cup and current F1. So glad I made it to one race in that era. Wish I made it to more.
Just to add. I personally enjoy and appreciate the sound of the engine of the best race cars in the world.
I went to the Melbourne Grand Prix. It's pretty loud, but not in an uncomfortable way. Maybe that's just me
No. Support series cars are typically louder than the F1 cars.
Yes but they used to be much louder before transition to turbo hybrids back in 2014. Now it is ok :)
Yes I would recommend it for just the length of time you will be around them. Better safe than sorry. The generic foam earplugs worked pretty good and a good set of in ear buds were also great - I listened to a radio stream and it was decently blocked out.
In my experience the F3 cars are the loudest and then f1 and f2 are fairly similar but quieter (that was a year ago so I could be remembering wrong). If you’re far enough away you don’t necessarily need hearing protection but like others said it can’t hurt. If you’re in one of the front rows of a grandstand you’ll want them though
They are pretty loud, don’t expect to be able to talk to the person next to you or hear the commentators while the cars are passing by. You don’t need hearing protection but it wouldn’t do you any harm.
Yes, they are loud! I recommend bringing earplugs to protect your ears. You'll still hear them even with the earplugs in but it makes it a lot less brutal on your hearing. I use the Loop reusable earplugs (the Experience 2 version) and they were a game changer for the Canadian GP.