My 15-year-old son is a keen F1 fan and asked whether his birthday present next year might be tickets to Silverstone. He's a good lad who never asks for anything, so I'm happy to drop some wedge on a big day out.
But I've been online, but the options are many and varied, in terms of days and bookings and everything else.
So any advice on which tickets to book, which stands etc would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks
It's been a long time since I've been, but if I was going, I'd just look at a general three day admission ticket (do they even do a race day only ticket any more? Got a hunch they stopped for a little while, not sure if they've restarted?) - never been bothered about a grandstand, it ties you to one place and you're playing the lottery with who you end up next to. Sure, you'll get a good view of one bit of the track, but the novelty of that wears off - make sure you're well kitted (it will either be red-hot or freezing cold, never a comfortable middle ground), take radios so you can hear the commentary, and spend Friday (if you can) and Saturday scouting out where you want to watch Sunday (somewhere opposite a big screen used to be a good choice). You will need to be up early to get a decent spot. Never done anything other than camped, the F1 crowd are (or used to be) a fairly gentile lot and I'd imagine they'd do family camping, away from the beer tent. Have a great time, both of you - it's a pretty special place to be on race day. 🙂
On the other hand I've always gone for a grandstand seat, especially for race day. Pit straight isn't the best (IMO) - if you want to see action then stow and luffield are a good bet. Friday is a great day for wandering around and checking out the rest of the circuit, but on race day without a seat you need to get to your spot waaay early otherwise its going to be a case of getting what's left.
MotoGP instead.
Yes you can get race-day only.
Mrs ADH is a massive massive F1 fan. I can take it or leave it. We went to the Montreal GP as part of our honeymoon, so for our first anniversary this year I got Silverstone tickets.
Going 3-days means finding somewhere to stay, and more faff. I don't like F1 that much (I actually enjoy the historics and support races more), so just driving up early and coming back late on race day worked well for us.
I got granstand seats at Luffield as I remembered going there with my dad years ago. You get some decent action/overtakes into Brooklands and a surprisingly good view of the cars as they go through the rest of the complex. I assume Village/Stowe/Club would also be good. Mrs ADH booked the tickets for Montreal, and chose the pit straight: duller than very dull ditch water on a dull day in dullington other than Ricciardo getting Patrick Stewart to drink champers out of his race shoe.
I was pleasantly surprised how good the view of the cars and track was, given that all I recall from general admission years ago was row upon row of security fencing, gravel traps wider than the Gobi desert, and not being able to see anything. Especially as I was used to rallying, where you can get really close to the action if I'm not competing myself.
Mrs ADH is totally not into weather (be it more than a hint of the lightest most insubstantial drizzle, or too much sunshine, or even just it being overcast; sigh) even for F1, so a covered grandstand was a must for us (in Montreal, it was sunny. Warm but nothing mad. She got heatstroke).
It is going to cost a packet either way, so we may as well have a good time. Red Arrows were good too. There is nothing at Silverstone other than the race track, at Montreal at least there is a nice park to walk round. I think we might try Spa next, nice part of the world and awesome beer.
It can be a very long day. The best advice I got was get there early, make a day of it, and leave late when the traffic has calmed down a bit. Circuit carparking is spendy and lazy, but they've got the system pretty slick in and out, and it is better than mucking about with park and ride, where you get all the hassle of traffic and parking, and queues for buses, and a bus ride with plebs, and then more queues.
We took a big cool bag with lots of iced drinks and a decent picnic, rather than paying for overpriced burgers. Though the food stalls have def improved in output than back in the 90's. Some of it even looks edible.
When leaving the carparks, this seems to be crunch time for traffic. Getting out of the carparks and onto the A43 was about as good traffic management as I've experienced. It seems to gum up again when you get away from the circuit. I'd been forewarned, and as I've done a lot of rallying around that area I know the backroads well (note that Dadford road is always shut south of the circuit carparks on GP weekend, so you need to use A43 for some distance, then dive off); however, some friends got stuck in a massive jam around Brackley, then another massive jam tryig to get on the M40 south, then another massive jam on the M40 for the Oxford jct (I think we left 3h after them, and still got back before them).
cant tell you from personal experience - as the only time i've spectated at Silverstone was for the free Renault day that used to happen - spent a bit of time in the stands down at Stowe.
Have been, as a marshal, for the last 9 years. Sometimes we get given a grandstand ticket for our guest, but not every year.
My wife comes with me: she's been in the stand at Farm Curve twice, once at Vale... but her fave was getting a stand seat in Becketts. Its a great section of track - very VERY quick through from Maggots, Becketts and out of Chapel onto hanger straight. Often lots of "action" in the GP3 and F2 races... and the porsches sort of vaugely follow the track through there. Plus you can also see them heading through Farm, into the loop and onto wellington straight
There are good general admission viewing spots by Becketts, outside and inside of Copse where you can see a Big screen TV.
There is a large GA area between Stowe exit and Vale too. But that fills up quite rapidly as it's near the main gate.
If you get a grandstand ticket for sunday, then you can go into any of the stands on Friday and Saturday (Thursday i'm not sure about. The last couple of years due to the addition of the two seater F1 car running, they extended the weekend to inc Thursday and had GP3 practice on Thursday afternoon after the Safety Car / Medical Car / Systems Test - but i dont know if all the stands were open on Thurs as there are so few people in the circuit.)
Traffic wise - plan to allow plenty of time. Traffic does flow fairly well. Friday and Sat you dont need to be there for gates open. First action on Friday is really first F1 practice at 10am normally.
If in General on Sunday - scope out where you want to watch earlier in the weekend.. then get there early. Gates open, i think, at 6am. and I'll be walking past a decent queue when i'm heading through for my post at 5:30am
Commentary at the circuit is good. I normally have a little radio on me that i'll listen to the commentary on during the day under my circuit radio. Broadcasts on 87.7FM. They commentary teams based at 3 positions around the track: Pits straight, the loop/becketts and down at Stowe.
Food wise - it's expensive. We get 2x £5 food vouchers per day expenses: sausage and chips is about £7 to £8. A Cheese burger (without chips can be £5-6)
In terms of what to buy - if it's a one off: go camping, get a weekend ticket. and enjoy yourself. Thursday/Friday is just practice and maybe a qualifying session. a bit dull really, so i wouldnt travel all the way to silverstone *just* to watch on friday as you'd prob come away very disappointed - but it is the cheapest single day ticket option.
stands wise: if your down at Club - you may be able to get over the track after the race to see the podium from against the barrier of the pit lane (i was at Vale In, Pit Entry this year - i was able to cycle down the pit entry, and get in to a safe area 😉 before the crowds where released onto the track: the drivers were just coming onto the podium at that point.) if your at Vale or up pit straight then you;d prob have to miss the end of the race to get round to the gate in time.
Oh and the after race shows are worth hanging round for - pass the time for hte traffic to die down. but in reality - stay over night sunday and get away early on monday.