First live F1, going to Silverstone!

Big Spender · 4 Jul 2016 at 13:43

teh_captain said:
Hey all, for my 30th the wife has got us tickets for the whole weekend (Practice, Qualy & Race) at Silverstone this coming weekend! We'll be arriving early afternoon Thursday as she also won us entry to get into the pitlane for an hour on Thursday afternoon!

We're camping but no electric hookup. It's both our first F1 experience - has anyone else done this and if so what would your essentials be? We'll have a great time anyway I'm sure but anything to make life a little easier would be great!

Cheers!

where are you camping? i went in 2013, last year of the V8's. Stayed at Silverstone Woodlands camp site. got there about 4am on the wednesday morning and there was already a queue to get into the camp site, not a big one mind, we were about 20 cars from the front at that time. The earlier the better. We drove 6 hours through the night from scotland to get there so had a couple of hours kip before they started letting us in. Entry to the camp site opened about 7am so got a good spot in the field closest to the circuit and toilets, showers etc. Had a brilliant weekend with scorching weather. We had seats at Stowe B and got great views of them coming down the hangar straight and through the twisties at vale and had a big screen right in front of us too.

Sky F1 are filming the F1 show on Thursday at 6pm and Friday at 5pm so get yourself down to the main grandstand on the start finish straight to watch them filming and might even get on tv as Natalie Pinkham was up in the grandstand with a couple of camera crews while we were there. She probably wont be there this year sadly as she has just popped a sprog.

KiNgPiN83 · 4 Jul 2016 at 14:47

Skeeter said:
This

I was there in 2007 for Lewis to get pole, and in 2006 for his epic GP2 race. Both times the crowd were mental. I was at Silverstone in 2014 for Lewis' win and it was great again.

Being at an F1 race is great.

2014 was good! I was there too and got some great shots down the pit straight with it full of people after they let us on track. What struck me once on the track was how wide the kerbs were and how harsh the gravel actually is. Gravel = rocks from a particularly rocky beach..

Sound wise the V8's sounded great as they all revved up from idle on the grid at the start but after about an hour it wears thin. Especially after the JD the night before...

I've yet to hear the new engines in person but i can't wait. From my understanding its a more complex sound with more going on. Whoosh's, deeper exhaust note and actually hearing the tires squeal. Great stuff.

Skeeter · 4 Jul 2016 at 15:02

Yeah its a far more interesating noise. If you can find a spot next to where they enter a braking zone you get all sorts of whooshes and pops and grunts and squeaks as they lift off.

You can also tell the different manufacturers appart really easily too, as they have very distinctly different sounds.

Its a real shame the TV mic's don't pick up on the noise properly

teh_captain · 4 Jul 2016 at 18:50

We're camping at Woodlands I believe, and we've got general admission. So by that we can go to certain points round the track and set up shop for the day? Someone said around Maggots and Becketts, is that a good spot?

For charging electrical devices would one of those portable solar panel things be OK? Thanks to everyone for your advice so far, it's appreciated!

Duke · 4 Jul 2016 at 18:57

ShadowMan said:
Got tickets for Friday practice in a work raffle for charity. Never been but going to see how it goes. Anyone got tips for Friday? I have roving tickets but not sure if that is just everyone or not. Paid for my parking but have to collect that on the day on the way in. Thinking of getting there around half 8 or 9.

The grandstands are generally full an hour before each practice starts.

Mr Men · 4 Jul 2016 at 20:53

Duke said:
The grandstands are generally full an hour before each practice starts.

Club and Becketts maybe which I think is reserved on Fridays now, but the rest will be easy enough to get into on a Friday.

Terminal_Boy · 4 Jul 2016 at 20:57

Skeeter said:
Not sure if troll?

Not troll. Very loud sat in VIP section at Monza last year.

Big Spender · 4 Jul 2016 at 21:03

My view at the 2013 British GP sat in Stowe B...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9YoeSs9vNc&feature=youtu.be

tried imbedding it with the

Big Spender · 4 Jul 2016 at 21:08

teh_captain said:
We're camping at Woodlands I believe, and we've got general admission. So by that we can go to certain points round the track and set up shop for the day? Someone said around Maggots and Becketts, is that a good spot?

For charging electrical devices would one of those portable solar panel things be OK? Thanks to everyone for your advice so far, it's appreciated!

if going to woodlands, if you can get there early Wednesday morning for the opening of the campsite. it was crazy how full and quickly the site got. the busier it got the more they restricted the size of the pitch and also stopped folk parking their cars next to the tents eventually

Deleted member 11679 · 4 Jul 2016 at 21:48

You'll love it, have a great time. I still remember clear as day the first time I saw a modern F1 car at full speed. Blew my mind.

mattyc123 · 4 Jul 2016 at 23:25

I went with my wife a few years ago, it was a wash out and I took her on my bike to beat the traffic. Still was great seeing them.

smr · 12 Jul 2016 at 17:53

It says on the website that spectators are only allowed between Club and Abbey for the test?

Anyone been today to confirm this?

Skeeter · 13 Jul 2016 at 11:28

That is true. You can get into the Club, Main Straight and Abbey grandstands.

Shame, but still a decent view from the Club stands, and a cheap way to see F1 cars.

First live F1, going to Silverstone!

Deleted member 11679

Deleted member 11679