best place to watch the grand prix from at silverstone

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Soldato
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secured tickets today for myself n the missus, general admission so wondering where is the best place to view the grand prix from at silverstone.. as we only have race day tickets I don't think we're gonna get a chance to walk around the circuit and have a look at the track before deciding on a spot.

also, is park and ride a decent option or is it worth getting/(possible to get) a parking permit. if we get a parking permit we could probably get there extra extra early and find a decent spot and i'm just afraid that if we get park and ride we'll get a crap spot behind 20 rows of people and flags.
 
Ive done park and ride many times. Be first there (5:30 bus!) and you will get a decent spot. We have sat on the bank at Club each year which has been a very good spot for general admission.

If you dont want to be sat behind 20 rows of people, you will want to be there by 7am at the lastest!
 
If you get in really early, there's a great spot toward the end of the Hanger Straight where general admission gets you right up to the fance, about 15 feet from the track. Sat there for quali last year and it was fantastic. Big screen opposite as well.
 
Flibster said:
At home in front of the biggest TV you can get.

You don't have to deal with anytyhing at Silverstone then. ;)
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Can't help but agree with this. I can't remember the last racing event I went to where I could see more than a glimpse of tarmac and the blur of a car flashing past. As for the echoing commentary from a load speaker somewhere that could be the weather forecast for all I can make from it.

Combined with the fact I'm a miserable git who hates crowds , TV every time for me :)
 
When I go to racing events I just wander around the whole track. Ok Silverstone is massive but you get to see every corner and your not stuck in one boring place for hours.

But then i'm taking photos so need to get a lot of different shots.
 
peterattheboro said:
When I go to racing events I just wander around the whole track. Ok Silverstone is massive but you get to see every corner and your not stuck in one boring place for hours.

But then i'm taking photos so need to get a lot of different shots.
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The problem with doing that at Silverstone on a GP weekend is that you won't be able to find anywhere decent (especially to take pics) unless you set out at silly o'clock and grab a place. The last time I went there I really couldn't be bothered and ended up on the bank at copse facing the big TV rather than the track.

I'm going Friday and Saturday this year, but only because I've been given some free hospitality.
 
I won a competition when I was watching the BTCC at brands to go to the next round at silverstone. Sat in the big stand by luffield and the wind was howling in my face, and it was freezing cold, quite harrowing! Saw some good racing though, but getting in and out of the place (even when it wasn't that busy) was a nightmare.
 
Flibster said:
At home in front of the biggest TV you can get.

You don't have to deal with anytyhing at Silverstone then. ;)
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For me there is no substitute for actually being there. Yes, it can be harder to keep track of everything that is going on in the race and yes it's not exactly as comfortable as sitting at home in your sofa and yes the food is also overpriced. You also have to get up at stupid o clock to get a decent spot if you only have general admittance tickets.

However, you cannot get the same atmosphere from being sat at home, you do not get the sounds of the cars tearing through your brain, the smell of spent fuel in the air, being surrounded by thousands of fans (no matter who they are routing for). The last couple of years we have had general admittance tickets and although getting up early is a pain, you are surrounded by others doing it and there is a real buzz in the air on race day.

When I'm watching it on TV I feel like a spectator, but actually being there makes me feel like I am part of it, you just can't get that sort of excitement from watching it at home. :)

Edit: Can't wait!
 
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peterattheboro said:
When I go to racing events I just wander around the whole track. Ok Silverstone is massive but you get to see every corner and your not stuck in one boring place for hours.

But then i'm taking photos so need to get a lot of different shots.
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Another problem with that, is that at silverstone, every little section of stands or viewing area is fenced off from everywhere else and you need to walk around the back of the track/over a bridge/under a tunnel/through a carpark to get to view from somewhere else, and you miss most of the action.

And the fact it'll be packed on an F1 weekend.
 
Yeah, if I was going to see F1 silverstone wouldn't be my first choice of track anyway. There are other places i'd much rather go that are just a nice drive across europe away. I'm fairly local to Brands Hatch in the summer, and you can get much closer to the track and move around it very easily, a lot moreso than silverstone. Plus, most of the series I actually follow bar F1 race there, so it's a good day out. Love going and sitting up by druids with packed lunch and the cars whizzing by!
 
Crizzy said:
For me there is no substitute for actually being there. Yes, it can be harder to keep track of everything that is going on in the race and yes it's not exactly as comfortable as sitting at home in your sofa and yes the food is also overpriced. You also have to get up at stupid o clock to get a decent spot if you only have general admittance tickets.
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Go to Spa then.

Silverstone is dreadful, hasn't deserved the GP for many years.
 
k I just bought an over priced car parking ticket off the bay. Don't like Park and Ride and hate public transport... rang Silverstone up and a lady told me that the car park will open about 4-5am so I will be leaving Leicestershire at 3-3.30am me thinks!

Getting well excited now. One of life's new experiences is on the horizon!
 
Crizzy said:
Why hasn't it? To be honest I have only ever been there so I can't really compare it to anywhere else. (except being at home ;))
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rypt said:
Silverstone is an awesome circuit; with 3rd world facilities
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Sums it up really.
Massivly overpriced, under developed, most viewing areas are dreadful, can be hell to get in and out of.

I'm not that big a fan of the track either since they changed large section of the track.
 
Hasn't stopped me from enjoying it though, (never had a problem with viewing areas) and I'd still rather be there than be sat at home by a country mile.
 
Compare this to the *****-scaffold stands we get at Silverstone - I do not understand why all the "interesting" places cannot have permanent stands all year round.

In my eyes there should be a single huge permanent grandstand going all the way from Luffield to the end of Copse (on the outside of the track); with a further permanent stand from the inside of Copse to Chapel; and one more from Stowe to Club.
Finally the facilities around Abbey, Farm and Bridge need changing - along with the ones around Priory - you could in theory have another huge grandstand here between all of these 4
 
Aye, Silverstone may not have the greatest facilities, I am not debating that. I am just stating that, for me, I cannot compare watching it at home to actually being there.

I can understand that you might not enjoy it if you hate crowds or are in a rush to get home at the end of the day. I have always had tickets for the whole weekend so there is no rushing about after the race to get out, we simply stroll to the centre of the circuit for the after party :D

As to the OP I agree that Club is probably your best bet, that is where I have been for that last couple of years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. (Take some chairs with you though!)
 
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