[revvedup]

Since I will be in English Territory during the British Grand Prix, I have decided to take the plunge and get the tickets for the event . The fact that this is the last year of the British Grand Prix in silverstone makes it even more special !

Now I don't want to miss this opportunity and want to get the right ticket !

Presently I have the option of getting either Three day copse E tickets or General Admisison tickets. Total budget outlay for this trip is around 200 GBP.

Here's the Silverstone Seating plan
Silverstone Seating Plan


Now which tickets should I get ?
Should I get grandstand tickets ?
Which is the best way of getting from coventry ( small city near Birmingham ) to Silverstone ?
Are the practice and qualifying session worth seeing ?

Help with all these questions would be highly appreciated !

[Blue_V]

Never been to this circuit. Just the Indianapolis.

Stowe will be good place, overtaking happens at that place. Thats what everyone loves to see, overtaking.

Becketts seems to be the great place because the corner is simply awesome and seeing in real will be much more exciting !!!


Grandstand is not worth it, cars just flash by. Pitstops dont excite that much.
I think you can move around to other stands during qualifying.

[Nikhilb2008]

Make sure to take earplugs.While we all love the sound of those V8s, I've heard that it can get a bit too much.

[Dippy]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

Make sure to take earplugs.While we all love the sound of those V8s, I've heard that it can get a bit too much.

Actually I would say dont use earplugs. We go there for the sound . I did not use ear plugs when I was at Sepang in 04. Those were V10s. Trust me it was orgasmic

For the tickets, see the map and pick up tickets for the stand from where you can a lot of circuit. Those should be good value.

[f1fan]

I have been to Indy from 2002 till the time it shut down for F1. Following are my two cents:
1. Take a seat near a slow corner as you can see the cars better and there is always chance of some action there i.e. the first and second corner at Indy which were the best seats.
2. Dont take a grand stand seat. You will have a hard time seeing the cars as they just whiz past.
3. Ear plus are not needed everwhere. If you get a seat next to the track especially near the start finish line, you will surely need them during the start of the race. Apart from that spot I believe ear plugs are not needed. You can carry one if required.
4. Try for the pit pass as it is a great way to see the garages up close and get autographs/photos with your favorite drivers too.

Cheers
f1fan

[Blue_V]

Originally Posted by f1fan

I have been to Indy from 2002 till the time it shut down for F1. Following are my two cents:
------------------------
4. Try for the pit pass as it is a great way to see the garages up close and get autographs/photos with your favorite drivers too.

Cheers
f1fan

yes get the pit pass, really worth it! Keep the ear plugs, if you cant bear it, then you can use them.

[Sha]

Originally Posted by revvedup

Now which tickets should I get ?
Should I get grandstand tickets ?
Which is the best way of getting from coventry ( small city near Birmingham ) to Silverstone ?
Are the practice and qualifying session worth seeing ?

Attended 3 GP, fun is to enjoy sound of F1 cars watching is no use until you get ticket in higher stand which is very costly. Best is to go early and search for better view if buying general grand stand ticket.

[GTO]

1. Get there early, the earlier the better. A couple of interesting races / circuit drives take place prior to the actual F1 event. Lots of fun for a car guy guaranteed. After all, Bernie is the show master.

2. Take along lots of water & liquids. If outside beverages aren't permitted, buy yourself a bunch at the track cafeteria. But don't plan on frequent visits. Take along a sling bag to carry oddities around in.

3. British GP? Rains? Waterproof clothing + camera.

4. Don't buy a ticket for the straights, corners rock! The cornering and braking ability will boggle your mind, while the acceleration out of a corner is to die for.

5. Ensure that your seat has a good view of the many giant screens placed around the track. We missed out on this one in Malaysia, though I had chosen the right seats for the Canadian GP.

6. Get familiar with driver helmets (colours & design). That's the only way you'll be able to identify who is driving which car.

7. Radio's a good idea to keep track of what is happening on the other side. Carry your own or rent at the track.

8. Prepare for LONG walks. Wear sneakers that your feet are extremely comfortable in.

Do NOT use 'em earplugs else your account will invite moderator activity . JK, the engine scream is to die for. Have fun!

[revvedup]

Thanks everyone for answering all my questions. However one of my questions still remains unanswered- should I get the tickets for the practice and qualifying sessions as well ?

I ask this because I not only want to witness the race but also want to get an insight into the technical side of F1 . Oh and how can I can get the pit pass ? How much does it usually cost ?

@GTO- Of course I won't carry ear plugs, if I didn't cary them to a Metallica concert ( Ya somebody told me that even though Metallica sound great, they do get pretty loud ) why would I carry them here ?

[revvedup]

One very imp. question - How can I get the pit pass ? is it the same as getting the paddock pass ?

[hillram]

One way of getting a Pit lane pass is through a sponsor.If you know any of the sponsors of any team..pit lane pass is easy.
Paddock pass is rather difficult as they dont allow anyone except relatives/parents/girlfriend of the driver.

[VeeTee]

Originally Posted by revvedup

Thanks everyone for answering all my questions. However one of my questions still remains unanswered- should I get the tickets for the practice and qualifying sessions as well ?

In case of Indy, for the qualifying, you could pretty much walk to any of the corners and watch it. So, it was fun to watch the cars from different corners. I am not sure about how Silverstone is regarding this. The company I used to work for used to hand out few pit passes and access to the suites during practice.
You should go attend the qualifying.

[narayan]

IMO , better than grandstand would be to be seated somewhere near some corners because you can see both the car decellerating, braking and then accelerating away. also possibilities of seing racing incidents is higher in corners than in the straightsin the grandstand, it gets a bit monotonousDISCLAIMER - NEVER BEEN TO AN F-1 RACE. Purely guessing from what I have seen on TV

[hiren.mistry]

Originally Posted by revvedup

Thanks everyone for answering all my questions. However one of my questions still remains unanswered- should I get the tickets for the practice and qualifying sessions as well ?

I ask this because I not only want to witness the race but also want to get an insight into the technical side of F1 . Oh and how can I can get the pit pass ? How much does it usually cost ?

@GTO- Of course I won't carry ear plugs, if I didn't cary them to a Metallica concert ( Ya somebody told me that even though Metallica sound great, they do get pretty loud ) why would I carry them here ?

Yes, you should get the tickets for the practice and qualifying as well. If you are going there might as well go for the full event, would be well worth it. BTW, what are the ticket costs like now? In 2005 when I was there (did not attend the race) they were around 200 pounds.

Not sure what technical insights would you get as a spectator as will be quite far away from the cars.

As someone earlier mentioned you cannot get a pit or a paddock pass until you know one of the sponsors.

Whatever you do, please click a lot of pictures and do share them with us here at T-BHP.

Cheers