Silverstone Tyre Test 2023

[entropy]

Anyone know if it's open to the public?

[TheDeuce]

Closed - at least from the couple of videos I have seen the stands are deserted.

I think years ago a few tyre tests did have some public attendance but probably proved to more hassle than it's worth - on a random Tuesday with literally just a tyre test to see.

[anonymous-user]

They were free to attend about fifteen years ago, often paired up with third/young driver tests. I remember going once and it was pretty busy. The spectator banking from Woodcote to Copse was open, this is pre Wing pits days, I don’t think the grandstands were open though.Then they started charging a tenner or so, more recently it’s behind closed doors.

[coppice]

I went to lots and really enjoyed them . The last was 2013 I think. I suspect the reason may have been fan behaviour - in the earlier years, it tended to be fairly hard core enthusiasts who didn't wet their knickers if they saw a driver. The rot set in the year when I noticed a pack of hysterical brats chasing Jenson Button , as he was driving in. Having been very privileged to have grown up in an era when nobodies like me had free rein of the F1 paddock, I can contain my emotions if I see an F1 driver .

[Dazzled]

Closed. Rightly so as there’s a lot of contractors vehicles on site dismantling the infrastructure from the weekend.
They’ve been chugging around all day at quite a pace. Aren’t they also testing the FIA designed mud guards intended to reduce spray? Lots of rain overnight but none since sunrise so I guess they got the hosepipe out.

[entropy]

coppice said:

I went to lots and really enjoyed them . The last was 2013 I think. I suspect the reason may have been fan behaviour - in the earlier years, it tended to be fairly hard core enthusiasts who didn't wet their knickers if they saw a driver. The rot set in the year when I noticed a pack of hysterical brats chasing Jenson Button , as he was driving in. Having been very privileged to have grown up in an era when nobodies like me had free rein of the F1 paddock, I can contain my emotions if I see an F1 driver .

It stopped because of the ban of in-season testing.

I first went to the April tests in the early 2000s when it felt like a secret club of a few F1 anoraks which slowly got bigger and bigger. It started spiralling massively from September 2006 onwards - that was Lewis's first F1 test.

[Fundoreen]

Went to one of these f1 tests in the distant past at brands. You just sort of showed up . Not that many people there.People took their jobs seriously and would have been at work mon-fri. Not like todays slackers lol. Cant even remember paying. We were standing around at the pits and back of garages while the mechanics were wheeling the cars back and forth. Senna was running that day as well.
Have a few old fashion photos somewhere.
No chance of that today of course.

[Milkyway]

Dazzled said:

Closed. Rightly so as there’s a lot of contractors vehicles on site dismantling the infrastructure from the weekend.
They’ve been chugging around all day at quite a pace. Aren’t they also testing the FIA designed mud guards intended to reduce spray? Lots of rain overnight but none since sunrise so I guess they got the hosepipe out.

I think that the spray guards are being tested by Mclaren & Mercedes on Thursday & Friday... any wet stuff will have to be approved by the FIA .

Edited by Milkyway on Tuesday 11th July 21:23

[BlimeyCharlie]

Maybe I'm missing something, but the irony of a 'sport' that is largely based in the UK, locally to Silverstone too, that prevents 'fans' from seeing the drivers and cars etc on the rare occasion the cars are actually running...

The 'infrastructure' from the weekend's GP does indeed have to be packed away, but there are numerous grandstands, spectator areas etc designed specifically for...spectators...

Silverstone Circuit is often pleading for income, but won't monetise this?
If it is the FIA, why can/could we spectate pre-season at Barcelona?

I used to attend the Tests and GP's up until 1992, including the June Testing, Senna, Alesi, Marlboro cars etc...the income from this went to charity (apparently), then Testing became 'private' before coming back in 1997 (I think), before stopping in 2004 (I think again).

Those were the days...