Never been to a Grand Prix
Discussion
This feels like a confession 
I love watching F1 on the TV and have done for many years, but I have never been to a race in person.
The main reason for not going is I would assume you miss a lot of the action watching from one viewpoint. Sky do a good job of showing you everything that's action worthy and replays.
I am guessing a lot of you do go at least to Silverstone, am I wrong?
I love watching F1 on the TV and have done for many years, but I have never been to a race in person.
The main reason for not going is I would assume you miss a lot of the action watching from one viewpoint. Sky do a good job of showing you everything that's action worthy and replays.
I am guessing a lot of you do go at least to Silverstone, am I wrong?
Yes, it’s harder to follow than on TV with replays and commentary…
But it’s soooo much more than that!
They have an FM radio broadcast at every event with commentary and if you can see a big screen then with those two you’re set. You can follow everything.
But even without them, it’s just soooo much more than that.
But it’s soooo much more than that!
They have an FM radio broadcast at every event with commentary and if you can see a big screen then with those two you’re set. You can follow everything.
But even without them, it’s just soooo much more than that.
Went once in 1999, left before the end, biggest waste of money event I have been to, and that was when it was relatively cheap, never been remotely interested in going again thankfully.
But I suppose if you are a fan it is something you should try, just maybe not Silverstone, try somewhere else first, this place is super busy, packed and can be difficult to find a decent spot, it is not the best track for watching being fairly flat and featureless, though for an F1 weekend, they do make a huge effort, but so they should for what they charge over and above the tickets.
But I suppose if you are a fan it is something you should try, just maybe not Silverstone, try somewhere else first, this place is super busy, packed and can be difficult to find a decent spot, it is not the best track for watching being fairly flat and featureless, though for an F1 weekend, they do make a huge effort, but so they should for what they charge over and above the tickets.
dtaylo2 said:
Yes, it’s harder to follow than on TV with replays and commentary…
But it’s soooo much more than that!
They have an FM radio broadcast at every event with commentary and if you can see a big screen then with those two you’re set. You can follow everything.
But even without them, it’s just soooo much more than that.
But it’s soooo much more than that!
They have an FM radio broadcast at every event with commentary and if you can see a big screen then with those two you’re set. You can follow everything.
But even without them, it’s just soooo much more than that.
I've been to Silverstone 4 times (04,06, 09 and last year) and Monaco once, all brilliant and even my wife who isn't really an F1 fan loved it.
There's always a good atmosphere and a buzz around the place.
Plus Silverstone have really made it a weekend long event with various bands on over the weekend, so not only have you got the racing and support series you have a music festival too.
It's worth going, if only because the speed and noise doesn't come across on TV the way it does in real life. It's utterly surreal! That said, I've not been since the hybrid engines were introduced so the noise is probably not what it once was. The noise when I went in 1990 was so loud it didn't compute with the size of the car. How could something so small produce a noise of such biblical proportions?
Flew to Melbourne 2020 (from NZ)…
Got to walk the pit lane on the Thursday, saw a few (non-F1) cars practising
Saw a few drivers arrive. Sat in our turn 2 grandstand seats, walked round the track etc.
Was just abut to go to the track on Friday morning when it was cancelled.
Haven’t been able to get a ticket since…
Got to walk the pit lane on the Thursday, saw a few (non-F1) cars practising
Saw a few drivers arrive. Sat in our turn 2 grandstand seats, walked round the track etc.
Was just abut to go to the track on Friday morning when it was cancelled.
Haven’t been able to get a ticket since…
Edited by dobly on Thursday 22 May 05:48
I'd say it's worth going for the experience once at least.
I would say go on days that aren't Sunday as well as Sunday so you can check out different spots, look at the stands and events etc. The support races make up a big part of the event which isn't so clear on tv.
Last time I went was 09, not bothered about the hybrid era and it cost me 220 to get into stowe which seemed a lot at the time but a bargain these days. I went in 97 and a bunch of years earlier but I was quite young probably 88 to 92.
I go to the motogp more now here and abroad and le mans and I think the best things to go to are little club events really.
With big screens and the fm radio with ear defenders it's not an issue following the race. Do you even need ear defenders with the hybrids?
I would say go on days that aren't Sunday as well as Sunday so you can check out different spots, look at the stands and events etc. The support races make up a big part of the event which isn't so clear on tv.
Last time I went was 09, not bothered about the hybrid era and it cost me 220 to get into stowe which seemed a lot at the time but a bargain these days. I went in 97 and a bunch of years earlier but I was quite young probably 88 to 92.
I go to the motogp more now here and abroad and le mans and I think the best things to go to are little club events really.
With big screens and the fm radio with ear defenders it's not an issue following the race. Do you even need ear defenders with the hybrids?
I’ve not been to a Grand Prix, since about 2010. I used to try to get to the British / European GP ( wherever it was staged ), and the Belgian GP was always a great one to see live. At the British G.P. they used to have little T.V.s you could hire ( Kangaroo T.V. IIRC) and that made it easier to follow what was happening. Monaco was insane, but relied on the energy of the proper engines, and smaller cars to make it as good as it was. I wouldn’t want to spend the money required to watch the current crop, racing on Tilke tracks, in cars you see before you hear, anymore.
Interesting thread. As someone who’s been to half a dozen different venues, they’re really all quite different atmospheres and organisations.
To answer the first question about following along, that’s now generally easy with the F1 live timing screen available online for $2.99 a month, which also has English radio commentary, usually the British R5L feed. That will be the best $2.99 you spend if you’re attending in person, along with some decent headphones and a big battery to keep your phone charged! Remember to check data roaming charges or get a local SIM.
Most circuits have loads of giant screens these days, but check locations carefully when booking grandstand seats as they might be at the ‘wrong’ end of the stand.
For someone who’s not been to a race before, I would actually recommend one of the new-style flyaway or city races, especially if attending with someone who needs some persuading about your hobby.
If you go to Silverstone or Spa, you will spend half the weekend either camping in a field in variable weather, or stuck in terrible traffic. The fan experience is better in Singapore or Abu Dhabi (or Monaco!), where the event itself takes place close to hotels and restaurants and there’s no mud to walk through.
Both are great fun for the diehard fan, but one is clearly better than the other from the point of view of a reluctant spouse or someone a little older. You can make a week-long trip to the city-break circuit and still have many other things to do apart from attending the F1.
Another note is that Silverstone is, with the exception of Miami and Vegas, the most expensive race on the calendar for your ticket. The national airline sponsors of the flyaways will love to sell you a package deal of flight+hotel+ticket which will be cheaper than buying individually. IIRC Hungary is the cheapest ticket, and Budapest is a lovely city to spend a few days.
Also don’t forget support races and concerts, most of which are now plentiful everywhere. F2 and F3 races are rarely boring, and I think I’ve seen concerts by such a varied bunch as Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé Knowles, Bruno Mars, and Eminem, at F1 races in the past decade. Plus a few wild Status Quo gigs at Silverstone back in the ‘90s!
To answer the first question about following along, that’s now generally easy with the F1 live timing screen available online for $2.99 a month, which also has English radio commentary, usually the British R5L feed. That will be the best $2.99 you spend if you’re attending in person, along with some decent headphones and a big battery to keep your phone charged! Remember to check data roaming charges or get a local SIM.
Most circuits have loads of giant screens these days, but check locations carefully when booking grandstand seats as they might be at the ‘wrong’ end of the stand.
For someone who’s not been to a race before, I would actually recommend one of the new-style flyaway or city races, especially if attending with someone who needs some persuading about your hobby.
If you go to Silverstone or Spa, you will spend half the weekend either camping in a field in variable weather, or stuck in terrible traffic. The fan experience is better in Singapore or Abu Dhabi (or Monaco!), where the event itself takes place close to hotels and restaurants and there’s no mud to walk through.
Both are great fun for the diehard fan, but one is clearly better than the other from the point of view of a reluctant spouse or someone a little older. You can make a week-long trip to the city-break circuit and still have many other things to do apart from attending the F1.
Another note is that Silverstone is, with the exception of Miami and Vegas, the most expensive race on the calendar for your ticket. The national airline sponsors of the flyaways will love to sell you a package deal of flight+hotel+ticket which will be cheaper than buying individually. IIRC Hungary is the cheapest ticket, and Budapest is a lovely city to spend a few days.
Also don’t forget support races and concerts, most of which are now plentiful everywhere. F2 and F3 races are rarely boring, and I think I’ve seen concerts by such a varied bunch as Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé Knowles, Bruno Mars, and Eminem, at F1 races in the past decade. Plus a few wild Status Quo gigs at Silverstone back in the ‘90s!
Edited by Sandpit Steve on Wednesday 21st May 07:41
Silverstone and Belgium GP, but quite a while ago.
Spa was certainly an experience. It was camping in a field the cows had only just been moved out of. In amongst a lot of German and Dutch fans. Continuous techno, fireworks and drinking with awful toilet and showers. It happened to rain a lot also that weekend. But it was absolutely brilliant. Sat at eau rouge with a big screen.
However, the annual trip to Le Mans 24hrs takes priority since 2003. Been watching F1 since ‘93, but Le Mans is such an event I’d prefer do this each year over a GP.
But if you’ve never done a GP, I would go all in on a trip to Belgium. It’s a classic GP and if you only do one, you’ve ticked a good one off.
I would like to do an Italian one for the atmosphere. Monza, stay in Lake Como and do a dash down to Maranello afterwards.
Spa was certainly an experience. It was camping in a field the cows had only just been moved out of. In amongst a lot of German and Dutch fans. Continuous techno, fireworks and drinking with awful toilet and showers. It happened to rain a lot also that weekend. But it was absolutely brilliant. Sat at eau rouge with a big screen.
However, the annual trip to Le Mans 24hrs takes priority since 2003. Been watching F1 since ‘93, but Le Mans is such an event I’d prefer do this each year over a GP.
But if you’ve never done a GP, I would go all in on a trip to Belgium. It’s a classic GP and if you only do one, you’ve ticked a good one off.
I would like to do an Italian one for the atmosphere. Monza, stay in Lake Como and do a dash down to Maranello afterwards.
bergclimber34 said:
Went once in 1999, left before the end, biggest waste of money event I have been to, and that was when it was relatively cheap, never been remotely interested in going again thankfully.
But I suppose if you are a fan it is something you should try, just maybe not Silverstone, try somewhere else first, this place is super busy, packed and can be difficult to find a decent spot, it is not the best track for watching being fairly flat and featureless, though for an F1 weekend, they do make a huge effort, but so they should for what they charge over and above the tickets.
So here is a guy who went once in 1999 and thinks his point is worthy of note? I first went in 1985.... Prost won and Lauda's last season in a McLaren, 24 cars started and 11 cars finished, most failed with mechanical issues.... anyway, the place was packed, it was wet . It took hours to get in and hours to get out but it was utterly brilliant. But I suppose if you are a fan it is something you should try, just maybe not Silverstone, try somewhere else first, this place is super busy, packed and can be difficult to find a decent spot, it is not the best track for watching being fairly flat and featureless, though for an F1 weekend, they do make a huge effort, but so they should for what they charge over and above the tickets.
Since then, i've been to probably around 30 British GP's including a trip to Brands in 1986 and a trip to Imola in 1996. Yes Silverstone is busy, yes it can take some time to get in if you turn up late but.....
Silverstone is not flat and featureless. It has some of the fastest and most challenging corners in the championship, it has, in my opinion, very good visibilty and it's easy to follow the race if you watch the big screens (you can see at least one from anywhere on the track) and use your'e brain. It also creates some of the best races of the season...
More recently, if you're staying, you get a band every night and a lot of off track stuff, but you're paying to watch the cars, so watch them. Bearing in mind a premier league ticket can cost a stupid amount for 90mins of action, for your £400-600 weekend long Grandstand ticket you get F4 practice, qualy and 2 races, F3 the same and F2 the same. You also get the Porsche supercup. On top of that you get the 3 F1 practice sessions. qualy and the Race. You get 5 1/2 hours of live F1 action.
If you get a general admission ticket, you can move around anytime you want and use the grandstands on Friday. Sunday I'd reckon you should pick a spot and get there early and stay put. Vale grass area is good, or Luffield (Genral Plus addmission or something now for Luffield). If you're a grandstand ticket holder, you can sit in any grandstand on Fri/Sat and you're designated seat on Sun.
Overwhelmingly though, the biggest thing you'll take away is the atmosphere. The F1's cars are not as noisy as they use to be, but sitting at the end of the Hangar straight, boy do the go fast!
The fact that it sells out every year with one of the UK's biggest event total weekend spectator numbers (approx 480k over the whole 3days) should be enough to tell you that it's has to be value for money.
Edited by super7 on Wednesday 21st May 07:49
Silverstone is probably one of the worst circuits to spectate at. The stands are miles from the track and it is pancake flat.
I used to go to 3 or 4 races a year and have been to the likes of Suzuka, Spa, Monza, Catalunya, Istanbul, Singapore and, yes, Silverstone. The introduction of hybrid engines took away one of the main reasons to go to a GP in person, so my attendance dwindled, and then AD21 took away my love of the sport, and I've not been to a race since.
If you've never been, make a trip of it and go to your favourite track. I suggest Spa and Suzuka being the best spectacle, Monza the best atmosphere and Singapore the best "event". You couldn't pay me to go to Silverstone again.
But better than all of those, go to Le Mans for the 24 hours.
I used to go to 3 or 4 races a year and have been to the likes of Suzuka, Spa, Monza, Catalunya, Istanbul, Singapore and, yes, Silverstone. The introduction of hybrid engines took away one of the main reasons to go to a GP in person, so my attendance dwindled, and then AD21 took away my love of the sport, and I've not been to a race since.
If you've never been, make a trip of it and go to your favourite track. I suggest Spa and Suzuka being the best spectacle, Monza the best atmosphere and Singapore the best "event". You couldn't pay me to go to Silverstone again.
But better than all of those, go to Le Mans for the 24 hours.
At the height of my interest I attended quite a few Grands Prix including Silverstone, Monza, Spa, Imola and the last being in Monaco 2005. I used to go to the testing too and could happily sit trackside taking in the glorious sight and sound of the early 00’s V10 cars.
When they moved to V8 and then hybrids the appeal lessened for me but I got hooked by the experience of Le Mans in 2003 and that’s been my focus since.
I went to testing once in about 2015/16 and was horrified by the way they sounded compared to what I’d fallen in love with in the 90’s.
An F1 weekend is a great experience but I just haven’t felt the urge to go to one in recent years. When you consider what you get for the price of a ticket at Le Mans for example it doesn’t compare.
When they moved to V8 and then hybrids the appeal lessened for me but I got hooked by the experience of Le Mans in 2003 and that’s been my focus since.
I went to testing once in about 2015/16 and was horrified by the way they sounded compared to what I’d fallen in love with in the 90’s.
An F1 weekend is a great experience but I just haven’t felt the urge to go to one in recent years. When you consider what you get for the price of a ticket at Le Mans for example it doesn’t compare.
I went once to Silverstone never again. Had ringing in my ears like at the end of a gig, they are so noisy. Couldn’t follow what was going on. The cars were moving so fast, they looked like screaming streaks of colour. Someone listening to the radio had to tell me who won.
Best part of it was a carbon fibre umbrella I brought from one of the merchandising stalls for a zillion pounds, which I then promptly lost. But I enjoyed it for the time I had it.
My friend loved it though. He liked the visceral feeling from the noise and smells that was missing from the TV version. Vowed next time to return with a radio.
Actually, I lied, I’ve been to Silverstone twice, the second time to run a half marathon around the track. Enjoyed that a lot more than the F1 to be honest. Even tried to pick a racing line when it wasn’t too crowded.
Best part of it was a carbon fibre umbrella I brought from one of the merchandising stalls for a zillion pounds, which I then promptly lost. But I enjoyed it for the time I had it.
My friend loved it though. He liked the visceral feeling from the noise and smells that was missing from the TV version. Vowed next time to return with a radio.
Actually, I lied, I’ve been to Silverstone twice, the second time to run a half marathon around the track. Enjoyed that a lot more than the F1 to be honest. Even tried to pick a racing line when it wasn’t too crowded.
Edited by wyson on Wednesday 21st May 08:42
wyson said:
I’ve been to Silverstone twice, the second time to run a half marathon around the track. Enjoyed that a lot more than the F1 to be honest. Even tried to pick a racing line when it wasn’t too crowded.
“Crowding on the racing line” sounds familiar. Should remain firm and let them punt themselves into the tyre barrier. Their name wasn’t Max was it? Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff