john
Backmarker
Posts: 6
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Post by john on Dec 26, 2010 23:06:08 GMT
Hi hope you all have a happy new year. My boss bought me a special xmas box for all the work i did all year and because i did not go to the annual xmas do. I am going for the 1st time in my life to the british gp, he bought me a 3 day ticket including car park and camping, dont know where the camp site is. any of you going as it would be nice to meet you .
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Post by Kev Revmoon on Dec 28, 2010 12:26:28 GMT
Wow, what an amazing boss you must have!
I myself won't be going this year, but I think many of the peeps of this site go each year - and they all seem lovely (not that I have met them, but would like to some time).
Do I assume correctly that you have not only not been to the British GP before, but also not to any F1 race before or to Silverstone either?
If the answer to both is 'yes', then the following advice might be useful.
If you have Bronze tickets - general admission, get to the track ridiculously early on race day. The first year my wife, brother and I went, we got to the track at about 7:30 am to find that the entire place was heaving and all the decent positions had been taken. Most annoyingly, the spot we had picked was filled with a group of middle-aged, obviously wealthy men, who had brought tables and a picnic with them. They took way more space than they were entitled to and annoyed the hell out of about 300 people stood behind them who - inexplicably - did not surge forward and push them into a more appropriate amount of space. My party ended up stood on our deckchairs just behind the brow of the hill, glimpsing the cars for mere seconds between the heads of 5000 people stood in front of us. I repeat - get there early. (The next year we went again and bought Gold tickets and had seats at Stowe and Montoya won, which was as good as it would ever get for F1 at Silverstone - though it might be better still with the new start/finish complex)
Again, if you have Bronze tickets, I think the best place to see the race is down between Stowe and Club corners. However, I don't know if it is 2011 that the pits and start/finish straight moves to the Club/Abbey part of the track. If it is, watching from there will become even more desirable and it might be a good idea for you to set off now. The trouble with Silverstone is that it is an airfield and so the curvature of the Earth reduces visibility. At Stowe/Club I timed the F1 cars as being in sight for about 28 seconds. Nowhere else at Silverstone comes close - including at some places like the 'old/current' start finish straight they must only be in sight for about 5 seconds.
Again - if you have Bronze tickets, take light deckchairs with you that can be carried in a bag slung over your shoulder. You will be stood around for hours and hours and hours waiting for something to happen. Also take a book.
Watch the cars at Maggotts. You will have your heart in your mouth.
If you have sensitive ears, take earplugs. The cars are louder than you would imagine. You may also want the earplugs to drown out the sound of airhorns in the campsite all. Bloody. Night.
When I last went ('04) the PA around the track was rubbish. You could not hear the track commentary. I dunno if you are going to rent a Kangaroo TV thing, but if not, take a Walkman or whatever equivalent that has a radio. I am sure that Silverstone still has its own FM station over the weekend, and this will carry the track commentary and lots of programming and interviews, as well as running all evening and night playing requests and talking to fans and does add to the atmosphere in the campsite - so take a radio to listen to in the evenings. I once rang in to the radio station and was on the air within moments spouting crap about Jackie Stewart and how wonderful my wife was for making bacon sandwiches.
We camped both years that we went. The campsite we used was about 1/3 of a mile from the track by the main entrance/existing start/finish line. Do not imagine that you will be able to use the campsite showers. The queues will be infinite and the showers themselves vile. Take a washing up bowl and flannels. Probably a good idea to take your own loo paper as well.
Both years that we went we decided not to bother to cook our own food and just ate takeaways at the track and in the town in the evenings. If you do this I suggest you take some fruit with you. We were craving green stuff after 3 days.
Do not imagine that other campers will obey the signs in the campsites that say "NO FIREWORKS" both years that we went fireworks were exploding all night and dropping all around us. The tents are VERY tightly packed in at the Silverstone campsites and how there are not fatal fires each year I do not know. One day, there will be a fire in a tent caused by a firework dropping on it and dozens of tents will catch fire before it is stopped. Only then will the no fireworks rule be enforced - mark my words.
Do not use the Bungee Sphere in the fairground next to the campsite unless you want a near-death experience. My wife and I went on it in '03 and it remains the closest I have come to dying. My seatbelts were loose and I spent 20 seconds or so trying to stop myself from sliding out of my seat and dropping 100 feet to the ground. I genuinely thought my number was up.
Do stick around after the race for the concert in the infield (assuming that they're doing it next year). Lots of the drivers show up and there's a nice atmosphere. Also, it lets the traffic die down whilst you relax for a while.
Do book the next day at least off work, as you will come home weather-bleached, dusty, generally achey and with very tired legs from all the walking.
Have a great time!
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