With it being just one month today until the British Grand Prix, excitement is building more by the day. Last year I went with my mum for the first time. It was our first time at a live grand prix ever, let alone at the iconic British Silverstone track! It was a ‘one-off, once in a lifetime experience’…until we got home and decided to instantly start saving to start going again next year. So, here we are, a year on and gearing up to go again!
I read a lot of tips and tricks online before going last year, but I also learnt a lot by going myself, which I took on board for this year. I thought it might be useful to any first-time attenders to share what I think can be useful to know before going to the British Grand Prix.
Bear in mind – I’ve only ever been once before, and due to various reasons, I can only attend race day itself. Furthermore, these are all my own personal opinions and advice. Everyone’s experience is different – which is what makes race day so exciting!
Choose comfort over fashion!
This is arguably the most important thing, hence why it is the first point and probably the one I’ll talk about most. Being comfortable so your day is not ruined by being too hot or cold or wet is THE most important thing. Looking cute for photos? A bonus. Not essential. You don’t want to be stuck in uncomfortable clothes for a very long day. The UK is a country where you can experience all 4 seasons in one day. Silverstone is very open and windy, and you’re mostly left to the mercy of the weather with very limited cover…and Silverstone is also a huge space. We didn’t realise how much we had walked until we got home – we did 13K steps – and that was ‘weak’ in comparison to other people’s step counts! So WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHING. You can look cute and be comfy, you can wear your F1 merch…but you’ll have a much more enjoyable day if you’re dressed practically. Bring spare, dry socks, wear the ugly shoes (I did), because they’ll be covered in mud and soaking wet at the end of the day.
Bonus advice: Learn from me. Wear waterproof shoes. I wore old but comfy trainers last year, great! They were fabric and not waterproof, not great. I didn’t think of it until the heavens opened, and then the penny dropped that I was about to have to cope with very wet shoes for the rest of the day. Luckily, I was high on life and the atmosphere, so I wasn’t bothered (although I was very glad past Leyla decided to pack extra, dry socks), but I felt very humbled on the way home, feeling water ooze out of the fabric of my shoes for hours still after the heavens had opened…so this year I’ve deliberately found some waterproof trainers instead.
Also, take a waterproof rucksack for this very reason. I’m British born and bred and am very familiar with our weather…I made sure I was covered and waterproof – except I forgot about my feet and my bag…still, lesson learnt! On that note – I bought a British Grand Prix programme to treasure and remember my first Grand Prix with…that then got soaked in said non-waterproof rucksack…so this year I’m taking a waterproof backpack and a waterproof book sleeve – with a zip! – to put the precious programme in. Thankfully, I had a friend last year also in attendance who gave me her spare programme, because my own…well, it was a glorified towel by the time I got home.
So – dress for comfort over fashion, bring layers, pack for all weathers, and you’ll feel so much better and enjoy the day more for it!
There is no judgement on who you support – even if that is multiple teams!
The best thing about everyone coming to watch a race is the unwavering support everyone has for each other. Whether you support Lando Norris or Lance Stroll, Ferrari or Alpine, there is no judgement on who you’re rooting for. Last year, my mum and I were kitted out head to toe in Ferrari merch – Lewis Hamilton specifically, and we sat in the stands surrounded by McLaren fans, Redbull fans, Aston Martin and Williams fans. Someone had a Mercedes hat, a Williams shirt and an Aston Martin umbrella! You don’t even need to wear any merch if you don’t want to! Whether you’re kitted out head to toe or are wearing nothing F1 related at all, that’s okay! I actually saw some really cute outfits that featured small business-designed merch! The most important thing is to BE RESPECTFUL. You may not like someone’s favourite drivers or teams, but they mean something to them, and vice versa. You can wear and support whoever you want, and of course, there’s always an element of friendly competition, but Silverstone should bring people together to enjoy the atmosphere of being at a race, not divide people.
Following on from that…
Buy merch before the race weekend if possible!
There will be a plethora of stalls selling F1 merchandise, and of course, there is the Castore store. However, come race day, the prices are higher to meet demand and, let’s be honest, so companies can make even more money. So, get what you can in advance. My mum and I always find a date to visit the Silverstone museum some time before the race weekend – it’s a great day out and so interesting! – and at the same time, we get the merchandise we want then; if what we want is not there, we get it online. Of course, we do still have a look at what is being sold on race day, and there’s often Silverstone exclusives and pop-ups and such, so there are still times where we treat ourselves…but for any standard F1 merchandise, save yourself some money!
Take your own food and drink!
There’s no gentle way to say this, so I’ll say it as it is: Silverstone is expensive. My mum and I guessed it would be, so we went to a supermarket a couple of days before and bought lunch, snacks and drinks and saved ourselves a small fortune – especially when we saw how much the prices were! If you’re like me, and adrenaline and excitement take away your appetite, snacky foods are amazing. Rice cakes, breadsticks, dried fruit…the main thing is to keep yourself eating and drinking throughout the day to keep your energy levels up, but you also want something that will give you more than just a short 5-minute burst of energy. Drinking is just as important as eating. I took a metal bottle of water so it would stay cold – there are refill stations everywhere! – and some cartons of juice and a bottle of sports Lucozade too, to keep your blood sugar up. These all worked well at keeping me hydrated and energised. The last thing you want is to feel unwell or faint because you’ve not eaten and drunk enough!
Give yourself more time than you need!
Silverstone is a huge place covering a lot of ground, and a lot of people will be in attendance. So you’re not stressing about rushing, give yourself more time than you need. Plan your route to the parking/track/whatever in advance, and give yourself more than enough time. You don’t want to start the day panicking about running behind, or lose the fun of being at Silverstone because you’re rushing to get to your seat for lights out.
Explore what else is happening!
As I’ve already mentioned, I can only go on race day, and whilst the race is the most important part of the day, there is still so much to see and do! There were old cars from races past, the lower formula races – I loved seeing Luke Browning driving for F2 take himself up 9 places last year! This year, there’s also F1 Academy driving! There are stalls with things exclusive to Silverstone – that’s where I got my TOPPS cards last year before they went on general sale, there was a Lego stall, and on the race weekend, there’s almost always something happening on the mainstage, and you also get into the Silverstone museum for free! But I will also add – come to terms with the fact that you’ll never see or do everything. With such a jam-packed day on and off track, covering a massive space, it’s impossible to see everything.
But to plan my day, I find something very useful, which nicely brings me onto my next point…
Download the Silverstone events app!
This is how you can know what’s happening where, be it on the track or the main stage. It tells you what time various teams can be seen on stages in the days leading up to race day, and on the Sunday, the whole track timetable will be on there, including other fun things besides F1. You can even make your own timetable by adding what you want to do, so you can plan your own day right there in the app. There’s also a map, and lots of other useful information about transport, food and drink, and accessibility. There are also always lots of friendly stewards around on the day, happy to help – after all, they’re fans too!
Take the photos!
There are always people who say ‘Don’t spend the whole time taking photos, take in the atmosphere, live in the moment’ etc…whilst I do see this point of view, I love taking photos and videos to relive the day. I’d agree – don’t spend the whole day watching through your camera getting the best shot for Instagram, but also…you’re unlikely to see half these people again. If you want a photo in front of the track, do it! I asked people to take photos of my mum and me last year, completely unashamedly… and no one minded or judged us! Maybe don’t have a whole hour-long photoshoot and be respectful during the race, and understand that people will want to see the cars and not you modelling…but preserve those memories. I still go back and look at my photos and videos now – and honestly, part of me can’t believe I was there and took them myself!
Don’t pin your hopes on meeting people
This feels like a sad tip, but something I heard last year really stayed with me. As I was leaving, I heard someone say ‘Well, that was a day wasted, I didn’t meet a single driver, I wish I’d stayed home and watched it on TV’. I am deadly serious. That was a comment I heard as I was leaving. To me, this is heartbreaking. Going to a grand prix is a huge privilege, something so very exciting that a lot of people would love to do and can’t. It’s not cheap, and everyone attending – myself included – is lucky to be there. You don’t go just to meet the drivers. It’s about meeting other fans and being there. The atmosphere and thrill of being at a race live is something special, more than words can describe. There were people I spoke to at the mainstage after the race who even said they didn’t watch the race at the track; they stayed at the stage all day and watched the race on their phones, because they didn’t want to lose their spots. Again, everyone is free to do what they want…but if you’re paying that much and going to all the effort of going to Silverstone, make the most of it! Meeting anyone from a TV presenter to a team principal to a driver is a bonus, not a given, and you shouldn’t leave disappointed if you don’t meet anyone. I didn’t meet anyone last year, and it was still genuinely one of the best days of my life. I’d never had an experience like it and was in disbelief at how amazing a time I had. So, don’t pin your hopes on meeting people. Pin your hopes on your team doing well in the race, instead!
Have fun!
The British Grand Prix is overwhelming. It is busy and loud and full on…but it’s also one of the best experiences ever. There’s no such thing as the perfect day, but take every minute as it comes and prioritise enjoying yourself over anything else. Chat to other fans, soak up the atmosphere, cheer as loud as you want for your team and/or driver and enjoy every second of being there.
The general useful tips and tricks
This brings me to the tips and tricks everyone recommends, and my experience with these suggestions…
- Bring a portable charger – Definitely yes! The British Grand Prix is a long weekend, and you’re bound to take photos and need your phone to stay in touch with whoever you’re with in case you get separated.
- Take a radio – I took one last year, but was so excited and adrenaline-fuelled that I couldn’t focus on listening or taking in what the commentators were saying. Wherever you end up watching the race, there are lots of big screens, so I could see what was happening the whole race. I then went home and watched it again on TV anyway! You may benefit from a radio, but for me personally, I didn’t use it last year, so I won’t take one this year.
- Have a meeting point in case you get separated – yes! My mum and I stayed together, but phone service at Silverstone can be patchy with there being so many people in one place, and with it being such a vast space, it’s easy to lose people. Have a designated area where, if you’re lost, you can meet up without relying on your phones.
- Take sharpies & something to get signed – yes, but don’t be disappointed if you don’t. You never know – you may even bump into someone who’s there to watch the race, like you! Sharpies are small and light, so take one in your bag. As for something to get signed – people are usually happy to sign anything within reason, so it could even be a hat you’re wearing! You can buy a race programme, or even print out your ticket in advance and use that. Again, you never know, and things like these are things that are light, not inconvenient, and you may have already.
And there we have it! Like I said, this is all just based on my experience, but I thought it may benefit anyone going not just to Silverstone, but any race this year. But who knows, you may go and want to do things differently and make the day your own – that is the fun of it after all! Whether you take something from all or none of this post, whether you’re going to the race or watching on TV at home, the excitement of raceday is a kind of magic all on its own.
Silverstone is so many people’s favourite track for a reason, and I cannot wait to be back there this year. I hope wherever you watch from, you have a great time. After all, with just one month to go until race day, it’s not long at all until lights out! And I can’t wait!
One Day At A Time 