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So, I have the opportunity for a full weekend at Silverstone for the F1 next July... but which is the best of the normal (Bronze to Platinum) grandstands to be in? last time I was at Silverstone was for the 2009 BTCC on the old national circuit layout and I didn't really move from Woodcote.
Colleauge who went this year was in Becketts and strongly recommended it, but it's so far away from all what I assume are the main areas of entertainment that I don't want to spend all weekend walking laps of the circuit to and from Becketts.
I'm also eying up Village B as it's on a couple of slower tight corners so more chance of some lunges for overtaking.
Considered Stowe, but don't just want to see fake DRS overtakes.
Anybody got any advice? Also, where does most of the off-track stuff happen? Is it all clustered in one area or spread around?
Pick one with a roof. I was in the roofless Beckets stand for MotoGP and it was HOT. Full afternoon sun made it pretty unpleasant.
I don’t want to spend all weekend walking laps of the circuit to and from Becketts.
You'll spend all weekend walking endlessly anyway!! 🙂
If you want to see overtaking I'd probably pick somewhere near Vale and Club or possibly Luffield area.
Becketts? I'd have a walk round and watch cars there to see them go through, but there's not much other track action apart from the odd overtake lunge. You may be able to see over to Village and the Loop if you are high enough but it depends what they erect to spoil the view on race weekend.
But from a purely personal point of view I'd spend the money and go abroad and have an adventure. I find Silverstone a dull place to watch races of any sort.
I went for the first time this year to just the free practice day, so was able to roam about the stands.
I found Woodcote A the best of the places I sat at. I could see the cars coming the entire length of the Wellington Straight towards me, then around Brooklands, Luffield and Woodcote before seeing them head away down the National pit straight. This must have been close to 1/3 of the lap with both high speed and low speed sections. Quite a few cars spun out at Brooklands.
Go for a stand where you get a clear view of the big screens as you'll end up watching that. One of the most underwhelming experiences of my life going to watch a live F1 GP. Definitely better on TV. Once the race starts you have little chance of keeping track of where people are on the track and what's going on as you only really see the cars fly by for a split second every couple or so minutes. I ended up watching the big screen most of the time.
However I was sat at the Village corner, just outside the exit of the pits. Was a good spot I thought because you saw the cars approach off Abbey, hit the brakes approaching Village, negotiate the bends and accelerate up the Wellington straight. You really appreciate the braking and accelerating capabilities of the F1 cars as the comparison to the previous races and other cars is stark. Also there is a big screen directly opposite the stand.
Luffield b. Been a couple of times. Great spot, good view of screen and it has a roof. Saw a fair few bumps too. At practice you get to sit in any grandstand and i tried them all!
Becketts is a fantastic sequence but spectators are a long way back - parked ourselves in Village for the Classic and it was great, lots going on and a visible screen for stuff going on elsewhere. Sight of a screen adds a lot - that and an FM radio so you can hear the commentary make a big difference.
My favourite is Luffield, especially with the rate the cars accelerate & change direction these days. Fast in, 3 corners & fast out.