F1 Newbie!! Need a little guidance please!!!

[kellyb]

Hi, Ive just booked up for this year F1 meet at silverstone got a 3day pass with camping for my boyfs bday present!!!! (he better love it!!). I cant believe what Ive been missing out on as Ive only sat n watched the whole weekend meet this year for the first time!!!!

Weve got seats in the Becketts grandstand- I havent got the foggiest about wheres the best place to get seats so hopefully Ive 'done- good'???

Weve got tickets to camp in the lively area of Silverstone woodlands and have heard that people are queuing up at 4am on the wednesday to get electric hook-ups- we certainly wont be having electric then!! Will we still get tent space if we go early friday morning?? or should we go earlier?? Can you go say Wednesday evening pitch your tent then come home n go back friday? Or if we did that would we loose the car space next to the tent??Does everyone just pitch there tent anywhere or is there like a grid system??

Many thanks for your help!!!

Kelly b

[steveaki13]

Have been to Silverstone a few times but never camped so can't help you on that. I can say that you are sitting in a good place.

Maggotts and Becketts is one of the fastest series of corners in F1, so you really get to see F1 cars at their best. Not as much overtaking there as other spots but I have watched from the ground level there and it is fantastic.

The noise and speed of an F1 car cannot be conveyed on TV. Soak it all up.

[fandango]

.... so hopefully Ive 'done- good'???....

So, let me get this straight: you didn't have much interest in F1, but you're getting tickets, camping, good seats and starting to get into the whole thing now, because he's into it? Fair play to you, and I really hope he appreciates what he's got!

[Malbec]

I can't see how a proper F1 fan would be disappointed with your present!

Just one word of advice, get some proper earplugs before you go. And enjoy!

[Dave B]

I haven't camped since 2000 but back then we just turned up on the Thursday evening and drove straight to our pitch. Things may well have changed since I were t'lad!

Your seats should be very good indeed but my personal advice would be to use the Friday practice to walk parts of the circuit and watch the sessions from different angles, you'll really appreciate just how amazing F1 cars are when driven in anger.

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) take sensible trainers / boots and a spare pair if rain is forecast, I've seen people hobbling round a racetrack in high heels and it's not a pretty sight! Silverstone is a phenomenal drivers' track and almost always gives good racing, but it's also a vast old airfield and you'll clock up some serious miles walking over the course of three days.

To answer your first question: yes, you've done good. I guarantee he'll love his present and I hope you enjoy it as much as he does

[MrJan]

Just one word of advice, get some proper earplugs before you go. And enjoy!

Echo this! I went to a Barcelona test last march (with a hangover) and it was mad. I'd been to the FoS and seen F1 cars before but the sound of them echoing off the grandstand was something new and I was completely unprepared. It might have been easier if I hadn't got so drunk the night before...but I doubt it.

I also agree with what Dave said, take comfortable shoes and walk the track on the Friday to give you an idea of how the cars are performing in different corners. When I was in Barcelona me and a mate walked the whole track and it's amazing how different it looks, not just from corner to corner but also simply by watching the same corner from a different angle.

Oh and if he doesn't like it and you fall out over it, just drop me a message

[kellyb]

ahhh thanks for the info guys... its much appreciated!!! I will have my earplugs at the ready,,, and believe me Dave B- i most certainly wont be wearing high heels- it'll be flipflops- cowboy boots and wellies for me!!!!

Fandango- Yeh we've been together for years but ive never really taken an interest in it- untill I watched the Australian sesh this year and was glued to my seat!!!! It gets hard to think of new bday pressies each year you can only go so far with the usual aftershave n clothes etc... n we haven't really done much together since we've had our children (2years n 9months)... so its going to be a great get away for us (n no crying babies for the whole weekend!!!whaahooooo!), oh n not forgetting plenty of beer!!! Not sure I thought about the 3 days camping properly but what the hell it'll be an experience with no hair straighteners!!!!

I will take everyones advice and watch the races from different areas of the track... then if we decide to go back next year we will know where to sit!

Mr Jan--- I hear you on that,, haha!!!

[Dave B]

... then if we decide to go back next year we will know where to sit!

If you do get bitten by the F1 bug then you may find it's not much more expensive to travel to other European tracks. We did a long weekend in Spa for not much more than the ticket price of Silverstone even once we'd paid for ferries, car hire, B&B and food. Then we had our honeymoon in Italy conveniently timed to coincide with Monza, which could be handy to remember if you find the experience brings you even closer together