In 2010 Alice and Ed West were given Silverstone tickets as a wedding present by some family friends. This was Alice’s first F1 experience and one that deeply cemented her passion for the sport. And what a weekend they had…
Was it easy to get to Silverstone?
Reasonably. We booked a parking badge with our tickets, which cost around £50 for the weekend, though I think it’s more like £60 now.
Traffic heading up from Buckingham to Silverstone can be really bad, so get there early! I’m sure that the weekend we went to Silverstone some people actually missed the race due to the terrible traffic and narrow lanes.
There are also loads of Park and Ride options for getting in from all over the UK, so see if you can book your transport in advance when you get your ticket.
One day we’ll book the £600 helicopter transfer. One day…
Where did you watch the action from at Silverstone?
Our seats were on Hangar Straight, looking down to Stowe Corner. This was a great spot with reserved seating on the Sunday.
What’s brilliant about Silverstone tickets is that on Friday and Saturday they let you in practically anywhere (except perhaps the Paddock Club..!) so we watched qualifying from the Pit Straight and could see right into the garages behind.
What else did you get up to at the track?
Silverstone runs a packed events schedule for its visitors so we watched a few bands perform on the main stage, and we looked in on a few talks being run by the teams and sponsors. Eddie Jordan’s band even ‘headlined’ the Saturday afternoon slot – brilliant!
Jenson and Lewis did a press call on the Saturday after quails, so we checked that out too. You definitely get your money’s worth with Silverstone tickets – the Red Arrows’ display on the Sunday before lights out was a whole experience in itself.
We were also very lucky to spend some time in the Paddock thanks to a family friend who worked for one of the teams – so we made a few friends while we were there, as you do…
Any tips for fans planning a trip to Silverstone?
- Book your travel arrangements in advance or lift share to split the parking fee
- Hire a Kangaroo TV to keep up-to-date with the race in real-time. Worth the price at around £85 for the weekend
- Bring earplugs
- Take the time to walk all around the track as there’s a great party atmosphere and lots to entertain yourself with
- Bring cash and bring lots of it – food and drink is pricey. I think a hot dog and a coke set us back around a tenner each!
