Brands Hatch - best viewing area?

[sporelife]

Hiya,

I'm planning to go to the A1 GP in April, but have never been to Brands before. Can anyone suggest the place to be to catch the best action on the track?

Cheers in advance!

[rubystone]

Paddock Bend stand

[phatgixer]

The best place to see if a car is going well is through Hawthorns, but not sure if there is a spectator area nearby though. Sneak through the woods and watch there!

[ettore]

To be honest Brands is such a good spectator circuit that you`re better off wandering round the outside and finding your own preferred spot.

[ettore]

To be honest Brands is such a good spectator circuit that you`re better off wandering round the outside and finding your own preferred spot.

[SimonY]

As above, top left corner of Paddock Hill stand

[delfto]

I recon best place is the grass bank just before start finish line not sure what it is called but between Mcleren & Clark curve. Although as said before it’s a great circuit loads of good spectator spots

Will be on said grass bank with flask n sandwiches on Sunday 1st April

[kevin ritson]

If you're there for the weekend then walk round the GP loop on the qualifying days - Westfield is quite good as there's a bump on the exit, within 10 minutes of getting there for the last A1GP race I saw Lauda spin!

For the race Paddock Hill is a great spot, you can see the track go up to Druids, then most of the Cooper Straight, plus there's usually a big screen on the South Bank that you can watch the rest of the racing on. However you do need to get there early for a good spot (I turned up at 6 last time and got one of the last few spots just by the fence!)

[johnnymaestro]

Right at the top of the Paddock Hill Stand. See the start round paddock, round druids, down coopers and off into the forest then watch them come down and round clearways back onto the S/F straight. TV screen will let you see the action out in the forest area.

As said it fills up fast so for best spec get there well in advance.

Edited by johnnymaestro on Friday 9th March 17:48

[vette_1978]

We've booked grandstand tickets for Paddock Hill about 1/3 of the way up after sitting there for last seasons A1. As for the track itself everywhere is pretty good - close up at Druids is good, the outside of the exit to Surtee's is cool and even just sitting with your feet up on Clearways is decent enough.

Heading down Friday and camping for 2 nights so will be in the Kentagon both nights no doubt.

[waynepixel]

rubystone said:

Paddock Bend stand

I second that.

[Locoblade]

Also have a wander up Hailwood Hill towards Druids for a few laps, if you can get up to the fence you'll be very close to the track, watching properly quick cars hammer into the braking zone there is a real treat.

[combemarshal]

kevin ritson said:

If you're there for the weekend then walk round the GP loop on the qualifying days - Westfield is quite good as there's a bump on the exit, within 10 minutes of getting there for the last A1GP race I saw Lauda spin!

You would have seen me then, I Marshalled at Westfield for the whole meeting!

[fozzi]

vette_1978 said:

We've booked grandstand tickets for Paddock Hill about 1/3 of the way up after sitting there for last seasons A1. As for the track itself everywhere is pretty good - close up at Druids is good, the outside of the exit to Surtee's is cool and even just sitting with your feet up on Clearways is decent enough.

Heading down Friday and camping for 2 nights so will be in the Kentagon both nights no doubt.

OK, then I'll have to seek you out for a beer!

Live local, but I'm always there when the shutters are coming down... so to speak!

[fozzi]

Brands is an awesome circuit for viewing!!! Like everyone says, go and walk around... it is possible to see most of the circuit in the public areas and watching the cars through the back of the GP circuit (Pilgrims Drop, Hawthorns, Westfield, Dingle Dell, Sheene Curve, Stirlings Bend) is quite awesome!!!!

For Grandstand viewing, Paddock Hill Bend takes a lot of beating!!!

Edited by fozzi on Saturday 10th March 05:47

[rubystone]

If the crowd's thin enough to allow it then yes, walk round the curcuit - anticlockwise is best for obvious reasons. But be aware that you can't get beyond halfway down Hawthorn Hill - in other words, the larger part of the GP Loop is out of bounds, even though there is a footpath around the inside of the loop.