Seating at Silverstone with general admission tickets
Discussion
chunder27 said:
Lol
Sell em on the gate to someone and watch it on telly?
Quality post as always.Sell em on the gate to someone and watch it on telly?
OP; GA means no access to the grandstands; take your own seats if you want but you'll need to turn up early and stake your ground to get a decent view. Most of GA stand at the fences, so you'll need to be up on one of the hilly areas to see over people. During the sessions the crowds at the fences can get 10-people deep.
General access tickets to F1 can be a waste of money unless you’re prepared to put the effort in and get there very early. You need to be at the gate early, they often open at 5 or 7 and then rush to where you want to be and make a camp there for the day. I’ve been to some races where you are 15 to 20 deep all trying to peer through a metal gate, don’t even think about trying to go to the toilet and come back to your spot again.
However silverstone has a fair bit of hilly areas so my advice would be to get up high rather than at the front and then penned in. This is also qualifying so won’t be as busy as race day. You might even be able to wander around between practice 3 and qualifying. Seats can be a good thing but sometimes the ability to quickly move around canbe of benefit rather than having pick up blankets and chairs. A tip would be to stay where you are and one of your party move to another location on a recon. mission then phone you if they’ve found a good spot. All too often I’ve left a reasonable spot to find a better spot only to lose everything! Either way have a great time, could be our last.
At least you won’t get pi$$ed on from Italians 40 foot up a tree like I did during my last visit to Monza. I’ve also tried to do Monaco on the cheap and at Quai Kennedy, 8 deep on the side of a mountain.... waste of money
However silverstone has a fair bit of hilly areas so my advice would be to get up high rather than at the front and then penned in. This is also qualifying so won’t be as busy as race day. You might even be able to wander around between practice 3 and qualifying. Seats can be a good thing but sometimes the ability to quickly move around canbe of benefit rather than having pick up blankets and chairs. A tip would be to stay where you are and one of your party move to another location on a recon. mission then phone you if they’ve found a good spot. All too often I’ve left a reasonable spot to find a better spot only to lose everything! Either way have a great time, could be our last.
At least you won’t get pi$$ed on from Italians 40 foot up a tree like I did during my last visit to Monza. I’ve also tried to do Monaco on the cheap and at Quai Kennedy, 8 deep on the side of a mountain.... waste of money
Edited by oldaudi on Sunday 7th July 20:58
Andy747 said:
Hi, can anyone advise on the above?
We’ve got general admission tickets for Qualifying on Saturday and want to know if these tickets allow us to get us a seat anywhere in the circuit or if we have to take our own chairs?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
No. GA tickets for the GP don't include grandstand seats.We’ve got general admission tickets for Qualifying on Saturday and want to know if these tickets allow us to get us a seat anywhere in the circuit or if we have to take our own chairs?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Take your own.
If you want a view while sitting in your own seats, get there early......really early.
oldaudi said:
General access tickets to F1 can be a waste of money unless you’re prepared to put the effort in and get there very early. You need to be at the gate early, they often open at 5 or 7 and then rush to where you want to be and make a camp there for the day. I’ve been to some races where you are 15 to 20 deep all trying to peer through a metal gate, don’t even think about trying to go to the toilet and come back to your spot again.
However silverstone has a fair bit of hilly areas so my advice would be to get up high rather than at the front and then penned in. This is also qualifying so won’t be as busy as race day. You might even be able to wander around between practice 3 and qualifying. Either way have a great time, could be our last.
At least you won’t get pi$$ed on from Italians 40 foot up a tree like I did during my last visit to monza
That’s very generalised, last year we rolled into Maggots beside the grandstand on race day at around 8am (having left Northampton at 7.15am), pitched up a couple of camping chairs and settled in for the morning races. However silverstone has a fair bit of hilly areas so my advice would be to get up high rather than at the front and then penned in. This is also qualifying so won’t be as busy as race day. You might even be able to wander around between practice 3 and qualifying. Either way have a great time, could be our last.
At least you won’t get pi$$ed on from Italians 40 foot up a tree like I did during my last visit to monza
Edited by oldaudi on Sunday 7th July 20:54
We sat for most of the GP with a perfect view from near the top of the bank in line with the front of the grandstand.
Barrie c 66 said:
We have general admission tickets for the race, with access to the inner track. Do we need to be in extremely early & is there anywhere in particular we should head for ? Bit concerned about the kids being restless if we are there at the crack of dawn.
How old are the kids? If they're old enough your best bet would be to find a spot and stay there, then tell the kids to wander off when they get bored. Honestly, there are two schools of thought, don’t forget there is more happening on race day than just the F1 race itself.
1) pitch up early (like I say, last year we left home in Northampton at 7.15 and were sat on our camping chairs next to Beckets grandstand by 8am); get a spot and chill with breakfast, beer, wine, the paper and watch a number of support races in the sun.
2) roll into the circuit an hour before the race and just find an empty spot to watch at the top of a bank. It wouldn’t be hard to do, in fact loads seemed to do it last year.
1) pitch up early (like I say, last year we left home in Northampton at 7.15 and were sat on our camping chairs next to Beckets grandstand by 8am); get a spot and chill with breakfast, beer, wine, the paper and watch a number of support races in the sun.
2) roll into the circuit an hour before the race and just find an empty spot to watch at the top of a bank. It wouldn’t be hard to do, in fact loads seemed to do it last year.
Don't expect to see much. Going is all about atmosphere, noise and the press of people.
I like Club as the place seems full of informed nerds.
As everyone says, get there early, I prefer to be there before they open. Don't get in a queue, just form up around your gate of choice. The fact that your slot might be compromised if you wander off for a pee has pros as well as cons. The toilets are not pristine and at times there's standing room only.
Chat to people around you. Silverstone crowds are great in the main.
Tell your kids to push to the front of the fence (not in front you note) otherwise they might get bored.
Enjoy it.
I like Club as the place seems full of informed nerds.
As everyone says, get there early, I prefer to be there before they open. Don't get in a queue, just form up around your gate of choice. The fact that your slot might be compromised if you wander off for a pee has pros as well as cons. The toilets are not pristine and at times there's standing room only.
Chat to people around you. Silverstone crowds are great in the main.
Tell your kids to push to the front of the fence (not in front you note) otherwise they might get bored.
Enjoy it.
If you have general admission weekend tickets you can sit in the grandstands on Friday, but not Saturday.
I found the best spot to sit for the race/qualy with GA tickets is the last corner - Club.
We got to the circuit at 6am on race day (camping at Dadford road site) and still were well down the entrance queue and didn't get a front row spot for our camping chairs!
I found the best spot to sit for the race/qualy with GA tickets is the last corner - Club.
We got to the circuit at 6am on race day (camping at Dadford road site) and still were well down the entrance queue and didn't get a front row spot for our camping chairs!
Lots of doom mongers about getting there early. If you have GA tickets for Qualy use the day to walk around the Circuit. I generally get into the track just before morning practice. No need to get there very early. Even Raceday, I get in for 7am ish. Used to queue in the 90's at 4am :O
It's NEVER that busy on a Saturday that you can't get views of the track at almost any point. I've always used Saturday to walk the circuit and stop off at various points. My favourites are Copse where they're flat out, Becketts... watch from the banks near the porsche centre. Hangar straight, 3/4 of the way down just at a gear change point (although that's somewhat muted with todays engines.... 1990's with the Lambo V12 was awesome!!). Vale is the best for actual qualifying with a view from Stowe down through Club and the pit entrance. There are also loads of places for the kids to do things and big TV's everywhere. Listen to the commentary on your phone!
One thing that Silverstone is good for is Genaral Admission viewing spots!
It's NEVER that busy on a Saturday that you can't get views of the track at almost any point. I've always used Saturday to walk the circuit and stop off at various points. My favourites are Copse where they're flat out, Becketts... watch from the banks near the porsche centre. Hangar straight, 3/4 of the way down just at a gear change point (although that's somewhat muted with todays engines.... 1990's with the Lambo V12 was awesome!!). Vale is the best for actual qualifying with a view from Stowe down through Club and the pit entrance. There are also loads of places for the kids to do things and big TV's everywhere. Listen to the commentary on your phone!
One thing that Silverstone is good for is Genaral Admission viewing spots!
Here's the trick.
Limit what you take into the circuit to that which will fit into a smallish rucksack. Be mobile!
Wear comfortable shows and be prepared to do a bit of trekking.
Get to the circuit at a time that will afford you the ability to walk it to see what's what and where.
Whether practice, qualifying or race, you will always find a space to watch from. The higher up and further back you are, the more you will see. Keep mobile and you can watch every session at every corner.
Limit what you take into the circuit to that which will fit into a smallish rucksack. Be mobile!
Wear comfortable shows and be prepared to do a bit of trekking.
Get to the circuit at a time that will afford you the ability to walk it to see what's what and where.
Whether practice, qualifying or race, you will always find a space to watch from. The higher up and further back you are, the more you will see. Keep mobile and you can watch every session at every corner.
Sorry to dig up a nearly 18 month old thread, but thought it made better sense than starting a fresh one.
Now this is all obviously dependent on the Covid 'exit plan' running to schedule, but I've booked a weekend GA ticket to Silverstone for me and my 10 year old daughter.
We'll be staying in Market Harbrough and using the M1 park & ride both days.
We have no issue with early starts, but the thought of standing in one spot for 6+ hours until the race starts concerns me a bit.
I'm pretty much resigned to not getting a great view of the race itself, but I'm keen to make sure she has a good time as I want to retain her interest (I need someone to tour the European tracks with over the next few years!).
My rough plan is to take my camera on the Saturday and hopefully get some half decent photos as a souvenir. Forget the camera on Sunday and just try and find a spot where we can actually see the track.
My questions are:
1) If you sit in a spot from 7am on Sunday then need to go to the loo, can you realistically expect to come back to your spot or will someone move your bags and take the space? Are you even allowed to leave a bag unattended (security reasons)? We'll take food so no need to move for other reasons.
2) Any tips for corners/vantage points where you can gain enough elevation to see over the perimeter fence to grab a couple of photos on the Saturday would be good. I'm also thinking a low aperture will allow you to shoot through the fencing and render it invisible anyway, any photographers here??
3) Any tips for vantage points where children (she's about 4ft 6 tall) have a chance of seeing the race?
Thanks
Now this is all obviously dependent on the Covid 'exit plan' running to schedule, but I've booked a weekend GA ticket to Silverstone for me and my 10 year old daughter.
We'll be staying in Market Harbrough and using the M1 park & ride both days.
We have no issue with early starts, but the thought of standing in one spot for 6+ hours until the race starts concerns me a bit.
I'm pretty much resigned to not getting a great view of the race itself, but I'm keen to make sure she has a good time as I want to retain her interest (I need someone to tour the European tracks with over the next few years!).
My rough plan is to take my camera on the Saturday and hopefully get some half decent photos as a souvenir. Forget the camera on Sunday and just try and find a spot where we can actually see the track.
My questions are:
1) If you sit in a spot from 7am on Sunday then need to go to the loo, can you realistically expect to come back to your spot or will someone move your bags and take the space? Are you even allowed to leave a bag unattended (security reasons)? We'll take food so no need to move for other reasons.
2) Any tips for corners/vantage points where you can gain enough elevation to see over the perimeter fence to grab a couple of photos on the Saturday would be good. I'm also thinking a low aperture will allow you to shoot through the fencing and render it invisible anyway, any photographers here??
3) Any tips for vantage points where children (she's about 4ft 6 tall) have a chance of seeing the race?
Thanks
I think it's a massive ask for a 10-year old to put up with all the crap that comes with bagging a decent spot on race day in Silverstone GA.
Can I make a couple of suggestions?
1) Do your photography on Friday during FP1 and 2, not that Silverstone is particularly good for photography, given that the stands are all miles from the track. Then watch and enjoy quali without worrying about taking photos (the actual on-track action doesn't last very long anyway) and watch the race at home on TV.
or
2) Go to the Spanish GP; Catalunya is excellent for photography, it won't cost much more than Silverstone, and will be more of an adventure.
(or Monza, Portimao, etc etc etc)
Can I make a couple of suggestions?
1) Do your photography on Friday during FP1 and 2, not that Silverstone is particularly good for photography, given that the stands are all miles from the track. Then watch and enjoy quali without worrying about taking photos (the actual on-track action doesn't last very long anyway) and watch the race at home on TV.
or
2) Go to the Spanish GP; Catalunya is excellent for photography, it won't cost much more than Silverstone, and will be more of an adventure.
(or Monza, Portimao, etc etc etc)
HardtopManual said:
I think it's a massive ask for a 10-year old to put up with all the crap that comes with bagging a decent spot on race day in Silverstone GA.
Indeed. are you seriously intending to get there at 7:30am and expect a 10 year old not to get bored to tears! The race doesn't start until 1pm (I think) 
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff