British GP preview extra: What else to do

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If you’re heading off for a full three days at Silverstone make sure you get your money’s worth. There’s a lot more to an F1 weekend than just the Grand Prix.

From the best support races to freebies and sneaking into the posh areas – this is your Silverstone action check-list.

Go to BMW’s Pit Lane Park

BMW’s popular Pit Lane Park will return allowing fans to get even closer to F1 machinery.

British hero and 1992 champion Nigel Mansell will be among the drivers showing off in F1 cars.

Construct a hilarious banner

Past examples of greatness include “Irvine I’m pregnant”, as seen on television. Funnily enough “I’m only here so I can’t hear James Allen,”was never shown on ITV.

My all-time Silverstone favourite is the one from 1993 that showed a parking symbol that read, “Reserved for A. Senna: ’91, ’92, 1993?” Sure enough, Senna retired from that race as well…

If you are going armed with some witty prose scrawled on a bed sheet, please send us a photograph.

Watch at every corner

Silverstone is a great circuit – but you can’t ignore the fact that the British Grand Prix is under enormous commercial pressure.

So savour it while you can. Take a look at our guide to the track and don’t miss your chance to see modern F1 cars tackling some of the most exciting corners on the calendar while you still can.

Find me

I’ll be there all three days – drop me a line if you want to say hello!

Watch the GP2 races

Absolutely essential. F1’s feeder series invariably serves up close, exciting racing – even at venues like Silverstone where F1 cars struggle to get close to each other.

A couple of the GP2 drivers are likely to get into F1 in the future – Bruno Senna’s a good bet – so in a few years time you can bore your friends with “I saw him race before he got into F1” stories.

The last race saw a terrifying crash for Venezuelan Ernesto Viso, who astonishingly was unhurt. If you need to catch up on the season so far head on over to Maximum Motorsport.

As far as the support races go, though, forget about the Porsche Supercup. The cars looked nailed to the track and the racing is poor.

Grab a copy of the Red Bulletin

Red Bull’s highly entertaining and irreverent mag is always good for a laugh and has some excellent insights to – no matter what Ron Dennis says.

Plus it’s free. Do you need any more reasons to scoot over to Red Bull’s stand a get a copy?

Try to blag your way into the paddock

Ingenious devices used with some success in the past include: arriving with a pizza “for Michael Schumacher”, donning a pair of racing overalls and striding through the gates, putting on your shortest skirt and tightest top and flirting with a driver (girls only, probably).

Talk to the person sitting next to you

They’re either an F1 fan too, or they’re horribly lost. And they might have beer…

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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4 comments on “British GP preview extra: What else to do”

  1. one additional blag:

    during testing the other week i noticed that the guys / girls wearing luminous yellow jackets and carrying black bin liners were free to walk to and from the paddock unchecked.

    presumably with security extra tight this weekend, stewards might be a bit tougher on checking passes.

    ps. you didn’t hear this from me…try not to get yourself arrested. eh?

  2. Well Boys,have fun.Wish i could afford to hop the pond and join the fun at Silverstone but,I will just check back for the highlights Monday.(If i am reading the program correctly,the Speed channel here in the States is not covering the race.)Have a pint for me!

  3. Ben Goldberg
    6th July 2007, 3:29

    No, Fox is actually hosting this race (in America), tape delayed by 5 hours! No fun, but you can catch qualifying live on Speed at least.

  4. THANKS BEN !

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