British Grand Prix

[smokeysmoo]

I can't afford it, and neither can Silverstone

Apparently they've lost £7.6 million over the last two years!!!!!!! With gate prices so high already this is simply unsustainable.

It's costing £17 million to host this year but there's also a 5% year on year increase meaning if they ran to the end of their contract they'd have to pay £27 million to host it in 2026

 

[Welsh wheels]

If I was going to spend that much money, I'd buy a new bike instead.

 

[vickster]

My uncle works in F1, used to go all over for the races, less so now he's semi retired...personally I'd rather go to the dentist than to an F1 race!
My brother went years ago though, full hospitality job

 

[Drago]

My mates missus is a big cheese at Rockingham so I often enjoy the VIP hospitality when the BTCC are in town

 

[swansonj]

I haven't been to a Grand Prix for twenty-odd years or watched one on TV for probably ten. But I still remember as a naive student cycling out to Silverstone for the Saturday practice of the British GP one year in the 1980s. I had no idea where I was going, but I found my way to one of the spectator bankings on one of the straights just as a Ferrari shot past at full speed. The sound - the speed - the colour - the atmosphere - the engineering perfection - the skill - the supporting infrastructure - that one moment was me hooked for the next decade.

I think it benefits everyone to have surrendered yourself to a crowd at least once to understand the effect it has on you, and for me it was Mansell, me, and about a hundred thousand other spectators, versus Senna and about two lone spectators, the year Senna ran out of fuel on the final lap, coasted to a halt right in front of where I was standing, and Mansell picked him up on his victory lap.

 

[NorthernDave]

I've been to the British GP before, but it's just too expensive now - it's impossible to justify the cost anymore. And without wanting to put too fine a point on it, you're treated like cattle even if you've paid a wedge of cash for a seat and you get to see very little of the action apart from on the big screens.
It's a great spectacle, but I've done it now and don't feel the need to do it again.

 

[classic33]

I haven't been to a Grand Prix for twenty-odd years or watched one on TV for probably ten. But I still remember as a naive student cycling out to Silverstone for the Saturday practice of the British GP one year in the 1980s. I had no idea where I was going, but I found my way to one of the spectator bankings on one of the straights just as a Ferrari shot past at full speed. The sound - the speed - the colour - the atmosphere - the engineering perfection - the skill - the supporting infrastructure - that one moment was me hooked for the next decade.

I think it benefits everyone to have surrendered yourself to a crowd at least once to understand the effect it has on you, and for me it was Mansell, me, and about a hundred thousand other spectators, versus Senna and about two lone spectators, the year Senna ran out of fuel on the final lap, coasted to a halt right in front of where I was standing, and Mansell picked him up on his victory lap.

Gave a couple of marshalls the boot as well.

 

[tyred]

For most of my life I was obsessed with F1 and watched every single race and knew all the history. I would have loved to have gone to a GP then but didn't have the money.

Now I haven't watched a GP since (IIRC) Monaco 2015 and have little incarnation to ever watch again. It's just not a sport any more.

 

[Salad Dodger]

I went to the GP once, at Brands Hatch, because my father in law was organising the fire cover on behalf of the fire brigade. Half the spectators were just wandering around with little apparent interest in the racing, whilst the rest had built virtual camps against the fence, complete with camping chairs, umbrellas and tarps. So the people behind could see sweet f all.
I decided to watch on TV the next time.......

 

[gaz71]

The British Speedway GP at Cardiff next Saturday will be far more exciting to watch.

 

[Jenkins]

Went to the '94 & '95 GPs at Silverstone and the '93 European GP at Donington but the cars are now way too complex and dull to listen to compared to then, no matter how impressive the speeds thay can carry through Copse and the Maggots/Becketts complex are.

Much prefer BTCC, GT & Sportscars and club racing these days so I'll be at Snetterton watching the Mazdas, Alfas, Fiestas & Radicals Saturday & Sunday.

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 4879983, member: 259"]I was taken to Silverstone for the 1967 Grand Prix where Jim Clark won when I was five. There was no security that I can remember and we stood in a queue while Jim patiently waited, cig in mouth, to sign autographs on programmes for about a thousand kids and hand them over with a big grin. I didn't entirely realise what was going on in the race, but it was bloody noisy and totally mad.

[/QUOTE]
That's Graham Hill at the start of the film.

 

[Illaveago]

Jim Clark and Graham Hill were my hero's from the 60's.
The first time I got the chance to go to Silverstone was to see the British Grand Prix was in 1981, the year John Watson won from the back of the grid IIRC. I had wanted to see Alan Jones in the Williams but I think he went out early.
It was expensive even back then, but it was one of those things that I had wanted to do. The cars were very loud and very fast, especially down the Hanger Straight, where it was difficult to crank your neck fast enough to follow the cars.
I think that day was really exciting as the racing fans began to realise that John Watson was gradually catching the leading car lap by lap and began to cheer him on. In those days there weren't pit stops and so it was easier to tell the position of each driver and could even count the number of seconds it took each driver to do a lap.
I took my young family to see the British GP years later but found that it wasn't as good. This was mainly due to the heat, I think it was the hottest day of the year and our main concern was to find drinks as most of the places had run out. I think that I found it harder to get back into the race once you had been away from the track and returned, as the pit stops had jumbled the racing order. I think we left just after the finish, I can't remember who won but I don't think it was who I wanted anyway.
I still watch the F1 but I think the only place that I would want to go to is Spa in Belgium. It looks so good on the TV.
My son is a fan and is at Silverstone now with his 2 sons and I think they have a great time there. I'll just stay at home and watch it on the telly.

 

[Drago]

Grand Prix is a superb film. James Garner did his own driving as was reckoned to be a pretty damn handy wheelman, but too big and heavy to be competitive in real life.

 

[Illaveago]

Grand Prix is a superb film. James Garner did his own driving as was reckoned to be a pretty damn handy wheelman, but too big and heavy to be competitive in real life.

It is nice to see a lot of the actual racing drivers and cars in the film as well.