What is it like to be there? - Page 2

**Born Racer** · 18 Apr 2013, 16:04 (Ref:3236241)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkG

There are pretty girls there also

There are pretty girls everywhere.

Greem · 18 Apr 2013, 16:48 (Ref:3236253)

The F1 race last year was close of play at Silverstone, as a track "invasion" by spectators was permitted for the podium ceremony. I was off the marshals camp site at 5pm and home at 6pm, having used some sneaky back road knowledge to get to Northampton and the M1. Some people I know who went via the A43 got stuck and took 4 hours to get home...

It would be brilliant to have BTCC supports, but I seem to recall that TOCA require the BTCC to be "top dog" at any meeting they do.

Back to the main thrust of the thread: if I wasn't marshalling I doubt I would go to the British GP. I don't think I could really justify the costs. Compare and contrast the type and amount of racing you'll see at the Donington Historic Festival, for example - three day advance tickets for £36 with a vast array of machinery including Group C cars & Historic F2 amongst others. That's value for money!

But, I hear you say, *it isn't Formula 1*. And you'd be right. That's one of the key things about F1 - it only comes around once a year, and it's all shiny-shiny. Which is one of the things we like about it

Sodemo · 18 Apr 2013, 17:24 (Ref:3236265)

If I were given free tickets, then of course I would go. However at £150 or whatever it is just for admission, its obscenely priced. Frankly I blame the Hamilton and Button factor. When the brits weren't doing as well Silverstone wasn't selling out and the interest wasn't sky high. Since then we have had both Button and Hamilton as world champions, and now Silverstone is selling out for the last few years. I think at that stage they can charge what they want when they know they will still sell out.

(I think I paid £90 for all 3 days in 2005, it was about the same in 2000 and about £65 or so in 1995 if memory serves).

**bella** · 18 Apr 2013, 18:19 (Ref:3236291)

insanely priced? i'm not sure. for general admission, if you're there all 3 days and let's say it is £150. that's £50 a day to see f1 cars on a race weekend. that's not too bad when a snap decision to go and watch the btcc will cost you £30-odd quid.

*shrugs* obviously if you're going for pure motorsport, like greem and others have said, you go to a clubbie or even aforementioned middle-aged doorhandle bashers. if you want f1... there's something for most budgets available at silverstone.

kipper · 18 Apr 2013, 22:48 (Ref:3236406)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greem

I was off the marshals camp site at 5pm and home at 6pm, having used some sneaky back road knowledge to get to Northampton and the M1. Some people I know who went via the A43 got stuck and took 4 hours to get home

Its luck of the draw to a certain extent. I normally take the A43 to Northampton (from the same campsite) and there has been times where it has taken a couple of hours, where other years I've done the trip in about 25 minutes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greem

It would be brilliant to have BTCC supports, but I seem to recall that TOCA require the BTCC to be "top dog" at any meeting they do.

I seem to recall that there are issues with TV rights, which have precluded the BTCC's presence at the GP. Personally that doesn't bother me although F3/British GT would be good additions, as would the return of the Historic Sports and Saloon races.

GT6 · 19 Apr 2013, 10:37 (Ref:3236588)

IMHO BTCC does not need a support race it sells enough tickets on its own so why spoil it with a load of F1 cars parading around the track until team orders allow the odd pass.
Sorry to be so blunt but F1 and BTCC should be kept separate the sponsers for BTCC cars would not get a look in for that round and real fans would be priced out, leave F1 on its own corporate hospitality will fill the track and some of those might watch a bit of motor racing

**garcon** · 19 Apr 2013, 10:46 (Ref:3236590)

Besides, the F1 and banger racing crowds are entirely different.

frostie · 19 Apr 2013, 11:00 (Ref:3236597)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

IMHO BTCC does not need a support race it sells enough tickets on its own so why spoil it with a load of F1 cars parading around the track until team orders allow the odd pass.
Sorry to be so blunt but F1 and BTCC should be kept separate the sponsers for BTCC cars would not get a look in for that round and real fans would be priced out, leave F1 on its own corporate hospitality will fill the track and some of those might watch a bit of motor racing

I'd like to see it as a non-championship round though. Touring Car fans obviously aren't going to spent £150 to see a BTCC race when they can go to any other 30 quid but if you had BTCC supporting F1 there's a chance that out of the 100,000 people at the race some would say "you know what, I really enjoyed that race. Maybe I'll go to [insert round] later in the year"

I just think that F1 needs to do something to give fans something else at races. The GP2 and GP3 races are usually entertaining but the Porsche Supercup races are usually dire affairs as far as I'm concerned and having some top class national races at some races (Britain, Germany, Italy) would be great.

Just out of curiosity am I right in thinking that F3 hasnt been on the Monaco support race schedule for a few years?

FordCosworthPanoz · 19 Apr 2013, 11:09 (Ref:3236605)

For all the talk of the Porsche Supercup races being boring, by far the most boring races I've seen while at the track with a few exceptions were the Grand Prix itself.

That's not saying PSC is any good and I've never seen GP3 while live, but I have typically found the GP2 and F3000 races to be the most exciting, real overtaking at every corner.

GT6 · 19 Apr 2013, 11:14 (Ref:3236607)

Well if the GP itself is boring then it is lucky that so many of the people there are not really interested in the race only in the corporate hospitality.

Sodemo · 19 Apr 2013, 17:56 (Ref:3236738)

Porsche supercup often is better than the F1 race that follows it. I remember the 2000 and 2004 F1 races at Silverstone being really dull. We were sat at Club, and Richard Burns rolled his Porsche that he was having a one-off drive in.

MarkG · 19 Apr 2013, 19:07 (Ref:3236757)

Just imagine the attraction if 3 or 4 of the GP drivers were to race in a support race, like in days of yore. Will never happen I know, but I'd like to see it.
Having a flavour of the Goodwood Revival at a GP would be fabulous and may be quite feasible at a British GP, although I wonder if the spectacle would be lost somewhat on the sanitised nature of Silverstone.

Paradise City · 19 Apr 2013, 19:12 (Ref:3236760)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkG

Just imagine the attraction if 3 or 4 of the GP drivers were to race in a support race, like in days of yore. Will never happen I know, but I'd like to see it.
Having a flavour of the Goodwood Revival at a GP would be fabulous and may be quite feasible at a British GP, although I wonder if the spectacle would be lost somewhat on the sanitised nature of Silverstone.

That would be brilliant. Or even just a Merc tin-top type shin-dig they had for the F1 drivers a few years during the Prost, Senna, Rosberg era. That was for charity I seem to remember.