My Experience Attending Silverstone Grand Prix (2021 & 2022)

Hi all, in this post, I'm going to share my personal experiences from two amazing years at the Silverstone Grand Prix – 2021 and 2022. Both years, I attended only on Race Day, but each experience was unique in its own way.

In 2021, I went for the General Admission option, then, in 2022, I decided to switch things up a bit and chose a seat in the Grand Stands at Becketts.

Both times, I drove to the circuit and used the park and ride (Sixfields) option. I’ll also be sharing some cool pictures I took and talking about the costs involved. Here is the distance between the M1 Park & Ride location and the circuit.

2021 - General Admission

For my first-ever Formula 1 race, I managed to convince three of my friends to join me on this adventure. I bought our General Admission tickets in March 2021 (I think right when the sales opened). Each ticket set us back £185, not a small amount, but for the experience, totally worth it.

We also needed a way to get to the circuit, so I purchased a Park and Ride ticket for £30 – specifically, the 'M1 Vehicle Pass'. Living in London, driving to the circuit seemed like the best option for us.

Now, like many first-timers, I had no clue what to expect. After some online searching and chatting with some people, we decided to play it safe and aim to get there super early, trying to get those prime viewing spots. The common advice? Be there by 6 AM, or as soon as the circuit opens.

But, as life would have it, our plans didn't quite align with reality. I set our destination to 'Silverstone' on the maps instead of the Park and Ride location. Result? Circling around for a frustrating 45 minutes before we finally got to the P&R location. We arrived at the Park and Ride (Sixfields) around 8:30 AM, there was a small queue waiting for the buses. The ride to the circuit took about 45-60 minutes (honestly, I can't remember for sure), and we arrived to what was shaping up to be the hottest day of the year. We were loaded with drinks and snacks, though I remember there being some limits on how much you can bring in – best to check the Silverstone website for the latest info.

My advise would be either go super early like 5 AM or just go whenever you want. If you go say 7 or 8 AM, it would just be too late.

There will be a queue at the entrance where they check your tickets. I think it took around 15- 25 minutes for us to go through the gates. It can take longer depending on what time you arrive at the circuit. When we come inside, most of the good General Admission spots were already taken. We could have squeezed into some of the remaining spaces, but instead, we chose to walk around the circuit. It was incredibly hot that day, probably the hottest of the year. By around noon or 1 PM, we were completely exhausted from the heat. It seemed like it was just us struggling, as most people around us appeared to be really enjoying the weather and the atmosphere.

Before the main event, we got to see some support races and an F2 race. Watching them was really exciting and a great build-up to the Formula 1 race. Then, the big moment arrived. It was the 2021 Grand Prix, and the rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen was the talk of the season. Verstappen was starting in pole position, so I was especially excited for the race.

The race started, and we watched the beginning on a big screen, waiting for the cars to zoom past us. In just a fraction of a second, Hamilton and Max had passed by us. They were going so fast, it was unbelievable. You blink, and you miss them. I realized something then – when you're in the General Admission areas, you're closer to the cars than in the grandstands, so you really feel their incredible speed.

As the cars sped past us towards Copse Corner, suddenly Max was crashing into the barrier. We didn't know what had happened until we saw the replay on the screen. After watching the race for a while under the scorching sun, we desperately needed some shade. It was just too hot to stay out in the open.

Moving on, I've read online that some people have issues with not enough toilets at these events, but we didn't face any trouble. Maybe the queues were longer at the ladies' toilets, but for us, it was okay.

The atmosphere, though, was absolutely electric. Everyone around us was really into the moment, thoroughly enjoying the race and the environment. It was a solid 10/10 for me. We spent some time walking around, watching the race from different spots. It’s a different experience seeing the race unfold from various angles.

After the race finished, we decided to head out immediately. Here’s a tip, if you leave right after the race and head to the bus, you can board pretty quickly. Wait even 15 minutes longer, and you’ll find yourself in a massive queue. It’s crucial to make sure you get in the line for the correct Park & Ride bus since there are so many, and it's easy to get mixed up.

There was some traffic on the way back to the Park & Ride spot. I think it took us just over an hour, but I’m not exactly sure. Once we got to our car, we faced a bit more traffic, but everything eased up once we hit the motorway.

2022 - Becketts Grand Stand

For the 2022 Grand Prix, my friend and I decided to level up our experience by opting for seats in the Becketts Grand Stand. I was quick to book the tickets as soon as they went on sale, costing £395 each, along with £35 for the same Park & Ride option.

Since we had reserved seats in the grandstands, there wasn't that early morning rush to get a good spot. However, we still chose to head there early, arriving before noon. The experience was similar to the previous year in terms of the atmosphere, but the view from the grandstand? Absolutely 10/10.

We also had the toilets and food stands right behind us. Similar to the previous year, we didn't have to queue for more than a few minutes to get food or drinks.

Most of the other experiences were similar to my first visit, though the ride back from the circuit to the Park and Ride took significantly longer this time – I think it was around two hours.

A Memorable Moment from 2022, Checo Perez's Comeback - A highlight for me at the Becketts Grand Stand in 2022 was watching Checo Perez's amazing performance. He had a bit of trouble early in the race and needed to change his front wing at lap 6. This put him behind everyone else. As the race went on, it was interesting to see all the cars zoom past quickly, and then Checo would come by, slowly catching up. He really worked his way up from the back. By the end of the race, he had made it to an impressive 2nd place (safety car might have helped him but still great come back). It was exciting to see how he managed to climb up the ranks, even with the early setback.

What do you need to bring?

1. Folding chairs if you are in GA (you need to carry them around though)
2. Drinks and some food
3. Power Bank
4. Some warm cloths, it can get very chilly in the grand stands
5. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats, especially for sunny days.
6. Comfortable walking shoes as you'll likely be on your feet a lot

Lessons Learnt

1. Don't worry/think too much, you will be okay 🙂
2. Come super early if you have general admission tickets (only if you want super spots)
3. Check and Double-Check your route

The Rising Costs

For the next Grand Prix, I was really looking forward to returning to the grandstands. However, the prices have gone up quite a bit. I decided to skip the 2023 race, and even when I checked the prices for 2024, they were still significantly higher than before.

So, I'm thinking about changing things up for my next F1 experience and visiting a different circuit. I'd love to hear your suggestions! What's your favourite race circuit? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.