More From Silverstone
Given a small window in my diary, I figured I’d pop back to Silverstone today. Boy was that a mistake. After such a wonderful day yesterday, today was utter chaos!
Firstly, almost twice as many people turned up, traffic was manic and even getting through the entrance gate was verging on traumatic. Secondly, it turns out I was wrong yesterday when I said:
…fans were given free reign of almost the entire track.
Scrub that. It turns out that fans are only actually given access to a couple of corners and the main straight. Yesterday apparently was an exception that isn’t to be repeated.
The event people resolutely refused to allow anyone around the best bits of the circuit (Hanger Straight, Becketts etc). To me, these are the only places to watch an F1 car in action, not the noddy section that is Luffield. Okay, fans still get a chance to see the high speed exit from Bridge. But what about the 180km/h turn into Stowe? That’s where I want to see a modern Formula 1 car in action.
According to the announcer, the restriction was in place due to a lack of available marshals. Say what? They’re charging £10 per person, per day and they can’t sort a simple thing like personnel out?
I shouldn’t be disappointed, I should be delighted that I got the chance to see what I saw yesterday. But part of me still wants to scream this sucks.
For me, today was a major disappointment and I think I’ll skip tomorrow.
June 21st, 2007 at 12:24 ambrendan stallard said:
Me,
I understand your disappointment: but according to the Renault folks, an F1 car costs 200 Euro a KM to run. I hope that ameliorates your pain:)
Looking at the picture you’ve taken above the detail was very good and as a tog meself: I was wondering what you were using to take it.
brendan (92F Atlanta)
June 21st, 2007 at 12:58 amme said:
a tog?
the first pic is my favourite, may write a post describing how i managed to get it.
we own a Canon 350D, i think it’s been superseded by the 400-something. but they’re basically the same model.
June 21st, 2007 at 7:49 amChristine said:
You must know what a tog is.
June 21st, 2007 at 8:43 ambrendan stallard said:
Me,
Tog is just shorthand for photographer, (whatever soubriquet Christine may say).
You have the 350D working well.
I use a Canon 5D with a 24-105IS L, mostly:)
brendan
June 21st, 2007 at 10:39 pmOllie said:
I would have to say I like the top picture of Glock as well. It shows a different side to F1 - more gritty and less glamorous. We are all used to seeing Monaco-type glitz, so it’s nice to see F1 on a crumbly bit of worn track with unkempt grass set against a shoddy looking barrier with a few minglers moping around. (Okay, Silverstone isn’t that bad, but you get the jist.)
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 pmTwo Weeks in Britain | Sidepodcast : Your Weekly F1 Podcast said:
[...] More From Silverstone - A follow-up piece from day two of testing [...]