Silverstone GP

As the home of the British Grand Prix, this circuit does not disappoint. Being an ex-airfield, it is flat and, at times, windy, but the challenges of any of the configurations make up. It is truly a great circuit, if a little too quick for my poor little Classic, especially in the GP format.

Seems good, doesn’t it? So why is it my least favourite, a circuit I’d rather we never visited again? If I felt welcome, I would have no issue, but the fact is that, for most of my visits, there is unnecessary hassle which must ultimately come from the upper management. Take the little things, like the overpriced café, sorry, restaurant, closing at the time when drivers are finishing their on-circuit exercise. Small circuits provide us with food.

I remember once arriving in the evening, easily parking my car and caravan, setting it all up without hassle and commenting on how easy it had all been, only to be barked at by normally patient men who had no end of grief from the officials. I’ve suffered since. Officials shove us all into a holding car park and won’t release us until gone dark and then a terrible, slow queue results. Finally, on arriving at the paddock, every single vehicle is stopped, read a riot act with some being turned away, before one-by-one, taking minute-upon-minute, do we get in. The same applies to the support companies who have to spend a long evening, if they are lucky, to set up; a little courtesy would have allowed them to set up and be in a better frame of mind for the weekend.

I get the impression that club racers are an inconvenience to be suffered and suffer we do. For the amount of money that each individual spends, I would expect better. Worse is that, for drivers struggling with finance or interest, this treatment can be the final straw. Read all my other circuit introductions and you will not find a single bad word and that says more than my actual criticism herein.

It’s only fair to commend the actual staff. I once turned up for a test day, after having booked it via the telephone and telling them what event I would be competing in the next day. True, I should have been placed on the correct configuration, but these things happen. Anyway, when they discovered the mistake, they bent over backwards to slot me into the correct configuration. Thank you and well done.

I’ve never done well at this configuration, or rather my car hasn’t. I’ve had a slow engine that blew in testing; I’ve had electrical issues that slowed me; I’ve had a half-shaft failure; the list goes on. The problem is, I’m sure I’m fast here; I’ve just not been able to prove it. Oh, the latest excuse is not even having a car, having sold my Classic (no longer a class for that type of car) and not having sourced a replacement.

Circuit Details

Silverstone Circuit
Towcester,
Northamptonshire.
NN12 8TN.
Contact Circuit via Form
No telephone number or email address is provided on their contents page. Just a form to fill in. Make of that what you will, but it reinforces my unprintable opinion. For test-day issues, such as having to cancel, a colleague guessed at, and was successful with, testing@silverstone.co.uk

Technical

The technical information has been extracted from the Motorsport UK Yearbook 2022. This edition was online at the time of writing, 28/01/2022.

Length: 3.67 miles, 5.90 km

Number of Starters
Racing & Sports Racing Cars over 2000cc: 50
Racing & Sports Racing Cars up to 2000cc: 54
Other Classes: 61

Speed Limits

Paddock Speed Limit: 5 mph
Access Roads Speed Limit: 20 mph
Pit Lane Speed Limit: 60 kph – 37.28 mph

Getting There

The above link provides a map and advice on how to access the circuit for competitors and spectators.

SatNav

Entering a post code into my satnav usually gets me there, but not always, so I also include GPS coordinates with this guide. What3Words are also an increasingly useful addition. I try to find a w3w location with at least one word that is related to motor racing; I also try to find short words or a humorous sentence.

I have also provided coordinates and What3Words for a position within the paddock. This could be useful as a meeting point for guests.

Circuit Entrance Coordinates

National Paddock Coordinates

International Paddock Coordinates

Useful Links and Information

Google Map of National Paddock and Pits

Google Map of International Paddock and Pits

Official Accommodation Link

Official Directions

Official Details on Disabled Facilities

Maps of Corner Names

Marshal Posts

Visit the above link for comprehensive details on the marshal posts for this configuration.

Not all marshal posts are for the displaying of flags, whilst not all flag posts are necessarily in use. The minimum requirement is for each flag post having a clear view of the previous and following posts. The above link is to a page showing a large map of all flag posts on the circuit, along with a description of post.

It is important for the drivers to familiarise themselves with the location of all flag posts. This is usually done, for a race, on the green flag lap where drivers, having lined up on the grid in starting order, then set off and drive the circuit at a sensible and controlled pace that is set by either the pole-position person or a safety/course car. On that lap, every manned flag post displays a waved green flag, allowing the driver to memorise all positions. Memorising those posts in advance can be helpful. A similar display takes place for other sessions, such as qualifying, but the flags are only displayed long enough for cars that are released onto the circuit at the start of that session; latecomers need to have already done their research.

Track Limits

There are track limits sensors on the exit of the following corners:

  • Copse
  • Stowe

Paddock Facilities

At Silverstone there are two independent facilities with pits and paddocks; one is for the National configuration and the other is for the International configuration. When the full GP is utilised, either paddock can be selected.

Choice of Paddocks

Rather than repeat here the information from the National and International pages, links to the the paddock sections within two configuration’s pages are provided here. That reduces the risk of confusion and of not making later updating correctly.

National

The easiest way to know if you are in this paddock is if it is only a short walk from the main entrance, or a minute’s slow drive. The paddock is huge, split by a row comprising, from the west (left), a café, shop, petrol station and toilet block.

International
This is a long way from the main entrance, even by car. You may even be directed to here via an external road. The paddock uses the Grand Prix pits, which include the much admired Wing. It is a small paddock.

Spectating Points

Follow the above link for full spectating details.

Tables of Official and Race Locations

There are two paddocks at Silverstone, serving the National and the International configurations. Either can be in use when the GP circuit is in use, therefore follow the links, below, associated with the paddock in use.

National Paddock

International Paddock

Table of Race Locations

Table of Official Locations – International Paddock (Paddock Tour page)

Table of Race Locations – International Paddock (Paddock Tour page)

Petrol Availability

For the National paddock, petrol is available on-site. The station is located in the middle of the paddock, between the café/shop block and the toilets/showers block. It is accessible from the southern part of the paddock (the pits are to the north).

From the International paddock, there is no petrol available.

The closest petrol station, time-wise, from the circuit is a BP station. The nearest Shell station, which I believe sells 98-RON petrol is just over ten minutes away.

BP
North, 5.8 miles; around 11 minutes
A43 North Bound,
Towcester.
NN12 6TQ.

Shell
North, 7.0 miles; around 13 minutes
Shell, Watling Street,
Towcester.
NN12 6HN.

Information Pack

Here are the latest copies of all the personalised files that make up my Information Pack.

Return to the Circuits page.

Page updated by Peter Tattersall, April 2024