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 by 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.
While I’ve raced on this configuration several time, I’ve never had the best of luck with my car, matching my GP experience. It is a fun circuit, but perhaps not as suitable for my old Classic as the National circuit. Once I get a replacement, I’ll find out just how good it is.
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: 1.85 miles, 2.98 km
Number of Starters
Racing & Sports Racing Cars over 2000cc: 36
Racing & Sports Racing Cars up to 2000cc: 38
Other Classes: 44
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
- DMS: 52°4’25.5″, -1°1’17.8″
- DD: 52.07375, -1.02161
- What3words: ///piston.rashers.gobbles
Paddock Coordinates
- DMS: 52°4’5.02″, -1°1’19.55″
- DD: 52.06806, -1.0221
- What3words: ///exacted.worldwide.moss
Useful Links and Information
Google Map of Paddock and Pits
Official Details on Disabled Facilities
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 corner:
- Stowe
Paddock Facilities
Camping
The best information that I could find is that Silverstone does not like tents on-site and does not approve of them. I’d love to be corrected, but I did not see any camping during my last visit.
Showers and Toilets
About a third of the way along the wing is a break in the garages for a set of stairs that leads up to an administrative desk by the entrance to a café.
Also here can be found toilet and shower facilities.
Waste Facilities
To Be Confirmed.
Recycling Facilities
There are no recycling facilities. Or at least I could not find any evidence, and I did look. Silverstone is not alone in this shameful attitude towards the environment.
Electricity
The paddock electricity supply is predominantly 3-phase, the meaning of which I do not fully understand. What it boils down to is that it is a RED outlet as opposed to the usual BLUE. A convertor can be purchased, from an outlet just outside of the circuit, for around £20.
There are plenty of electricity points throughout the paddock.
Water
There are plenty of water taps throughout the paddock.
Refreshments, Bar and Shop
About a third of the way along the wing is a break in the garages for a set of stairs that leads up to and administrative desk by the entrance to a café.
The National paddock has a shop. There is a block that separates the pits paddock and the outer paddock. Looking from the outer paddock, the shop is to the right of the left-most block.
Spectating Points
Follow the above link for full spectating details.
Official Locations
| Signing On | See Race Admin. |
| Race Admin | Straight ahead of the entrance can be seen the start of the Wing, which is the name given to the building that runs the length of Hamilton Straight. The west-most end of the Wing contains the administration centre. The first two or three garages have also been used for admin. |
| Race Control | See Race Admin. |
| Clerk of the Course | See Race Admin. |
| Timekeeping | See Race Admin. |
| Medical Centre | This is located in the National Paddock, so I recommend contacting Race Control to ask about First Aid facilities before they are needed. |
Race Locations
| Scrutineering | The first two or three garages are usually assigned to Scrutineering. |
| Noise Test | With the Wing on the left, travel towards the end of the paddock, opposite the final entrance into the Wing is an entrance into the paddock. The Assembly Area is to the left and runs to the end of the paddock. Noise testing is usually at the entrance, which is by the paddock entrance. |
| Assembly Area | With the Wing on the left, travel towards the end of the paddock, opposite the final entrance into the Wing is an entrance into the paddock. The Assembly Area is to the left and runs to the end of the paddock. Noise testing is usually at the entrance, which is by the paddock entrance. |
| Parc Ferme | Cars returning from official timed sessions (qualifying of race) can be directed, from the pit lane, through the first garage and into a paddock area that has been fenced off and assigned as Parc Ferme. |
| Pit Lane | With the Wing on your left, drive to the end of the paddock. At the end, pass through a gate and turn left, taking you past the end of the wing, where you turn right onto the pit lane exit. |
| Starting Grid | Rear of Grid The very last place of a full grid is opposite the apex of Club corner. Front of Grid and Starting Lights The front of the grid is below a huge gantry that hangs over the whole circuit, from the pit lane. The starting lights are hanging from below the gantry, in the middle of the track. There are no repeater starting lights. |
Petrol Availability
From the International paddock, petrol there is no petrol available.
It may be possible to access the International paddock, where petrol is available. 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).
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.
Race Reports
Here are links to all of my race reports for this circuit and configuration:
YouTube Videos
Here are links to all of my YouTube videos for this circuit and configuration:
Information Pack
Here are the latest copies of all the personalised files that make up my Information Pack.
- Information Pack
- Timetable
- Motor Racing Checklist
- Lap Times Spreadsheet
- Directions and Paddock
- Marshal Posts
Return to the Circuits page.
Page updated by Peter Tattersall, April 2024