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How to get tickets to the 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Tickets for the 2025 British Grand Prix on 6 July are expected to go on sale in a few months following the sell-out 2024 race. Sunday’s grand prix sold out over the weekend after struggling to sell tickets on the run-up to the event.

Silverstone’s managing director Stuart Pringle cited Red Bull’s dominance as a reason for poor ticket sales, however, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton warned that promoters needed to make sure rising cost of tickets should not get out of hand by becoming too expensive for fans.

This year’s race winner said he believed the cost of tickets was “too high”, with Max Verstappen adding: «I don’t think it’s my fault. The F1 season is very exciting. There are a lot of teams fighting for wins now. If a promoter can’t fill the seats and they blame it on someone, then I think they first have to look at themselves, what they’re doing wrong. Because in other places it’s quite easy to fill.»

How to get tickets to the 2025 British Grand Prix

Although the tickets for the 2025 British GP are yet to go on sale, fans can now register their interest for tickets on the Silverstone website. The circuit is allowing fans to sign up to be the first to hear about when specific tickets such as grandstands and general admission access go on sale.

Tickets are expected to go on sale within the next couple of months, which is when they have normally gone on sale in previous years.

Watch: How Hamilton Triumphed Against the Odds — F1 British Grand Prix Analysis

The tickets for the 2024 race went on sale in September 2023, with the first being camping tickets which were released in mid-September. Silverstone Racing Club members were offered the first tickets, with Enclosure tickets offered three days later. Silverstone Racing Club memberships are limited and are currently both sold out.

The following day grandstand tickets were opened up to the public, with general admission tickets becoming available a week later.

The release schedule is yet to be announced for the 2025 British Grand Prix tickets.

How much will 2025 British Grand Prix tickets cost?

It is expected that the 2025 British GP tickets will be a tiered pricing system similar to previous years. Silverstone usually opens up the cheapest tickets to fans first before opening the next tier, until each tier is sold out.

Fans can get priority access if they are part of the Silverstone Racing Club, with 48-hour early access for Full Circuit Members and 24-hour access for Grid Members.

In 2024 children under 11 saw a 50% discount on tickets and those under two went free but were still required to have a ticket.

Fans of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, gathered at the stage

Fans of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, gathered at the stage

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

What are the different ticket options available for the 2025 British Grand Prix?

For the last grand prix F1 fans had the option to buy single-day tickets as well as three- and four-day options.

General admission tickets are the cheapest option available, with 2024 prices starting at £99 for Friday’s practice sessions. These tickets went up to £199 for just a single-day ticket for Sunday’s race.

General admission ticket holders are allowed into select areas around the track but do not have designated seating. These tickets allow fans the flexibility to move around the Silverstone circuit during the day.

There is also a general admission plus ticket which includes grandstand admission. These allow fans access to a select number of grandstands, including Abbey, Copse A, Copse C, Luffield Complex, Luffield Terrace and Stowe.

Grandstand tickets offer fans a guaranteed view of the track and a seat to watch all of the action. There are a host of grandstands around the circuit, with 2024 prices starting from £319 for seats in the Copse grandstands, but these can get as expensive as £709 for a four-day pass in the Hamilton Straight grandstand.

There is also a Roving Grandstands ticket option available for Friday and Saturday, which allow fans to move around the circuit to view the action from different grandstands. This is not available for the race day as grandstand tickets will sell out.

Peter Bonnington, Senior Race Engineer, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 2nd position, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, 1st position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 3rd position, on the podium

Peter Bonnington, Senior Race Engineer, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 2nd position, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, 1st position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 3rd position, on the podium

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

The best views can be found on the Hamilton Straight, Luffield, Becketts and Stowe, but these are usually the first grandstands to fully sell out.

Enclosure and VIP packages offer a guaranteed seat in a grandstand, as well as access to a variety of lounge areas. Those with the more expensive tickets will also be able to see talks from special guests, which will not be seen on the main stage.

What was the cost of 2024 British Grand Prix tickets?

Here is a full starting price list for the 2024 British GP ticket prices when they went on sale. Silverstone tickets were part of dynamic pricing and resulted in some tickets seeing up to a £200 increase due to demand.

Ticket type Friday Saturday Sunday Three-Day Four-Day
General Admission £99 £129 £199 £239 £339
GA plus grandstand admission*       —      —      — £349 £449
Roving Grandstand £149 £199      —      —      —
Abbey A  Grandstand      —      — £439 £489 £589
Abbey B Grandstand      —      —      — £539 £639
Becketts Grandstand       —      — £449 £499 £599
Chapel Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Club Corner A Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Club Corner B Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Club Corner C Grandstand      —      — £459 £509 £609
Copse A Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Copse B Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Copse C Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Copse D Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Farm Curve Grandstand      —      — £309 £359 £459
Hamilton Straight A Grandstand      —      —      — £609 £709
Hamilton Straight B Grandstand      —      —      — £489 £589
Luffield Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Luffield Corner Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
National Pits Straight Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Stirling A Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Stirling B Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Stowe A Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Stowe B Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Stowe C Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
The View Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Vale Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Village A Grandstand       —      — £379 £429 £529
Village B Grandstand       —      — £379 £429 £529
Woodcote A Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Woodcote B Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Woodcote C Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529

*General Admission plus grandstands included Abbey, Copse A, Copse C, Luffield Complex, Luffield Terrace and Stowe access

What was the cost of Enclosure and VIP tickets to the 2024 British Grand Prix?

Ticket type Friday Saturday  Sunday Three-Day Four-Day
Club Silverstone      —      —      — £689 £789
Hangar Enclosure       —      —      — £689 £789
International Paddock Enclosure      —      —      — £849 £949
International Paddock Enclosure (Lakeside seats)       —      —      — £849 £949
Mahiki T1 Enclosure      —      —      — £689  £789
Mahiki VIP Enclosure      —      —      — £1,199 £1,299
Village Enclosure £239 £389 £489 £689 £789
Wellington Enclosure £319 £469 £569 £849 £949

 



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How McLaren chased a top speed boost at F1’s British Grand Prix

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McLaren continued to pile the pressure on Red Bull at Formula 1’s British Grand Prix as it arrived with a new lower downforce rear wing assembly to boost the MCL38’s top speed.

The team also had three different beam wing specifications on hand, as it looked to find the right balance between downforce and drag reduction for the circuit and the conditions.

The new rear wing continues to leverage the same DNA as the other downforce options that the team has as its available options, albeit with a mainplane and top flap that take up much less of the available box region allowable within the regulations.

Notably, the central portion of the wing is flatter for longer but also has a much less aggressive taper as it approaches the endplate, where the corner radius is also less tightly wound as a result.

To match the trailing edge of the mainplane, the upper flap’s geometry is also less twisted across its span and features a half-moon notch in the centre of the trailing edge, rather than the v-shaped alternative found on the other rear wing solutions.

The tip section of the wing has also been modified, as the outermost trailing edge section has been trimmed, taking a triangular section of material away. This will alter the behaviour of the tip vortex, in order that it falls in line with the changes made to the surrounding surfaces (red arrow).

McLaren MCL38 rear cooling comparison (arrowed)

McLaren MCL38 rear cooling comparison (arrowed)

Photo by: Uncredited

The team also had a different rear engine cover and cooling arrangement at Silverstone, with a flared opening used to help reject heat, rather than having the upper cooling louvres open.

However, after trialling the solution it opted to bench it for the rest of the weekend, with it likely to feature in some of the upcoming races when both might be needed to reject the heat being generated.

Mercedes chasing more gains

Mercedes W15 front brake duct comparison

Mercedes W15 front brake duct comparison

Photo by: Uncredited

Mercedes, which has also been on an upwards trajectory of late, took a similar route to McLaren for the British Grand Prix, as it had trimmed front and rear wings on hand to cater for the challenges posed by the Silverstone circuit.

But, rather than working on cooling solutions for its engine cover, it made some adjustments to the front and rear brake ducts instead.

The new arrangement at the front of the car centres around the size and shape of the inlet, with a smaller variant preferred at Silverstone.

This was in order to improve aerodynamic efficiency, as there’s less cooling required given the temperatures and high-speed nature of the circuit.

The inlet used at Silverstone (above right) tapers more at the lower end than its counterpart, whilst the internal baffles used to direct the airflow once inside the inlet are also different.

Aston seeking upgrade path

Aston Martin AMR24 front wing comparison

Aston Martin AMR24 front wing comparison

Photo by: Uncredited

Aston Martin introduced a raft of updates for the AMR24 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, including a heavily revised front wing design, but rather than progress it made the car trickier to drive.

The team made more changes to its front wing as it chased answers to some inefficiencies and help optimise the new design scheme.

These start with the central section of the mainplane as the team has opted to pinch the drooped profile once more, whilst also turning the leading edge of the element up more around the centreline (see red line for comparison).

This will not only alter the pressure distribution across the central section of the wing, but it will help to better manage the airflow’s trajectory as it passes downstream, whilst also demanding more of the nose in terms of the role it plays.

There’s also more of a twist across the span of the upper flap, as the chord height has also been increased to better manage downforce production and the airflow rearward (red arrow).

Watch: How Hamilton Triumphed Against the Odds — F1 British Grand Prix Analysis



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RB facing “shifting point” moment in F1 season

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Daniel Ricciardo says RB faces a critical moment that could dictate how the rest of its season pans out amid doubts about its recent Formula 1 upgrade.

The Faenza-based squad introduced a major update at the Spanish Grand Prix that it hoped would push it clear of its midfield rivals.

However, the changes – which included a new floor, rear wing and bodywork – left the team struggling for pace and confused about where its problems were coming from.

Recent races have been focused on isolating which of the new parts work and which are troublesome – with elements of its new rear wing in particular having caused some issues.

But with F1’s recent triple-header now over, and there being some breathing space before the final back-to-backs prior to the summer break, Ricciardo thinks that decisions made now about its next steps could be hugely significant for the rest of the campaign.

“This could be a real kind of shifting point,” said Ricciardo, when asked how important it was for RB to get an understanding of its upgrade situation.

“You’re at that moment where you need to make the best calls. Every moment of F1 is important, but this update and our correlation, and our understanding, can obviously dictate what we do with the next update and how well we understand it.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“What we learn now will basically dictate where our car is in October and November, so it’s a really important period for us.”

Ricciardo said that, while he was now reliant on RB’s technical department making the right decisions, it was essential that he provided them with as much information as possible to help them understand what is happening with the car.

“I’m obviously not an engineer and not an aerodynamicist,” he said. “But in these moments, I feel our duty as a driver is to just give as much as we can.

“Feelings, feedbacks, positives, negatives, comparisons to other cars, everything — just to give them as much understanding of why we are where we are at the moment.

“I throw a lot on the table and just say: ‘you guys deal with it.’ But yeah, it’s obviously a little bit like that. We have to just put it all out there.

“Hopefully they can understand it and the simulator stuff as well, what we feel on the sim, and just try to correlate that to the real car.

“It’s a team effort. But yeah, there’s a little bit for us to go [through] from these last three weeks.”

The need for RB to not lose momentum on its season with the upgrades is made even more important by the fact that rival Haas is making successful gains with its car.

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Back-to-back sixth-placed finishes for Nico Hulkenberg have lifted Haas to within fourth points of RB for sixth overall in the constructors’ championship.

Asked about which team had surprised him the most in recent races, Ricciardo said: “Definitely Haas the last couple of weekends.

“Nico’s scored big two weekends in a row now, and all of a sudden our sixth place in the constructors, the gap isn’t there anymore. It’s three or four points.

“We know this sport can shift so quickly, and you never rest and that’s why, in fairness to the team, we brought updates a couple of weeks ago, we were pushing, we’ve been bringing updates every few races, and they’ve [mostly] actually been working really well.

“This one hasn’t as much as certainly we would have wanted. But it’s not due to lack of effort.

“This is now where you get tested: where the season was looking really good — and now it’s at a kind of plateau. We have to make that right step.

“It’s not about throwing tables around the room. Of course, people are frustrated, but this is all about being constructive and trying to keep everyone together. It’s also motivational.

“You see Haas. They’ve obviously found something, so there is lap time there. There are things that we can find. So, we have got to make sure we find them.”



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Perez slump «opening the window» for McLaren F1 title charge

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes McLaren has been offered an «opening window» to fight Red Bull for the Formula 1 constructors’ title by Sergio Perez’s ongoing struggles.

The Woking-based outfit has continued its resurgence from last term in the first half of this season, joining Red Bull at the top of the pecking order with Lando Norris in particular consistently pressurising Max Verstappen for race wins.

Victories for Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have also assisted by taking points away from the Dutchman, who further lost out when retiring at the Australian Grand Prix.

Watch: How Hamilton Triumphed Against the Odds — F1 British Grand Prix Analysis

But whilst the three-time champion has been a model of consistency, team-mate Perez has almost mirrored his mid-season slump from last year with a similar drop-off in form this campaign.

The Mexican has failed to finish in the top five since the Miami Grand Prix — a seventh and two eighths his only points-scoring finishes in the six races since, a run that has included crashes in Monaco and Canada, whilst a spin into the gravel during qualifying at Silverstone left him with a hopeless cause in the race.

His tribulations have allowed McLaren to close the gap to 78 points in the race for the title and, whilst Ferrari sits ahead in second, the Scuderia has itself experienced a drop in form since Monaco.

Asked about his team’s prospects in the battle with Red Bull, Brown said: «I think it’s going to be dependent upon Perez at the end of the day.

«You’ve just got to assume Max is going to be first, second or third at every race the balance of the year — probably more firsts than thirds.

«Sergio underperforming is what’s opening the window for us. I think if we have the same points gained we’ve had the last six races, the balance of the year, we’d get the job done. So we’re fully aware of it.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, celebrates victory with his team

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, celebrates victory with his team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

«But the way Andrea motivates the team, it’s all about this weekend, next session, and the next week. We’re not kinda… we know we can do it but that’s not what’s driving our motivation.

«What’s driving our motivation [is] trying to get better every session, every week, and the outcome will take care of itself.»

McLaren has not been in the hunt for either F1 title since the 2012 season, the last with Hamilton driving for the team, with a mid-decade slump with Honda that followed only now being recovered from.

Whilst the door may be opening, Red Bull’s fast start to the year before rivals began adding upgrade packages to their cars has given the team breathing space at the top of the table.

But on whether there were conversations being held within the team about the chance of success, Brown replied: «I think all of us are [talking]. I think we all went to Bahrain and went ‘right, that’s that championship’.

«It’s going to be epic. Mercedes seems to be very on the pace now. Ferrari are there, about two races ago [Monaco], Charles won.

«So you kind of feel like you’ve got four different teams that are all going to win races in the second half of the year. So it’s pretty awesome — unfortunate the season didn’t start now.»



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Autosport Podcast: British GP review

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It had been a long time coming, but after 945 days, Lewis Hamilton returned to winning ways with a thrilling victory at Silverstone and his record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix victory.

Jake Boxall-Legge and Haydn Cobb join Bryn Lucas to analyse just how Mercedes triumphed in changeable conditions for their second consecutive victory. Together they break down the differences between Mercedes, McLaren and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, with all three major teams showing their strengths at different periods of the race.

There are also questions asked of McLaren’s pit wall as Lando Norris was adamant they’d missed another opportunity to close the gap between Red Bull and Ferrari in the constructors.

Plus, discussion on Ferrari’s recent performance struggles fresh off the news that Enrico Cardile (their Chassis Designer) is heading to Aston Martin and Haas’ breakthrough as Nico Hulkenberg finishes in the Top 6 for the second race in a row.

 



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Haas in fight to be fifth-fastest team in F1

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Nico Hulkenberg thinks Haas is now fighting with Aston Martin and RB to be the fifth-fastest team in Formula 1 after what he calls a “hell of a comeback”.

An upgrade package introduced at last weekend’s British Grand Prix helped deliver an impressive step forward in pace for the American-owned squad, with Hulkenberg finishing sixth for the second consecutive weekend.

While Haas remains seventh in the constructors’ championship on 27 points, four points behind RB and 41 adrift of Aston Martin, Hulkenberg thinks that the balance of power on track has changed.

In particular, he thinks Haas has the chance to stake claim to be at the head of the chasing pack behind Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.

Speaking after the British Grand Prix, he said: “It is obviously a nice, rewarding feeling to get eight points again, P6 two times in a row. It’s unexpected, but I think deserved. We worked for it. We stayed clean, no mistakes, good strategy. Very good.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“I think that the best of all, though, is the performance that we’ve had. The update really did something to the car, and I genuinely think we’re in the fight for fifth-fastest team now with sometimes Aston, sometimes Alpine, and sometimes some others maybe.

“I think we’re there. We have been pretty consistent this season and I think we can hang on to that.”

The progress of Haas has been impressive this season, especially considering that team principal Ayao Komatsu warned before the start of the campaign that the squad could be stuck at the back of the field.

But with the VF-24 proving to offer a solid baseline, and a run of upgrades having delivered the steps forward hoped for, it has turned out very different from the early pessimism.

On the team’s fortunes, Hulkenberg said: “Nobody expected it — even when we started it was better than the expectation. But we kept up with everyone, and did the same job, maybe even better.

“I think it’s also a little bit weekend-dependent and track-dependent, so we’ll have to wait and see but no, it’s definitely a hell of a comeback and a story.”

Watch: British GP Race Review — Hamilton Returns To The Top

While team-mate Kevin Magnussen’s British GP weekend was derailed by disappointment in qualifying that saw him start 17th and finish 12th, he still sees reason to be encouraged by the step from the upgrade package.

“I think it’s good,” he said. “To put an upgrade on the car and see it score points in the first race, of course, it’s encouraging.

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“We know on paper it’s not night and day, but it’s in the details, right? So it’s also a testimony to the car overall that we have.

“We’ve put a little bit more performance on here, but without it, Nico would still have scored points. So, very encouraging and looking forward to more races.”



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Cooling or suspension revision? The Mercedes car nose panel tweak

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Lewis Hamilton’s victory in Formula 1’s British Grand Prix proved that Mercedes finally appears to be properly back in the game.

For where George Russell’s triumph in Austria owed much to the race leaders crashing out, Hamilton’s Silverstone win was one based on pure pace – where it could be argued the W15 was the fastest car.

Mercedes has made great progress this year and has unlocked significant gains from its car – which are the result of it finally understanding what is needed to make a current ground effect machine fast.

As team boss Toto Wolff said: “It clicked. Suddenly everything that didn’t make sense made sense. And the development direction is or the results of the development directions in back in the old days. We are finding performance, we’re putting it on the car, and it translates into lap time. And that wasn’t the case for the last two years.”

But the biggest breakthrough for Mercedes was not it suddenly unleashing a new aero component that produced a ton more downforce.

Instead, according to Wolff, it was down to the way that the team under technical director James Allison has been able to harness its package to bring a great car balance – which has helped put it in a happy place for both Hamilton and Russell.

Wolff added: “There was a moment where, led by James, suddenly the data made sense. The way we made it, the way we balanced the car and how we could bring it in a better sweet spot — that was the main thing. It wasn’t a miracle front wing. It was more the balance that we achieved.”

This reference to balance is interesting because it can often be the result of progress under the skin with mechanical aspects, like suspension and springs.

And whether it is a simple coincidence, or there is more to it, a tweak to a vanity panel on the nose of the W15 that first appeared at the Austrian Grand Prix may have offered a clue about a potential damper change that could have contributed to its progress.

Mercedes W15 technical detail

Mercedes W15 technical detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The vanity panel (pictured above) features a new bulge, which the team claims is all related to cooling – and is a means to increase the passage of cool air into the cockpit, albeit without the forward-facing inlet that the team has used before.

However, the idea that the new bulge is wholly related to cooling seems to be in contrast to how the air would move through that portion of the car. Usually, you would expect driver cooling to be piped to a specific region.

This eliminates some of the messy flow conditions that would occur, which is especially problematic when we consider how many different components are housed in that region, some of which are suspension elements and are moving around.

Furthermore, it seems quite weird to have increased the bulge to potentially offer more airflow but at the same time that a forward vent is closed off to the outside air.

Beyond that, the team did not submit the vanity panel as being altered in the car presentation document at the Austrian Grand Prix either — which somewhat rules it out as being updated from an aerodynamic standpoint.

Fast forward to the British GP and the retention of this new chassis bulge, in cold conditions that aren’t conducive to the drivers requiring additional cooling, fuelled the idea that there is more to the change than meets the eye – and that the real answer lies in what has been altered beneath the panel.

Indeed, while the team is not confirming it, a detailed study of the components in this area points to a revised damper layout that requires more space. Such a change could be critical to helping Mercedes add further stability to its aero platform and, once again, nail that balance that it has been pursuing for so long.

Mercedes certainly has precedent for adding a bulge in this area of the car when it has made suspension changes in the past.

Mercedes W06 hydraulic parts, front suspension

Mercedes W06 hydraulic parts, front suspension

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Back in 2016, this was a dual-purpose test, as the team experimented with a new arrangement on the W06 for the following season that included both an ‘S’ duct arrangement and a revised heave damper.

It was during that time period that Mercedes was widely acknowledged to have had the best handle on suspension kinematics and their influence over the aerodynamic platform of the entire grid.

For example, Mercedes had one of the most advanced versions of the front-to-rear interconnected (FRIC) suspension systems, before the concept was banned. It was this that set the foundation for its highly-successful hydraulic suspension systems that followed.

A switch to more traditional spring and damper arrangements with the current cars has undoubtedly eroded some of the assistance that Mercedes and other teams lent on before the regulation changes.

It now has a Belleville Spring arrangement, which is almost unilaterally agreed as being the best route taken for the design of the heave damper, and Mercedes uses the method as a means to help control the vertical displacement of the chassis.

It is this component that is the likely candidate for upgrade or replacement that has led to the use of the bulging vanity panel.

Mercedes W15 technical detail

Mercedes W15 technical detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

A modified heave element and/or a change in the position of the component would also tie in with some of the aerodynamic changes that the team has made recently. Tweaks here will go hand-in-hand to deliver a more stable platform, something which the team has struggled with during this regulatory era.

The W15 also now appears more responsive over a range of conditions and downforce levels, whereas updates appearing on the car in the past seem to have worked well at one circuit but fallen short of their target elsewhere.

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Inside the F1 British GP flyover

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«The in-flight meal is terrible and the baggage allowance is extremely tight», came the tongue-in-cheek request to see if I could get on board with the Red Arrows as part of their legendary opening sequence to the British Grand Prix.

The Royal Air Force’s acrobatic display team is the best in the business, with their trademark Diamond Nine shape and whose close combination of manoeuvres and precision flying has dazzled crowds since 1965.

On Sunday, they pulled off another brilliant show before the distinctive red Hawk fast-jets crossed the Silverstone start-line just as Hannah Waddingham finished singing the final words of the National Anthem.

The timing was perfect, as you’d expect from the Red Arrows pilots who have been rehearsing their manoeuvres for years.

But they share some similarities with the drivers standing on the gird below them as explained by Red 4, flight lieutenant Ollie Suckling.

He tells Autosport: «We work at achieving the marginal gains, just like in motorsport. The key to getting a great show is to get it as close to perfect as we can. We have a briefing 55 minutes before take-off time and you get on the runway a few minutes before your take-off time.

The Red Arrows

The Red Arrows

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

«We have to follow a black line on a map but we use mental arithmetic to calculate the perfect time, using timing trombones — 90-degree turns — to take out any timing errors.

«We have done the manoeuvres 100s of times over winter training sessions, which start in October. It is a misconception that we go on leave once the season is over, we are straight into training for the next season working in smaller teams.

«We fly in Croatia and Greece because the weather is more consistent and we work to put polish on the shows, going out three times a day five days a week.»

Aside from the meticulous planning, physically the pilots share similarities with F1 drivers in the physical preparations to help them cope with extreme g-forces in the cockpit.

Suckling added: «I’d only just joined the Red Arrows in 2022 and Lando Norris joined up with us with his race engineer, Will Joseph and his trainer Jon Malvern for some flying.

«The training we do is similar in terms of neck exercises. It was interesting speaking to Jon about how there is also an element of mental and physical training. In order to be in the Red Arrows you have to have a winning mindset.»

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Of course, the speed is also a similarity, but whereas F1 drivers are pushing 210mph, the pilots were hitting over 500mph around Silverstone, and were travelling 350mph down the straight during the National Anthem, not much time for Suckling to take it all in.

«We don’t have too much time to look out of the window,» he said. «But we do get lots of messages from people how much they enjoy it, which is the main thing.»



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Why McLaren won’t let British GP errors “build and destroy” its F1 progress

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


McLaren boss Andrea Stella says the team will not allow annoyance at its repeated victory near-misses to “build and destroy” its emergence as a force in Formula 1.

The Woking-based team was left ruing another win that slipped through its fingers at the British Grand Prix as a series of strategy mistakes opened the door for Mercedes to triumph with Lewis Hamilton.

A reluctance to double-stack Oscar Piastri during a critical switch to intermediate tyres early on effectively put the Australian out of victory contention.

Then, as the track dried in the closing stages, a slow tyre change after Lando Norris stopped long, allied to the sub-optimal choice of the soft compound when it had a new medium, compromised its chances – and saw the Briton finish not only behind Hamilton but also title rival Max Verstappen.

Norris said after the race that he “hated” this run of McLaren missing these golden opportunities to win and “having excuses for not doing a good enough job.”

While the situation is not an easy one for the team to deal with after a run of close calls on wins, Stella thinks it important the team does not get obsessed by the negatives.

Otherwise, he thinks that there would be a risk of a “build and destroy” situation where the team negates the steps forward it is making by thinking only of its failings.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“The near misses are, first of all, a point of view of good news, right?” said Stella, when asked about the mindset after the British GP.

“We didn’t have these kinds of near misses until 12 months ago so first of all, we need to look at the positives.

“We need to look at the fact that the team is in condition to be frustrated because we are P3 on the podium with the other driver P4. And once again, the team scored most points, right?

“So, if we don’t start from the positives, from the building side, we’re going to be the ones that build and destroy, and we’ll stay always at the same level. So, this is the responsibility for everyone.”

Stella thinks it essential that McLaren uses the ongoing disappointments as a means to take on board lessons to make itself stronger in the future, rather than waste time thinking about what might have been.

“While Lando and Oscar don’t have responsibility in some of the missed opportunities, we all, drivers included, have the responsibility to keep building,” he said.

“And when you have days in which we have a missed opportunity, it is the best opportunity to keep building.

“We are racing against teams that have won championships and they are pretty stable in terms of the people that are there — like they are even familiar with this kind of racing at the top in changeable conditions and so on.

“From this point of view, we are I think more of an under-construction site. And we take these near misses. The frustration will go very rapidly. But the opportunity will come soon. So, we need to be ready.”

PLUS: The post-England Euros penalty study that won Hamilton the 2024 British GP

Stella explained that McLaren will, as is the norm, conduct a review of everything that happened in the British Grand Prix to work out where mistakes were made and what it can change to make sure such errors are not repeated in the future.

“You review your decisions, and you see how the decision was made,” he said. “You see what information we brought to the table. Was this information used in the best possible way or not? What were the contributions from the various people?

“That’s the way you manage complex processes. And when I say complex, it is not only complex because it’s a difficult decision, but because it involves many people.

“And you need to make sure as well that, when you review, that it’s good learning for everyone involved. So, we review, learn, and we go again.”

Watch: British GP Race Review — Hamilton Returns To The Top



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