2019 British Grand Prix Qualifications Viewing suggestions

[jeffmasengale]

Hello,

I'm going to Silverstone next month to watch the Formula 1- British Grand Prix Qualifications. What is the best viewing/photo areas of the track?
P.S. I get to miss the actual race, because the love of my life bought us tickets to tour the Dowton Abbey Castle that day! Lucky me.

[quattro]

Chap

Dunno what ticket you have but assume you have general entry.

Photographing there is not easy given the ever present fencing and the distance from the track. And the place is basically FLAT.

If you have a grandstand ticket then you can get some decent results over the fencing at turn 2, the exit at Woodcote and the last corner

but you are likely to need something in the range of a 400 to 500 mm lens. Slow to medium corners so you should get some clean results.

If you are shooting with a 170 to 300mm lens then I am thinking that the general enclosure outside Woodcote might be your best bet but

you'll need to be at the back and have a bit of height as it is very busy on any given day there and you will want to be above the other heads.

You get to the front there you can shoot thru the fence as they turn in but panning will not work. Not ideal though.

I have taken a little lightweight step ladder thing with me and shot from the infield on the entry to the woodcote section but you don't get much prep time as they approach from under the bridge out of sight, and on a GP day finding a decent spot is not easy.

But the sun would be behind you there.

Haven't been there for a couple of years so maybe someone else can let you know if anything has changed to make things easier to shoot,

but I think the main trick is get there early and pick out your spot. Shoot in the morning then go off and explore for the afternoon.

For viewing there are a mix of fast and slow sections. The old pit strait area is fast but you are a distance from the track.

For taking your breath away go outside the entry of turn one. All a bit of a blur but you see how these things shift.

Up in the grandstands around the last corner you can get some decent panoramic viewing.

For Downton Abbey I reckon a standard 50mm lens will do the trick.....

[jeffmasengale]

Thanks for all of the info, especially the Downton Abbey joke. I started at Woodcote, mainly because thats where our parking lot was closest to, and walked the majority of the track during the day. All said, you were absolutely correct. For general admission ticket, Woodcote is the best place to be. Very crowded though, and if someone was claustrophobic, that would not be a good place.

[jeffmasengale]

The first photo was taken with a 28mm wide angle to show the corner and crowd. The second one was taken with a 270mm lens, and then cropped.
Woodcote is a really great place to watch the race from. Plus, the catch fences are only about 8' tall there.