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While Silverstone remains shut to fans as it hosts a Formula 1 double-header, the British Grand Prix venue’s newest attraction has plenty to offer as it opens its doors to the public once again, as KEVIN TURNER finds out
For the audience of Channel 1 coverage of Channel 4 of the first 3 2020 Grand Prix, Silverstone will become quite familiar. Or, at least, some of that. The impressive site, right next to the well-known circuit that hosted the first World Championship GP in 1950, served as a backdrop for the team’s F1 analysis. At this point, it was closed to the public, but it is reopened.
Sally Reynolds and her team have succeeded over the copious demanding fundraising situations and failure of the original main contractor to officially open this year, only to keep the coronavirus pandemic closed again. Fortunately, the experiment reopened on 20 July, with the security measures in place.
Reynolds is managing director of The charity Silverstone Heritage Ltd., which manages the experiment. It is completely separated from the advertising entities of the circuit and aims to maintain the history of motorsport and motivate the next generation of engineers.
MORE: A new to notice Silverstone
A is not updated running, however, it gives much more than you think, and there is much to entertain the committed enthusiast and the casual fanatic. Both types of ors can be very reported.
The Silverstone Experience is much more than a museum. There is a fascinating history of the site and there are plenty of exhibits for the hardcore – machinery from seven decades of motorsport on two and four wheels are presented in the era stations, which also have many different types of memorabilia. But there are lots of other, interactive elements.
Perhaps the most vital is the Tech Lab, where it is located in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Former Lola and McLaren designer Mark Williams helped set up this component of the experiment and shows, among other things, how tires, brakes, gearboxes, engines and suspension work.
Everything is available and participation is encouraged: for example, you can compare the wings of motorsport and planes in a mini wind tunnel. The concept is that young people will make you laugh and educate themselves.
“During lockdown we hosted Channel 4 F1 for their coverage of the first three grands prix and this has generated lots of interest in the exhibition. Presenter Steve Jones called us ‘achingly cool'” Sally Reynolds
Then there’s the ‘Ultimate Lap’, an immersive cinema show that simultaneously takes you around Silverstone and lets you see some of the circuit’s famous moments. The exhibition manages to look forwards as well as back, so it’s not a surprise that there is also a Future of Motorsport section.
The racing exhibits will change over months and years, so you’re unlikely to see all the same things twice. The Experience currently has a 2020 Mercedes F1 show car, which will be on display until 10 August.
Normally, visitors will be able to stand at Luffield Terrace and see everything that happens on the track, but, as expected given the importance of the British Grand Prix 2020 being a closed event, there will be no access to the outdoors this weekend and the blinds will be closed. Closed. visitors won’t be able to see any action.
The Silverstone Experience is the one part of the Northamptonshire venue that Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle is encouraging people to visit.
“There’s a way for enthusiasts to come to Silverstone, come into the room and walk when the rest is closed, which is through booking a price ticket for the experience,” he said.
“When other people have their ‘stay’ in the UK and are about to do things, and maybe they need to give their circle of family anything that has an educational element, it’s a wonderful day.
“It’s also about introducing people to the sport that don’t know about it. There are too many people in this country whose communities don’t have a natural affiliation with our sport because they haven’t had any exposure to it. And yet a two-hour drive from one third of the UK’s population is something that will introduce people to it and give a full day’s worth of fun.”
Expectations for the experiment are high and the initial symptoms of the end of the blockage are promising.
“During the lockout, we received Channel Four F1 for its first 3 major awards policy and this generated a lot of interest in the exhibition,” Reynolds says. “The presenter Steve Jones called us “really great” and the feedback we received from visitors in our first days of reopening show that other people really couldn’t find their solution for motorsport.
“We’ve received a lot of feedback on our social media, so we’re pleased that our measures are working.”
Given the cases of COVID-19, Silverstone has reveled in the implementation of many measures to enable it to operate safely. It already has a merit in that, since it is located in a restored Hangar of the Second World War, it is a massive interior space, allowing a simple social estrangement.
Previously booked tickets restrict numbers and there is a progressive cleaning regime. Temperature checks are performed at the front and visitors are advised not to arrive more than 10 minutes before their place. Hand-disinfection stations are located around the site and a big touch (if you can excuse the word game) is a loose stylus for touch screens.
“It was only a week after Lewis Hamilton and the Duke of Sussex officially opened our museum in March that the closure began. We have worked tirelessly to make sure all of our visitors can enjoy an exciting visit” Sally Reynolds
A one-way system should help maintain social distancing and household bubbles, there is a queuing system for popular exhibits, and visits to the shop and cafe (with contactless payments) are encouraged after the main event.
“We’re excited to be able to reopen at the beginning of the summer holidays,” Reynolds adds. “It was only a week after Lewis Hamilton and the Duke of Sussex officially opened our museum in March that the closure began. We have worked tirelessly to make sure all of our visitors can enjoy a safe and exciting visit.”
“We know that many families will be for an exciting day away from the crowds and, with our rural location, massive indoor area and limited daily visitors, we are the best choice.
“With our incredible collection of interactive and brilliant motorsport items, from a car that competed in the first Formula One race 70 years ago, to the helmet that Lewis Hamilton earned its sixth world name last year, we know that racing enthusiasts who miss the action will also have a day.”
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with scheduled tickets on a pre-booked base of silverstone-experience.co.uk. A complete list of security measures opposed to COVID-19 can be found on the website.
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