Through The Eyes Of An F1 Fan: The 2024 Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix
15 July 2024Often, when someone thinks of their happy place, they might think of a sunny holiday destination or seeing their favourite band live.
British Formula 1 fans probably think of Silverstone.
Being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of likeminded fans, preparing to see their heroes take to the track for three days of racing action and to witness one of the most iconic Grands Prix races at one of the most iconic circuits in the world, is the definition of a happy place. And this year, the 2024 British Grand Prix most definitely did not disappoint. A record-breaking weekend, for Silverstone, for Sir Lewis Hamilton and for the British drivers, it’s a British Grand Prix that won’t be forgotten for a while, and one that will go down in the history books.
Silverstone’s countryside location means that the surrounding fields quickly fill with devoted fans as early as Tuesday on race week. People travel from far and wide to set up camp and reunite with friends old and new, to soak in the magical atmosphere before gates to the circuit open on Thursday and prepare for a weekend of adrenaline. Once the tents are up and the flags are flying, it’s time to settle down at “home” for six days, with nothing but excitement bubbling in the pit of your stomach: you’re really here. Silverstone Circuit. Home of British Motorsport. One of the best in the world.
The gates to Silverstone officially opened on Thursday morning, with thousands of fans filtering through in their masses to kickstart their British Grand Prix weekend. Some headed to Silverstone Museum for a trip through the history of Silverstone, once a Second World War airfield and now an iconic race track, while some rushed to the Inner Track entry point, headed to the F1 Paddock with the hope of catching a glimpse of their Formula 1 heroes. The sunniest day of the weekend, team caps were out in their hordes of papaya, neon and Ferrari red. The vibes were high and the atmosphere was electric. Fans young and old headed to Main Stage for the beginning of the driver interviews, with F2 and F3 superstars hitting the stage before signing autographs and taking selfies with their devoted supporters. A Women in Motorsport panel hosted by Ariana Bravo saw four inspirational women – McLaren’s F1 Business Operations Director Stephanie Carlin, Principal Strategy Engineer Hannah Schmitz of Red Bull Racing, Haas’ Performance Coach and Team Physiotherapist Faith Atack-Martin, and Aston Martin’s Driver Ambassador and Head of Racing for F1 Academy, Jessica Hawkins – share stories of how they made it to their roles and answered questions from motorsport enthusiasts aspiring to follow in their footsteps.
For the second year running, Silverstone has hosted panels for fans to hear more about what it’s really like working in F1 and travelling the world to make the pinnacle of global motorsport the real spectacle it is. At the Drivers Inn Stage, expert panels with personal trainers, communications specialists and engineers, to name a few, engrossed fans in the behind-the-scenes happenings of an F1 team. A walk towards Woodcote opened doors to Racing Pride’s Pride Hub, the Driven By Us community hub and the Girls Across The Grid stand, where fans could meet those who have a passion for championing change for underrepresented groups in motorsport or stop by to find out more about how these initiatives are paving the way for change in motorsport.
Thursday at Silverstone really does bring fans closer to the action, the best way to kick off an all-exciting, all-encapsulating weekend of racing. And what better way to end a non-stop day one than with Kings Of Leon at the 2024 Opening Concert under stunning Silverstone skies.
Team colours were still out in full force on Friday, however, unlike sunny Thursday, you couldn’t go far without seeing a poncho or an umbrella. It was, put simply, very wet. And while on a normal day, the British public tend to shy away from the cold, rainy weather, there was absolutely nothing stopping fans at Silverstone. Formula 3 kicked off the weekend of on-track action, with dedicated fans braving the conditions from as early as 8:30 in the morning, and Formula 2 followed shortly after, allowing Ollie Bearman, newly announced F1 driver for Haas from 2025, to hit the track in front of his home crowd for the first time since the news broke on Thursday morning. Grey skies covered Silverstone for FP1 but the rain eased and the atmosphere lifted even more when McLaren’s Lando Norris finished the first F1 session of the weekend at the top of the timesheets, and even more so when he repeated his magic on track in FP2. It was after FP2 that the rain started again, that the rain came down heavier than it had done so far, but that didn’t stop thousands of fans heading to Main Stage for Stormzy, in a performance which turned out to be ten times more magical because of the rain. Saturday morning, fans were out in their droves. Qualifying day at the British Grand Prix was upon us.
British Grand Prix Friday Recap
A wet FP3 saw an all-British top three, with George Russell topping the timesheets on Saturday afternoon, setting the scene for a spicy F1 Qualifying. The clouds cleared for Qualifying and everyone took their spots; FP3 had shown us what was possible for the starting grid for Sunday’s race, but F1 at Silverstone can be unpredictable, and I’m unsure any of us believed what would happen next.
Silverstone has been a rich part of F1’s history since it held the first Formula 1 Grand Prix Championship race in May 1950 and in 2024, the circuit upped that rich history when three British drivers locked out the first three grid spots in Qualifying for Sunday’s main event. Mercedes teammates George Russell and Sir Lewis Hamilton took P1 and P2, followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris in third, the trio becoming the first three Brits to take the top spots since the 1968 South African Grand Prix.
A special day for the Brits in sport continued when the EURO 2024 Quarter Final between England and Switzerland kicked off, and fans flocked to different areas of the circuit to tune in. The all-new Chequered Flag Pub by the Fanzone saw camping chairs set up in prime position along the Wellington Straight ahead of kick off, and halfway through the game, the rescheduled F3 Sprint race was underway. Fans lined the barrier along the Wellington Straight, watching the football and watching cars lap the track, and young Brit Arvid Lindblad took his first win of the weekend when the chequered flag fell. Meanwhile, the EURO 2024 Quarter Final went to penalties and for the second time that weekend, us Brits watched with our hearts in our throats. Russell and Hamilton joined thousands of fans over at Main Stage to watch the end of the game, and as soon as the final penalty went in, securing England’s spot in the semi-finals, the crowd, George and Lewis included, went wild. After a special day at home for the British Mercedes drivers and the British fans, what better way to end it than by watching the Euros together, watching as England carried themselves into the next round of the tournament? Iconic, and a memory to cherish forever.
Saturday’s on-track excitement ended with a bang off-track, as Pete Tong closed the action with an epic DJ set at Main Stage, before a calmer night of weather allowed everyone a good night’s sleep ahead of the big one: British Grand Prix race day.
See also: The 2024 British Grand Prix in Numbers
Gates opened on Sunday morning at 6:30. Fans with General Admission were quick to make it through the gates, headed to their dream spot to watch the action from. The early risers didn’t have long to wait until cars hit the track, with the F3 Feature Race kicking off at 8:20, once again in the rain, with British driver Luke Browning on Pole. A race of ups and downs, and constant changes throughout the pack, behind the Safety Car and in usual racing conditions, and Arvid Lindblad took his second win of the weekend, completing the Silverstone sweep and becoming the first driver to win every race on an F3 weekend. Browning finished in P8 and Joseph Loake in in P24, while Callum Voisin took the win on track but was demoted to P3 after a penalty. The F2 Feature followed, before the rain returned and delayed the start of the Porsche Supercup race. Once the closed-wheel series got underway, BRDC SuperStar Harry King took his Porsche to P4. Fans were treated to a historic car display, then the iconic Red Arrows took to the sky, performing their exceptional air display in their 60th year.
Attention from the grassy banks and the grandstands soon turned to the grid. The Drivers’ Parade was complete, Hannah Waddingham had performed the National Anthem, and the Red Arrows had completed their flypast with their coloured smoke of red, white and blue painting the sky to the cheers of the crowd. Lights out at three saw an iconic race quickly unfolding before our eyes; battles for the lead, with Russell maintaining his position until his pitstop and eventual retirement, his teammate occupying P1 until Norris took the lead into Abbey. The crowd erupted. Then, when Sir Lewis Hamilton took the lead of his home race once again, the roars were like nothing before. The emotions soon came pouring out, with some fans moved to tears, when Sir Lewis Hamilton took his first win in 945 days, his first win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and an iconic final win at Silverstone with Mercedes, the team who have supported him and taken him to six World Championship titles. Lewis broke history once again, taking nine wins at one single circuit, etching his name into the hearts of his home fans and at Silverstone forever.
Read the full 2024 British Grand Prix Race Report
With only a few hours left of race weekend, Lewis Hamilton took to the stage for one final time in front of his adoring fans, his entire family and Roscoe in tow, for them to celebrate his win together. He greeted fans, he crowd surfed, and most importantly, he felt the love of the British fans. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri soon joined the fun to the chants and cheers of the crowd, before being peer pressured into doing a shoey. The drivers left to applause, and Rudimental began their set to close an incredible weekend, a weekend of sun and rain, a weekend of history-making and record-breaking action. A weekend that will not be forgotten any time soon.
There’s just something – something that can’t exactly be put into words – about the emotions that come with being at your home race.
All of this, from the off-track entertainment and opportunities to get up close and personal with your heroes, to the incredible, nail-biting on-track action in everything from feeder series to main event, is what makes the British Grand Prix so special. All of this, from the moment you see the first Silverstone sign to the moment you leave the gates for the last time at the weekend, is why fans have a heavy heart on their journey home, why they long to return to one of the most magical places on Earth for a racing fan.
All of this, is why Silverstone is a Formula 1 fan’s happiest place on Earth.
