If you’ve never been to Silverstone MotoGP before, then you’re probably wondering what to expect. Here at Shop4 Biker, we’re sharing our top 10 tips to help your first time MotoGP visit to Silverstone be a memorable one.
Seating and Tickets at Silverstone MotoGP
When purchasing tickets for MotoGP, the first question is: what type of ticket do I need?
The answer to that depends on your budget and preference.
With MotoGP at Silverstone, visitors have three choices:
- General Admission (cheapest) (single day or full weekend)
- Roving grandstand seating (Friday and Saturday)
- Reserved seating (most expensive) (Race day or full weekend)
General Admission allows you to roam the circuit, standing wherever you like to watch the races, providing that the Silverstone circuit allows access, such as green hills and gravel tracks. General admission viewing areas are located in odd places around the circuit, where the views may be restricted in comparison to the more expensive tickets, though you can sometimes get closer to the action from unique viewing points. All three options include the general admission perks.
Roving Grandstand tickets are the middle priced choice, and allow you to sit in any of the roving grandstands, meaning you’re not stuck to one particular seat. This is ideal if you wish to change seats between the different practices for alternative views of the circuit. However, roving grandstands are generally open air, so if it happens to be bad weather come race weekend, you may find yourselves a bit drenched! On raceday Sunday, there is no roving grandstand access, so the ticket will default to general admission access.
Reserved seating is the dearest option, but in my opinion, the best ticket to purchase. With this ticket, you receive a reserved seat in the grandstand of your choice for either race day or the entire weekend if you purchase a weekend ticket. You also have the option to use the roving grandstands on Friday and Saturday as well as standing places. With most reserved grandstands covered, you’ll be able to watch the race action without getting wet or burned! Speaking from experience from a hot summer 2013, you’ll be welcome of the shade, but do still take a jacket as it can get quite chilly when not in the sun.
Parking at Silverstone Circuit
If you intend on parking at Silverstone, the circuit charges a fee on Saturday and Sunday which must be paid for prior to the event. I always choose to purchase my tickets direct from Silverstone’s website that way I can purchase the parking permit too. Friday is free to park, whilst Saturday is £12.50 and Sunday £17.50, or a full weekend permit can be purchased for £30.
If you decide to ride by motorbike to the Silverstone MotoGP, then parking is free!
Friday and Saturday of race weekend are fairly quiet and you usually won’t have a problem parking up. But race day is a different story. You ideally need to get there a couple of hours before the premier class race if you don’t want to be stuck in traffic. Again, when the premier race finishes, it’s best to stick around the track for a couple of hours because traffic jams are guaranteed on the way out of Silverstone after the race, so there’s no point being caught up in the exit rush if you can help it. Make a day of it!
Which place is the best to view the race from?
Having walked around the entire circuit, there’s some great spots to view the motorcycle racers from. We booked Club Corner for 2013 MotoGP at Silverstone, and found it to be the ideal spot. Other ideal places include National Pits Straight, which is where the MotoGP riders starting grid/finish line will be, Copse which is the first corner with view of the start/finish line and Woodcote. The main gates are right next to the International Pits Straight, which means Club Corner is just a couple of minutes walk from the car park. The rest of the grandstands may take a while to get to, so allow for plenty of time to get there. A free of charge bus constantly drives around the circuit grounds to ferry passengers from one part of the circuit to another, ideal if you need to get to a particular section fast or if you have children or family with disabilities.
Motorbikes are so LOUD!
You won’t believe how loud MotoGP motorbikes are until you’ve seen racing in the flesh. For this reason, you may want to invest in a pair of earplugs, like the orange foam ones that are available for cheap, or a pair of ear defenders that people in building and industry use. Earplugs and ear defenders are for sale around the circuit, in child and adult sizes, if you feel that the noise is a little too much. If I recall correctly, ear defenders cost around £15 for a pair.
Food, Booze and Loos!
If you decide not to do the packed lunch thing which we did (yes, we’re tight arses), then you’ll find many a food truck at Silverstone MotoGP. From pizzas to baked potatoes, fish and chips and more, there’s plenty of food stalls to grab a hot meal at. If you fancy a liquid lunch, there’s a range of alcohol stands to tickle your tastebuds too. Fancy a sweet treat? There were some fudge and sweet stalls at 2013’s MotoGP, so mind the little ones don’t spot it else they’ll be tempted to rot their teeth with the abundance of sweets on offer!
When you’ve finished downing all the food and beverages you’ve consumed, nature will no doubt come a-calling. Thankfully, Silverstone circuit is not short of clean toilets, which are maintained regularly. There’s some at the car park as you enter the circuit and a load more scattered around the circuit.
Other activities at Silverstone MotoGP
On Saturday evening during MotoGP 2013, from around 4pm onwards, the visitors were treated to almost two hours of live chat and interviews with the entire roster of MotoGP riders, hosted by the witty Julian Ryder and his then EuroSport co-host Toby Moody. This occurred on the stage which was built near the Village part of the circuit on a patch of green land. Standing room only, thousands flocked to watch the riders take to the stage, with a giant screen allowing the visitors to see their motorsport heroes up close. Whether this happens every year, I’m not too sure, but it’s definitely worth going for the full weekend experience just in case it does happen.
Though we never went on them, you can book a fun helicopter ride around the circuit area. This is situated near Becketts on the Club Silverstone straight. It’s pretty quiet on that side, as it’s not the most exciting viewing vantage point, but there you’ll find the helicopters awaiting to take paying vistors to the sky for a unique aerial view.
Live entertainment usually takes place throughout the weekend, particularly on the Saturday night, to entertain visitors. This includes quizzes, auctions and live music. Last year, James Toseland’s band TOSELAND performed.
Also throughout the weekend are stalls from various motorcycle manufacturers showcasing their latest models, as well as maintenance brands with their latest tools and kits. In 2013, there was an area where those who’ve never experienced the pleasure of riding two wheels could take advantage of a taster session.
Radio MotoGP Silverstone!
During race weekend, you can tune into a special radio station, specially set up for MotoGP at Silverstone. Visitors will usually get an email with the specific station, where listeners can tune in to get all the latest news from the track and paddock. During the actual free practices, qualifying sessions and race, commentators can be heard over the tannoys so you can keep abreast of the action wherever you are situated around the track.
MotoGP Rider Merchandise
MotoGP is all about showing which rider or team you support. You’ll never have to be without your favourite rider’s colours with the abundance of merchandise stalls scattered around the circuit. All the gear sold inside the grounds is genuine, with ‘The Doctor’ seeming to rule the roost when it comes to merchandise. During the 2013 MotoGP at Silverstone, Cal Crutchlow, Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez were well represented, with the odd Pedrosa, Hayden, Bautista, Iannone and Dovizioso stand. With Marquez’s winning streak, you may see his merchandise stalls grow to match Rossi’s! The prices of the rider merchandise usually reflects that of the shops, so £15-£30 for a t-shirt, £40-60 for a hoodie, £20 for a baseball cap. Sometimes you may find stalls offering special deals if you purchase a bundle, say a cap and a t-shirt, but more often than not, it’s the same price as the shops sell pre-race and post-race.
If your budget can’t stretch to that but you’d still like a souvenir from the circuit, a few merchants sell MotoGP Silverstone t-shirts which are available in several bike themed designs and are priced more affordably.
Accomodation
If you’re travelling to the race at Silverstone, for the whole weekend or even just a day, then you’ll usually want somewhere to stay.
Silverstone offers camping facilities on a field next to the track, available from Wednesday through to Monday of the race weekend. The campsite has hot shower facilities, secure motorbike parking and also, a pub! The campsite costs £60 per adult and £15 per child for the weekend, and can be purchased when you book your ticket at Silverstone’s website.
If you fancy something a bit posher, you have two options: a hotel/B&B or a holiday rental. You’ll find that the hotels and B&B’s near to the circuit can be quite costly because of the race weekend taking place – they’re guaranteed business. This can also see the hotels close to the circuit booked up rather quickly. If you don’t mind travelling in the car for a little each day to get to the circuit in Towcester, it’s worth considering booking a rental or holiday cottage in Northampton or Oxford.
Finally, you have the option of the Snoozebox at Silverstone, which is a compact room available on site at the circuit. If you’ve not got much luggage and staying for a night, this could be an option. Each Snoozebox can hold up to two adults and one child and start from £65 per night for a Snoozebox room.
Enjoy yourself!
Now you’ve read through our newbie checklist, it’s time to enjoy yourself. MotoGP at Silverstone can be one of the most memorable experiences of your life, especially if the British weather remains sunny. Remember to take a camera and some binoculars to capture and view all the fun throughout the weekend.
Some of my memorable moments include a full weekend of sunshine, complete with Rossi wheelies, spotting Scott Redding riding on the back of a scooter after winning his Moto2 race, Colin Edwards greeting fans at Club Corner on the warm-down lap and watching my favourite rider, Jorge Lorenzo, clinch victory in a tight race of overtakes with Marc Marquez.
I have so many wicked memories from MotoGP weekend that I will treasure forever, and we hope you enjoy your experience watching live racing as much as we did!
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