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A fewer years ago, it felt similar Formula 1 was constricted to due motorsport fans. People who, dissimilar me, knew what ‘slipstream’ and ‘DRS’ really meant.
But acknowledgment to Netflix’s Drive to Survive, it seems arsenic though everyone’s got a favourite squad and reckons they cognize a spot astir undercut strategy.
Brad Pitt’s F1 movie has landed itself a 97% instrumentality standing connected Rotten Tomatoes, and much A-listers are turning up trackside than astatine Glastonbury’s VIP area. It feels similar the British Grand Prix is easy the hottest summons successful town.
So what amended clip to spot what it’s each about? This twelvemonth was my archetypal ever Grand Prix, and I went successful with zero cognition but a load of curiosity. Here’s what stood out:
Celebrities astatine the British Grand Prix 2025
Keanu Reeves was seen knocking astir during escaped signifier astatine Silverstone (Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
The Silverstone paddock has go the spot for celeb spotting - and not conscionable the Formula One crowd. We’re talking Keanu Reeves, Tom Holland, Gordon Ramsay and Vin Diesel, each conscionable pottering astir the garages and hospitality suites. I adjacent spied erstwhile PM Rishi Sunak slinking astir the place.
Unlike different red-carpet events they’re often contracted to look at, the celebs are genuinely buzzing implicit the cars and drivers - conscionable similar the remainder of the punters astatine Silverstone.
If you bash get paddock access, support your eyes peeled and beryllium prepared to walk a bully chunk of your time asking ‘who’s helium again?’ arsenic idiosyncratic strolls by.
Spider-Man histrion Tom Holland braved the rainfall successful the Paddock (Bryn Lennon/Formula 1/Getty images)
Actor Aaron Taylor Johnson was seen connected the grid (Paul Bonser/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)
Fan experiences astatine Silverstone
Organisers person worked hard to marque the British Grand Prix a due crowd-pleaser. It’s portion motorsports, portion euphony festival - fundamentally Glastonbury for petrolheads.
The sheer size of Silverstone is earnestly impressive. On a contention weekend, you’ll find thousands of people sprawled crossed the circuit’s monolithic complex.
There’s nutrient markets and merch stalls, not to notation immoderate truly swanky hospitality options. And the entertainment? It genuinely wouldn’t look retired of spot astatine Glasto.
Sam Fender, Raye, Fatboy Slim and Becky Hill each performed crossed the weekend, turning a post-race Silverstone into a due euphony festival.
Singer Raye was portion of the weekend's amusement (Jakob Ebrey/Getty Images)
Away from the euphony and main event, there’s inactive loads to do. The pitlane locomotion is simply a accidental to get up adjacent with the squad garages, portion definite tickets springiness you paddock entree for a glimpse astatine the behind-the-scenes madness.
At the American Express Fan Experience, each summons holders could fig retired their racing benignant persona with a quiz earlier investigating their F1 trivia cognition astatine the pit partition to effort and container a prize.
Formula 1 fans could get their ain 'driver evaluation'
You could adjacent grounds your ain operator intro similar you were astir to commencement the contention yourself. There was a Livery Designer wherever fans could plan their imagination car look and instrumentality it location arsenic a postcard, oregon nonstop a connection to idiosyncratic via the Postcard Express, which delivered notes anyplace successful the world.
Bridgerton prima Martins Imhangbe tested retired 1 of Amex's instrumentality experiences
Fans could besides customise their outfit astatine the Amex Pickup Zone, choosing from race-day patches and determination was adjacent a photograph op wherever you could measurement wrong an F1 Starter Pack container and airs similar a life-sized enactment figure.
Amex Cardmembers besides got perks similar accelerated lane entree and exclusive offers dotted astir the track. Which, connected a engaged play similar this, tin truly marque a difference.
The race
Sunday saw plentifulness of rainfall truthful the integrative ponchos were connected and speech moved to tyre tread arsenic we got person to the race.
By the clip the Grand Prix got underway, excitement had been gathering each play and adjacent if you didn’t person the foggiest astir tyre strategy, you couldn’t assistance but get caught up successful it. A staggering 500,000 radical had gone done the gates from Thursday to Sunday.
Race victor Lando Norris connected the instrumentality signifier aft the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain astatine Silverstone Circuit (Mark Sutton/Formula 1/Getty Images)
Over 160,000 of them were determination connected the last time to spot Brit Lando Norris negociate to unafraid his archetypal Silverstone triumph with McLaren.
Then came the superb post-race stampede. As soon arsenic the cars crossed the line, hundreds of radical made a somewhat soggy dash to the podium ceremony.
It’s harmless to accidental you don’t person to cognize everything astir Formula 1 to person a bully clip astatine Silverstone. The British Grand Prix is, of course, astir the racing - but it’s also part festival, portion manner show, and unthinkable time out.
