Lessons learned for Silverstone

Last year was not a good year for Silverstone and the British Grand Prix.

Heavy rain had left car parks inaccessible and waterlogged, leaving the Silverstone authorities to ask spectators with passes for the car parks to not attend qualifying.

For a track that still holds big expansion plans for more grandstands and a hotel, it wasn’t ideal for the track as they are still seeking investors for this development programme.

It also wasn’t ideal for the spectators who were turned away, although the fans were reimbursed by Silverstone’s insurers [although the track still lost around £100,000] many had still been caught up in the miles of tailbacks on the roads around the Northamptonshire track.

This year though will not see a repeat of those scenes following major improvements to the infrastructure of the car parks and travel facilities.

The car parks have been made larger, without increasing capacity, they have improved drainage in car parks and expanded the park and ride schemes. All improvements which should aid the flow of spectators around the site.

A special train from London to Milton Keynes will also be chartered, with fans transferred to the track by bus.

‘What happened last year was unprecedented.

‘But it was a wake-up call and we have put a lot of measures in place.’

‘We are determined to turn it around and put on a successful event,’ Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips told the BBC.

BRDC President Derek Warwick told Sky Sports: ‘[Last year] it was a one-off. It did catch us out. We looked after all the people who struggled on the Saturday, we compensated them, but more importantly we have upgraded everything in terms of parking and the campsites.

‘There’s more drainage, more facilities so we’ve listened to the people that complained and made it better.’