Seat fiasco made Silverstone dangerous

Did anyone like the “roaming grandstand seat” arrangement at Silverstone for the WSB meeting? I have been to many racing events and never seen so many arguments.

The idea is everyone who paid entrance had a grandstand seat. However, hundreds of fans either hadn’t been there before or weren’t aware that not all grandstands were covered. My friend and I knew we wanted to be at the dodgy chicane in the covered grandstand (where you can also see the ONLY big screen) so we got there at 7.30am.

Throughout the day I saw people take a seat then go to grab a coffee, to find on their return somebody else sitting in their seat. I watched in disbelief as a man shouted at someone and said he would see him after the last race. This man’s crime? Not guarding a complete stranger’s seat.

I personally haven’t got a photographic memory and I lost count of the amount of people that asked me to stand so they could shuffle past. Isn’t this a job for the crowd control marshals?

Also, during some races there were people sitting in the isles. Isn’t this a major fire risk? ‘Maybe not in those weather conditions’, I hear you say, but, nevertheless very dangerous as I nearly fell on one of them!

I don’t blame fans like myself for getting angry; everyone was cold and wet and just wanted to watch their heroes race.

We should however all get together and complain to the owners of Silverstone. They should be told that thier bumpy track WAS the jewel in the crown of British motorsport. They need to take responsibility for fans’ safety.

Yes motorsport is dangerous, but it never occurred to me that another fan could be the danger.