British GP gets green light for full capacity crowd

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Formula 1 and Silverstone Circuit have announced that next month's British Grand Prix will be open to a full crowd following the race's inclusion in the UK government's Event Research Programme.

Silverstone's plans of hosting a full capacity crowd were put into jeopardy earlier this by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to extend the UK's lockdown restrictions by four weeks.

But it was confirmed on Thursday that the tenth round of the 2021 F1 world championship will take place in front of a full house thanks to its association with the ERP.

"We are delighted to confirm that the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2021 has been included in the latest phase of the UK Government’s Event Research Programme (ERP) allowing a full capacity crowd for the event between 16th – 18th July," stated Formula 1.

"Ticket holders will be asked for either proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 48 hours of arrival at Silverstone or proof of full vaccination, the second dose having been received at least 14 days prior to the first day of attending the British Grand Prix.

"The Silverstone team will be working closely with the ERP experts and particularly the Director of Public Health in Northamptonshire on the specific conditions of entry that will enable the event to operate safely and will be announcing these details to ticket holders in the next ten days."

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali welcomed the good news: "It is fantastic news that Silverstone will be a full capacity event and it will be an incredible weekend with hundreds of thousands of fans being there to see our first event Sprint event on the Saturday and the main event on Sunday."

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Managing Director of Silverstone, Stuart Pringle, said: "This is something we have all been working towards for months and I cannot wait to welcome a full capacity crowd back to Silverstone this July. Many of our fans rolled their tickets over from 2020 but they are now well placed to enjoy what is sure to be one of the highlights of the summer.

"My thanks go to the Culture Secretary and his team at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for their tireless efforts on behalf of the sports sector, but also the Prime Minister, Michael Gove and the teams in No.10 and the Cabinet Office for recognising what an amazing, safe opportunity the British Grand Prix offers to show the world how Britain has dragged itself back on track following the fight against the pandemic."

As a reminder, the British Grand Prix will also host F1's very first Sprint Qualifying trial, a short 100-km race that will take place on Saturday afternoon and that will determine the grid positions for Sunday's event.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.