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JET187
My Fiancée bought me this experience for my birthday last year. It was absolutely fantastic! There's really nothing more to say :)
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keston88
The experience starts with a thorough and very entertaining 30-minute briefing on how to drive the car. The staff then get you strapped into your car and they make sure your seat is adjusted, if necessary, so that you can comfortably reached the pedals.You then follow a pace car around the track for 20 minutes, gradually building speed and learning the racing line. This means when you are let loose for your 20 minutes without the pace car, you will be well versed with the racing line and have the confidence to start pushing the car and yourself that bit more with each passing lap.I expected there would be 2 or 3 fast drivers and 1 or 2 very slow drivers, with the rest of the group somewhere in between - and that's exactly how it turned out. That meant most of the group were able to experience some overtaking - and being overtaken - at some point. The event was well marshalled and it was good to see all the drivers giving space to faster cars when blue-flagged.My fastest 3 laps were my last 3 laps, which is probably the same for most people and shows just how your confidence grows during the experience. Everyone seemed a little quiet and nervous during the briefing at the start of the experience, but in the post-race briefing everyone was buzzing and you are then presented with a breakdown of your lap times, top speed, and where you was placed in the group in regards to fastest lap and average time. The top 3 drivers have their names called out and are given a round of applause, which was a nice touch.I have had a couple of previous driving experiences in saloon and sports cars, and as enjoyable as they were, there was always an instructor sat next to you giving a sense of having your hand held. This however was someting else, and much better - once the pace car has gone you're on your own and this makes the whole experience more exhillarating. You also get far more driving time on this experience than you do on a typical Ferrari or Aston Martin driving experience, and also a much greater sense of speed and cornering given that you drive on the smaller, tighter Stowe circuit.A really enjoyable experience. Would love to do it again!
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JackHatto
if you've got the money spare or you an afford these sorts of thing regularly then that's fine however if you haven't got a this kind of money to throw away I think you'll come away feeling disappointed you didn't get more for your money. My experience was ruined by the marshals as they failed to enforce the blue flag overtaking rule effectively; I was stuck being slower cars the whole time who refused to move out of the way when blue flagged signalling my imminent over take. According to the rules they set out in the 'briefing' such actions will result in a driver being pulled off the track, instead I was pulled off the track for driving too close to the car infront who failed to adhere to the blue flag rule, I was understandably furious. I was only able to get to full speed (which is only around 94mph even though the leaflet says 140mph) on my last lap. The cars were however impressive and different to anything else you'll experience, just not £170 worth. I found the staff rude and unhelpful, and the marshals are more concerned with the condition of the cars than you having a good time; it seemed as though they forgot completely that it's a race car, on a race track for a race experience. I drive faster than they allow to work every morning, without breaking the law... Massively disappointing, save your money, go Karting instead!
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DalesRanger
I paid for my (40 y o) daughter to do the single seater experience. She loved the drive and I was very impressed with how friendly all the staff were. From the customer counter, the cafe and all the instructors were thoughtful, helpful and friendly. It is a not a cheap day but we all felt we had a cracking day out and it was well worth it. We did not book directly and this meant we did not get the per-experience brochure - but that was only a minor flaw and nowt to do with the folk at Silverstone.
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804je
Visited Silverstone on Monday 3rd Nov for the Hypersonic Experience, for which my sister had paid an extremely large amount in a charity auction. Had an absolutely fantastic time, due to all the staff. Booked in very quickly by extremely helpful girl on reception. Went off to the 'battle bus' to have helmet fitted, the guys there were great, very friendly. Did my laps, absolutely fantastic to be travelling at that speed so close to the ground and on that famous track, especially when all the supercars had to pull over to let us by! I want to thank all in the bus and especially the driver (I don't know their names, but I think they were all called John ....) for giving me such an exciting time, loved every minute of it, worth every penny. Enjoyed the atmosphere of the circuit so much I have booked a four-day stay and ticket at Club Silverstone for the F1 next July. P.S. No, I'm not a young male petrol-head, just a female OAP - recommend it thoroughly!
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871iand
I paid for this myself as it was a personal dream of mine. The whole Silverstone Complex and Staff is are fab.Quick briefing about how to drive and navigate around the circuit followed by 10 laps behind a car showing you the racing line. After that was 20 mins of full on fun (obeying the rules obviously).If you want any kind of idea what it is like to drive fast and safely then I would recommend this.I paid for the full package - Drive plus on-board video and a glossy photo of me on the track.I hope to do this again next year ! Well done Silverstone - Experience IS everything!
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Lushy_landlady
I brought my other half the single seater advanced experience for his birthday but due to commitments over the weekend on our part and the busy schedule up at Silverstone, he has only just got around to doing it.......something to bear in mind if you have an impatient person you are gifting this too : )He said it was a brilliant experience with excellent feedback from the pit staff. Well briefed and organised event. Unrestricted on speed and in full control of the vehicle, so be aware that any glory is totally your own but similarly take out the insurance, as so could be the cost. The instructor told the group today that 6 people had crashed in the last week and one writing off a car and having to pay the first £1000.00 of the excess. All photos were good, in car filming was a nice touch. Very nice space for spectators and were involved at every step which was nice.
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robertcP2623PX
Absolutely fab day out, if you are a bit of a petrol head.From the initial briefing with our instructor Steve he explained and went through everything. Then we went onto the track for 20mins behind an instructor learning the corners etc, and then it was 20 mins free racing.Adrenalin pumping, absolutely great fun. Only problem it came to an end too quickly.Would 110% recommend this, give it a go. Was bought for me as a Xmas present, want to do it again.
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Lisa-Marie1980
The “Hypersonic Experience” was really cool. Firstly, it’s not an F1 car, but probably as close as you’ll ever get to ride in a car with similar characteristics and speed. This goes 150 mph, whereas F1 cars can reach speeds of up to 200 mph; however it’s still incredibly fast, especially sitting so close to floor.Overall, I was impressed with the power of acceleration coming out of the pit lane and down the straights and the deceleration into the corners was quite breathtaking. This car was clearly the fastest on track, by a long margin. It sounds the best on track too. I can also fully appreciate why racing drivers need strong neck muscles, as I did find that my head felt a little bit loose and knocked against the headrests and the side of the car. The helmet had a tendency to lift up, but that’s no fault of the organisers or the helmet design or fitment, as it’s just one of the things racing drivers have to put up with from time to time, due to the force of wind.I had three full laps in the car and another two that didn’t count. The first lap coming out of the pit lane doesn’t count, nor the final lap coming back in, as the driver obviously doesn’t drive a full lap distance. In some ways, they were bonus laps! The only negative to the experience was that I felt like a number. When I arrived to the Experience Centre, it was incredibly busy and they registered me in fairly quickly as a result; although the atmosphere was brilliant! I was then told to go to the National Circuit; however it’s lucky that I know Silverstone really well and could find it myself, as I wouldn’t have known where to go otherwise, as the girl who registered me in had no idea or could provide me a map for directions either.Again, when I arrived to the garage at the National Pits', the people looking after the Hypersonic car were slightly underwhelming, nice though! They could’ve been more lively and excited to see their customers. They didn’t explain what the car was or what the experience involved. Also, after a trip in the car, a nice cup of tea or coffee, courtesy of the organisers, would have been a nice treat, especially as passengers do tend to feel slightly nauseous after a trip and a sugary drinks would have been nice! Perhaps a seating area too! These are little extras to better the experience as it's £69, but I do sound like I am nit-picking.The last bit is a little negative, sorry about that, only its constructive critique, as overall I am happy with the day and experience and would recommend it.
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rebeljenn
My boyfriend wanted me to give him another single seater experience for his birthday as we went two years ago and he really enjoyed it. It is good value for money -- better value than just sitting in a fast car for a couple of laps while someone else drives! They have 10 minutes on the track with a safety car (to get people used to the cars) and 20 minutes in their own time on the lap without safety cars. There's a 30-minute briefing. Photos can be purchased afterwards. You can also arrange video on the car to be turned on, and they give you the USB stick and make sure it's all set up alright. This records the driving stats. It also shows the camera pointing at the driver as well as a camera pointing at the track. You can see your fastest lap.There's an option for insurance for the cars too. May be worth is as the first time we went two years ago, someone went too fast around the bend into the pits and crashed the car into the side. You have to pay for damages. We decided to get it as peace of mind as you never know how the other drivers are going to behave on the track around you, and it's better to be safe than sorry I guess. BTW - I wish the cafe at the experience centre stayed open longer.
