Hamilton Straight is named in honour of the 7-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton. It overlooks the Silverstone Wing pitlane building and has the best views of the start / finish line, pitlane and the podium.
This article provides all the information you need to know about spectating from here, including grandstand seating plans, images and videos of the view, the nearest entrances and more.
Contents
which straight is the Hamilton Straight?
The Hamilton Straight used to be called the International Pits Straight. It is the start / finish straight on the modern Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. It was at the end of 2020 after Lewis Hamilton won his 7th F1 world title that the British Racing and Drivers Club agreed to rename the straight in honour of Lewis.
The straight has the large Silverstone Wing building along its right-hand side, which is home to conference centres, pit garages and overlooks the Silverstone pit lane. This straight is not used as part of the National circuit, so you will not be able to watch here when series like the BTCC race at Silverstone.
Drivers enter the Hamilton Straight via the final corner on the GP circuit, Club Corner. At the other end of the straight they will arrive at Turn 1 which is Abbey Corner.
The Hamilton Straight, Club and Abbey corners are highlighted on the map below, which is courtesy of the Silverstone website.
There are four main straights on the GP circuit at Silverstone – Hamilton, Wellington, National Pits and Hangar – and the Hamilton is the shortest of the four. Despite that, by the time the F1 cars reach Abbey Corner at the end of the straight they are doing almost 180mph.
is Hamilton Straight a good place to sit at Silverstone?
Sitting along Hamilton Straight means you will have the best view of any seating area at Silverstone of the start / finish line. Plus you will be able to see all of the pitlane action, and if you are at the right end of the straight you can see the podium too.
There are a number of different grandstands along this straight, specifically there are two Hamilton Straight grandstands, A and B (used to be South and North respectively). This article focuses on these two stands.
Additionally there is the final Club grandstand, Club C at the start of the straight and the two Abbey grandstands, Abbey A and B at the end of it. Club and Abbey grandstands provide views focusing more on their respective corners, but the two Hamilton grandstands are in prime position for the start / finish line and pitlane. So if that is what you are interested in most of all then theses grandstands are the perfect place for you.
If you’re camping at Silverstone some of the nearest sites are Woodlands and the Golf Club.
are there big TV screens on Hamilton Straight?
For the Formula 1 there are a few TV screens attached to the side of the Wing pitlane building on the other side of the track. There are normally three of these spread out along the length of the building, and different ones are visible from different grandstands.
The image below shows that two screens are visible from the Hamilton A grandstand.
And this images shows a third screen which can be seen from Hamilton B.
are the Hamilton Straight grandstands covered?
Hamilton Straight A grandstand is covered. It has a roof over the top with a small lip that drops down at the front to provide some extra weather protection for people sat in the front row. There are no covers on the sides of the grandstand, however, so people sat on the end might get a bit wet however they will have a great, unobstructed view.
Hamilton Straight B grandstand is not covered. It is completely open to the elements.
Hamilton Straight A
where is Hamilton Straight A grandstand at Silverstone?
The Hamilton A (previously Hamilton South) grandstand is the closer of the two Hamilton stands to the final corner of Club. It is just before the start / finish line and sits directly opposite the start of the pitlane and the podium.
Hamilton A grandstand is directly adjacent to the newly built Hilton Hotel, which is just to the left of it. This grandstand is South-East facing.
Map below courtesy of the Silverstone website.
view from Hamilton Straight A grandstand
This grandstand has the best view from any seating area of the podium. It is directly opposite to it and not very far away. Additionally it has views of the whole pitlane, the start / finish line, entirety of the straight and the exit of Club corner.
If you are able to get seats on the right hand side of this grandstand (as you look at the track) you can also see much more of the final section of the lap. This includes the exit of Stowe corner and the whole Vale and Club complex. Sitting on the right hand side also has the benefit of removing any obstruction from the Hilton Hotel as you look along the straight towards Abbey. If you’re sat high up and on the extreme left hand side of this grandstand, bear that obstruction in mind. Whilst the hotel is set a little way back compared to the stands, it is still a consideration.
The image below shows the areas of the track visible from Hamilton A grandstand highlighted in pink.
This video provides a great example of the view from Hamilton A. This is filmed from a fairly central position within the grandstand but still has good visibility of the run from Stowe to Vale and Club.
Hamilton Straight A grandstand seating plan
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The rows run from A (front / lowest) to U (back / highest) and seat numbers go from 1 (closest to Club corner) to 234 (closest to the start / finish line). There are around 3800 seats in the Hamilton A grandstand.
For the best views of the Vale and Club complex aim for seat numbers as low as possible.
Hamilton Straight B
where is Hamilton Straight B grandstand at Silverstone?
The Hamilton B grandstand is located just past the start / finish line on the outside (left hand side) of the straight. It is the other side of the Hilton Hotel to Hamilton B, so the two Hamilton grandstands sandwich the hotel in between them. Hamilton B is also North-East facing.
Map below courtesy of the Silverstone website.
view from Hamilton Straight B grandstand
Being further along the pit straight, the only view you have from here of the final sequence of corners is the exit of Club Corner. You cannot see Vale or the entry to Club.
The benefit of its location, however, is that you can see the whole of the first corner Abbey plus the run through the next fast left hander of Farm Curve. The further to the left in this grandstand you sit, the more of that section you are able to see.
You again have a great view of the pitlane, but the podium is much harder to see from here as it can be hidden behind some of the advertising boardings that go over the start line.
The image below shows roughly which parts of the track can be seen from Hamilton Straight B, highlighted in pink.
This video provides a perfect example of the view from this grandstand.
Hamilton Straight B seating plan
Enter your name and email below and the hi-res Silverstone Hamilton Straight B grandstand seating plan will be sent to your inbox (the file is too large to host here!)
The rows run from A (front / lowest) to W (back / highest) and seat numbers go from 1 (closest to the start line) to 129 (closest to Abbey corner). There are around 1200 seats in the Hamilton B grandstand.
For the best views of Abbey and Farm Curve, aim for higher seat numbers. Bear in mind that if you are sat high up in the stand at some of the lowest seat numbers there is a small chance you may have some of your view towards Club corner obstructed by the pesky hotel.
best entrance gate for Hamilton Straight grandstands
The best spectator entrance gate to use to get to the Hamilton Straight and its grandstands is Gate 16, or failing that use the main entrance Gate 19.
See our article on Silverstone’s spectator entrance gates for detailed information on entering the circuit by foot.
best car park for Hamilton Straight at Silverstone
The best parking to use for access to the Hamilton Straight are the car parks nearest the main entrance. This includes car parks 49, 50 and the ones across the main road.
Hi there
great site , the best I have seen regarding clear , concise , relevant information .Thanks. One question please, I looking to purchase Hamilton A straight tickets . We sat there last year. However want to ensure we get a solid view see view of club corner as well as the straight.
What rows and seat numbers would you suggest to get the best view please?
thanks in advance
Hi Olu, thanks for the comments.
You want to be at the end of the stand nearest Club Corner. So that’s the lower seat numbers.
At the 2023 British GP they extended the adjancent Club C grandstand so it comes much closer to Hamilton A. I’m not certain, but there might be a risk that if you sat in the very end seat at the top of the Hamilton A grandstand your view of Club Corner now might be slightly impeded by the edge of the Club C stand.
Here’s a video taken from the new Club C extension, and you can see the end of Hamilton A to the left; https://youtu.be/3ge1w6TyKmU
I’d hedge my bets and try and gets seats in the 10 – 30 range. I always prefer higher rows for a better vantage points so would go for row L and above.
Hi:)
Thank you so much for this useful information as this is my first ever GP!
I just managed to get my tickets at Hamilton Straight A with seat number lower 50 in the first couple of rows. May I know if I will have a good view of club and vale corner? As well as the start and finish line? Thanks!
Hi Nana, as my reply to the comment above this says getting seats in the lower numbers in Hamilton A is great for seeing some of Club and Vale. You’re alongside the start / finish straight and the finish line will be very close to you. Great tickets, well done!
Great, the first site I’ve found where I can actually see where the seats I’ve just paid 2k for ARE. Ham B , row A doesn’t start until seat 34. Why, what’s in place of the seats? We have B 13 14 and 15 and my granddaughter will be heartbroken if our view is obscured
Hi Denise, I wouldn’t worry. Looking back at some of the race footage from the 2023 British GP (when the row A layout was the same) there doesn’t seem to be anything in front of the stand. I think, you guys will effectively have front row.