Woodcote Corner at Silverstone is the flat-out right kink at the exit of Luffield that leads on to the old start / finish straight, now known as the National Pits straight. There are a couple of grandstands here, Woodcote A and B, but are they a good place to view from?
This article provides all the info on spectating at Woodcote, including images and videos of the view, grandstand seating plans, info on which large TV screens can be seen, nearest entrances and more.
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where is Woodcote corner at Silverstone?
Woodcote corner is Turn 8 on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. It’s a fast right-hander directly after Luffield corner, which leads on to the National Pits Straight. Woodcote is used as a corner on both the Grand Prix and National circuits at Silverstone.
Woodcote corner has existed ever since the circuit was first used in 1948, on the old RAF Silverstone base. Since then the circuit has undergone lots of changes but Woodcote has always remained fairly true to its original shape.
Map below courtesy of the Silverstone website.
is Woodcote a good place to sit at Silverstone?
If you want to get a sense of speed from the cars or bikes accelerating past at full throttle then Woodcote is a great place to sit. There are two grandstands here, Woodcote A and B, as well as some general admission spectator areas a little closer to Luffield.
As the cars exit the long, tight Luffield corner, they will mash the throttle as they accelerate towards Woodcote which is flat-out in pretty much everything. The racers will gather some serious speed through this corner as they accelerate further on to the National Pits Straight.
Sit in the right placeand you also have a great view of the cars as they head down the Wellington Straight towards you, take the fast left of Brooklands and then tackle Luffield. Brooklands is a tricky corner to get right so there’s often some action to be seen there as the drivers and riders find the limits of their grip. Plus these two corners are both great overtaking opportunities, so it’s likely you’ll see some passing here too.
Woodcote is used on both the National and Grand Prix circuits. If you are watching a race on the National Circuit, like the BTCC, then the start / finish line is just about within sight. Whilst the first corner is at the end of the National Pit Straight, so is pretty hard to see, you will be able to see the lights go green and the action get underway. The Brooklands / Luffield complex makes up the final corners on the National circuit, so you’ll be in the right spot to witness any last-ditch efforts to gain a place or two.
During the F1 weekend the Family Zone, Concert Zone and Fan Zones are only a short walk away from Woodcote, so it’s a good spot to make sure the whole family is entertained for the weekend. If you are camping at Silverstone, some of the campsites North of the circuit, such as Cartmel Fields and Hamilton Fields are closer to Woodcote.
are the Woodcote grandstands covered?
Both Woodcote A and Woodcote B grandstands at Silverstone are covered. They have a roof over the top with a small section at the front which drops down slightly to provide some extra protection for those sat at the front. The sides are open, so if you’re on one end you might get a bit wet but you will also have a great view.
are there big TV screens visible from here?
There are TV screens on the other side of the track visible from both Woodcote A and B grandstands. From Woodcote A there is a screen on the other side of Luffield that you can see. This is a little way across the track, so a pair of binoculars may come in handy.
From Woodcote B there are a couple of screens across the circuit on top of the small buildings that line the National pit lane. There are visible from all seats in Woodcote B, and also the seats on the left hand end of Woodcote A.
Woodcote A grandstand
where is it?
Woodcote A is the closer of the two grandstands to Luffield corner. The track starts off parallel to the grandstand, but then curves away from it ever so slightly as it starts to bend around to the right for Woodcote corner. The grandstand is South-East facing.
what's the view like?
From Woodcote A you can see Brooklands, Luffield, Woodcote and the start of the National Pit Straight. If you sit in the middle to left hand side of this stand, you are basically directly opposite the Wellington Straight, maximising how much of the run in to Brooklands you can see.
Being slightly closer to Luffield, you do have a little less coverage of the National Pit Straight than from Woodcote B.
The image below shows the areas of track visible from Woodcote A highlighted in pink.
This video provides a great example of the view from this grandstand. You can see the guy filming has a great view back down the Wellington Straight.
Woodcote A grandstand seating plan
Below is the seating plan for the Woodcote A grandstand at Silverstone. Enter your name and email in the boxes below and the full hi-res plan will be sent straight to your inbox.
The rows run from A (front / lowest) to T (back / highest) and the seats are numbered 1 (closest to Luffield) to 256 (closest to the National Pit Straight).
Woodcote B grandstand
where is it?
The Woodcote B grandstand is a little further around Woodcote corner, directly opposite to the apex. It is slightly further away from the edge of the track as the gravel trap on the outside of Woodcote gets larger the further around the corner it goes. This grandstand is also South-East facing.
what's the view like?
Being further around Woodcote corner, you don’t have as good a view of Wellington Straight from here as you do from Woodcote A. Instead you have more coverage of the National Pit Straight and stand a better chance of seeing down to Copse Corner. You can see still all of Brooklands and Luffield from Woodcote B.
If you are sat on the extreme right hand side of this grandstand you might just be able to see down the Wellington Straight.
The image below shows the areas of Silverstone circuit visible from Woodcote B highlighted in pink.
This video provides a good example of the view from here.
Woodcote B grandstand seating plan
Below is the seating plan for the Woodcote A grandstand at Silverstone. Enter your name and email in the boxes below and the full hi-res plan will be sent straight to your inbox.
The rows go from A (front / lowest) to U (back / highest) and seat numbers run from 1 (closest to Luffield) to 180 (closest to the National Pit Straight).
I would try and sit as far back and as far to the right as possible, so rows Q and upwards and the lowest seat numbers possible. Being as far back will give you the best vantage point of the National Straight, and being to the right means you stand a chance of seeing more down the Wellington Straight.
nearest spectator entrances
Entrance gate 3 is the closest to Woodcote, but you can also go in the main entrance, gate 19.
nearest car parks
Silverstone car parks 24, 30 and 31 are the closest to Woodcote at Silverstone.
