Live music and celebrity stardust are making F1 a true festival of speed

Experiencing an unprecedented period of popularity – in spite of the fact that, this year, the title is a foregone conclusion – Formula One is desperate to put on a show, using every last drop of cash to deliver a spectacle both on and off the track. As the bio on the official F1 Twitter account states: “Our big game? We do it 23 times a year. This is no ordinary sport.”

Nowhere is this more evident than at Silverstone. One of the traditional linchpins of the F1 calendar, having held the first ever race in May 1950, the airfield in Northamptonshire has modernised into an all-encompassing entertainment complex, from the main entrance and the Hamilton Straight (named after Sir Lewis) to Copse and Stowe at the other end of this 3.61 mile circuit.

This year, there was extra razzmatazz for the British Grand Prix with a record 480,000 fans in attendance. Across four days alongside the racing, Silverstone hosted what was effectively an evening music festival, boasting some of the world’s biggest artists. Opening with three-time Brit Award winner Cat Burns, DJ Calvin Harris, Black Eyed Peas and chart-topper Tom Grennan all appeared on the main stage, positioned just to the side of the Wellington Straight.

The target is to give spectators the sense that the show doesn’t just stop when the chequered flag falls.

“The crowd at Silverstone really is second to none,” said singer Sam Ryder, who performed the national anthem last year (this year’s duties were taken by actor Damien Lewis) and was on the grid this year, refreshingly excitable in conversation with Martin Brundle on Sky Sports.

“The music this year has been incredible,” Ryder continued. “It’s great to see Silverstone continue to up the levels and bring more and more to the fans, old and new, who have been captivated by F1. It truly feels like a music festival and a huge sporting event all rolled into one.”

If the musical line-up wasn’t enough, then this year there was an extra sprinkling of glitz in the shape of Brad Pitt and the cast and crew for the as-yet-untitled new F1-focused film, with Lewis Hamilton serving as an executive producer.

Known in and around the paddock as the ”Apex team”, the fictional unit had a garage between Mercedes and Ferrari, shot scenes with stunt drivers at various points across the four days with high-tech cameras positioned on specially-manufactured Formula 2 cars, and even shot a “one-time only” scene on the grid, straight after the national anthem.

The sight of Pitt and co-star Damon Idris striding from the front of the grid – where they were positioned with all 20 drivers for “God Save the King” – to the back of the pack, cameras in situ, was a sight to behold, both for those around the mayhem such as yours truly and befuddled fans in the grandstand.

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The Independent understands similar situations are expected at upcoming races, too, with the film crew expected at races in Budapest, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.

“I’m going to be here until they kick me out because I’m loving it,” said Pitt of his week at Silverstone. “I think it is every guy’s dream. I just loved it. And again, I have so much respect for what F1 does and I’ve enjoyed your work for years. So thank you, it’s really great to be here.”

For the motorsport purists, the focus of the lens being steered away from the cars at lights out on Sunday afternoon may be a source of frustration and F1 must, no doubt, be careful to tread the line carefully between fact and fiction. But for most, particularly the newer, Netflix-inspired generation of fans, the influx of extra activity can only be absorbed with open hands.

Silverstone is no anomaly; every race is pressing the same button. And while the F1 bubble continues to expand – a point of bursting not in sight – why shouldn’t they?