Formula One – Silverstone
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A handful of determined bus drivers are waiting in the canteen, ready to transport spectators to the world’s most prestigious car race, the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone.
I’m taken aback by the variety of accents: Scottish, Welsh, American, and those from Stoke.
Luckily, the atmosphere is cheerful, with jokes flying around from all sides, though there is a palpable tension in the air.
A very diverse group of personalities has gathered here, but they all share one common trait: a sense of adventure. Anyone who signs up for such an extra job certainly loves challenges.
The assignment of the buses happened quickly and efficiently, thanks to Kieran, who put in a tremendous amount of work before the race started, preparing the drivers and editing the training materials.
Everyone takes over their assigned bus professionally, and after a brief briefing, the team sets off. It seems like a very simple and easy task—the traffic is light, and the weather conditions are excellent. According to the plan, we stop to refuel at the local First Garage in Leicester, and then part of the team continues on to Milton Keynes.
Our joy didn’t last long as the weather took a turn for the worse. A heavy downpour started as we entered the M1 motorway. On a long, straight stretch, the ticket dispenser suddenly issued a “Low Bridge” warning.
This was a completely surprising and unexpected turn of events, as there was no bridge or overpass in sight. Without a radio, the team members signaled to our lead driver, Kieran, with light signals that something was wrong.
We stopped at the first opportunity and confirmed it was a false alarm. We continued our journey, which was further complicated by the intensifying rain, roadworks, and increasing lorry traffic.
The Future in the Present.
We soon arrived at the First garage in Leicester. Personally, I had never been here before. I was completely amazed that such a place even existed. It was like we had landed in the middle of a space station: a fleet of the most modern Electroliner Kite Electric buses parked in military order, charging their batteries. I looked enviously at the modern buses equipped with state-of-the-art rearview cameras and LED displays instead of traditional mirrors. Unfortunately, I couldn’t admire the new superbuses for long, as we quickly refueled and set off again.
The City with Wide Roads.
We arrived in the city early in the morning; I hadn’t been here before either. I was very surprised by the series of wide streets, which I could best compare to the grid structure of a maths notebook (though I’m not sure if maths notebooks are like this in England too). With slightly stiff legs, everyone happily got off the buses to stretch a bit. The huge car park, where 4-5 Harriers could land, was full of double-decker buses, waiting for the multitude of spectators arriving for the Formula 1 race. The race organizers expected 120-130 thousand spectators, but they underestimated it a bit. Over the weekend, 480 thousand spectators visited, and the number on Sunday set a record with 164 thousand spectators. We were facing a “not so small” task, but we didn’t know that yet.
The Transporter
We transported spectators from the train station to Silverstone, which normally takes 40-45 minutes. On the morning of the qualifying session, heavy rain and wind didn’t deter the visiting spectators. The buses, fully loaded to maximum capacity, set off almost every minute. By this time, the traffic around the Formula 1 circuit had increased to an incredible extent. Looking at the online map, all the roads were red, almost impassable. The plan was to safely transport the passengers to the entrance and then back to the train station. In this incredibly heavy traffic, on the congested roads, it seemed like an achievement if the morning shift could make the trip even once. Shaun, who had the most experience among us, easily managed to complete three rounds. Excellent work! The task was further complicated by the fact that we had to travel on roads not yet visible on Google Maps. It was exciting! At the end of the day, everyone was exhausted, waiting for the relief team to arrive.
