What a race! What a weekend! Forget George Russell’s head-turning performance in qualifying, Charles Leclerc’s mighty effort in the race or *that* encounter between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, there were plenty of Silverstone stories away from the on-track action.
For SQN, Silverstone marked an important moment as we returned to face-to-face client hospitality for the first time since… well, how long has it been exactly? It feels like an eternity! F1’s Fusion Lounge offered us the perfect in-person experience for corporate guests looking to soak up the atmosphere of a race weekend. We remain certain that experiences and events will continue to follow a hybrid model of online, virtual, and ‘real’ solutions, but for Silverstone, we were delighted to be back face-to-face.
The British Grand Prix weekend had started for us a few days prior to race day as we supported our clients, Cosworth, who had invited a special guest visitor. Forget Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford, we welcomed 13-year-old superstar Liam Plötner. What this proud Scotsman, fine YouTuber and dedicated motorsport fan doesn’t know about F1 is probably not worth knowing.
Liam has ADHD and ASD, but had never been up, close, and personal with F1 before. Cosworth has recently launched a new Heritage channel to celebrate its illustrious history, so there was no better opportunity to invite Liam and his dad, Dougie, to Cosworth HQ in Northampton for a behind-the-scenes experience. The pictures and video from his trip will be unveiled soon but suffice to say it was an experience he is unlikely to forget!
Many members of #TeamSQN ventured into the grandstands to watch the great and good of F1, F2 and W Series take to the track on a bumper weekend that also included historic cars and the Masters GT Challenge. One of our team even joined Caffeine and Machine to enjoy the event with fellow automotive aficionados.
Sadly, the talking points from the weekend were not all positive. The immediate aftermath of the Lewis-Max incident turned from an opinionated blame game to outright abuse online. The racist comments made on social media to and about Lewis Hamilton left a vitriolic aftertaste to what had been a tasty weekend up to that point. So soon after the England footballers were subject to similar abuse post-Euros, too. These aren’t fans; these are outright racists who have no place in or near sporting fixtures. We agree whole-heartedly with the widespread condemnation of this abuse, and vow to play our part, however small a contribution that may be, in its eradication.
Finally, a special word for Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, who spent hours after the race cleaning up the mess left by less than respectful spectators. While his race was far from spotless, the German showed the hallmarks of a champion by helping to clear up. He may not have led the race, but he certainly led by example – leaving no trace behind from a weekend that was a welcome reminder, not that one was really needed, of why Formula 1 remains one of the world’s most beloved sports.
