Hamilton crashes Silverstone website
12 June 2007 by Keith Collantine
Unprecedented demand for British Grand Prix tickets in the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s maiden Grand Prix win has forced the Silverstone website offline.
The circuit yesterday revealed that all of the general access tickets for the race had been sold and only Grandstand tickets remained.
But this morning much of the website hasn’t been accessible as fans scramble to buy tickets. There are, however, many tickets being offered for sale on eBay.
Silverstone Circuits managing director Richard Phillips said: “The reaction to his win in Canada has been amazing. We haven’t seen this level of interest since Mansell-mania in the late 80s and early 90s.”
Related links
- Tout threat for Grands Prix?
- The Hamilton hype-ometer strikes back
- Return of the Hamilton hype-ometer
- The Hamilton hype starts here
- Two Lewis Hamilton kart videos
- Canadian Grand Prix 2007 review – Hamilton wins in Canadian carnage
- Silverstone (external)
Tags: f1 / formula one / formula 1 / grand prix / motor sport
I’m pleased Silverstone is benefiting from Lewis Hamilton’s successes. The Murray Walker “£99-for-three-days” ad must have helped (banishing the idea that British GP tickets have to be pricey), but having a local hero doing particularly heroic stuff must be the main reason why the general admission has gone. And that can only help Silverstone’s future.
As I’ve said before, Lewis Hamilton has saved Silverstone. Bernie won’t directly bail them out, but Silverstone has now been handed a golden opportunity on a plate. If it still can’t manage to make those renovations, I don’t think they’d have any excuses left.
Since Bernie Ecclestone takes so much of the ticket funding away from Silverstone, I wouldn’t guarantee a sell-out for just one year would satisfy Bernie’s greed. However, it could help.