It’s back to House 44 – a Soho House offshoot with jute flooring, warm wood furnishings and comfortable striped armchairs – to watch the qualifiers. I cling to the balcony as the cars snake around the course, and spot sparks trailing Lando’s chrome car that catches the sun as it races the bends. For a moment, it looks like Hamilton may rise to pole position but hopes are dashed and it’s Verstappen, with Red Bull, who takes the prime spot for tomorrow’s race.
The next morning rain pelts down, but apparently this is something of a tradition. As the waitress at my hotel says, ‘It wouldn’t be the Grand Prix if it wasn’t raining.’
When we walk on to the Paddock – a very exclusive strip where the teams’ motor-homes are and where you are likely to catch a glimpse of all the F1 main characters; I spotted Norris, Verstappen and and LeClerc ambling by – there is an unmistakable buzz in the air. It may be raining, but that can’t dampen the excitement of race day.
And the stars are out. Gordon Ramsay strolls past with his wife Tana, telling me that his restaurant in the Paddock is fully booked. I spot Pippa Middleton, whose husband James Matthews, is a former racing car driver. Damson Idris, star of the blockbuster F1 movie, tells me that he is hoping for an invite to Hamilton’s afterparty. Felicity Jones strides out, upping the glamour. Elsewhere, Anya Taylor-Joy is at the Ferrari motorhome with Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson.
Lewis Hamilton strode through the Paddock in a bespoke, bedazzled Burberry suit. Although clearly the fan-favourite, the F1 legend failed to win Silverstone this year, finishing in fourth position for Ferrari
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