Brits on Pole

Behind the scenes with Brits on Pole

Recently we’ve had some wonderful opportunities to get behind the scenes of motor racing – whether at the British Grand Prix, with factory tours or on press days.

Jenson Button hits the start/finish straight in practice

It’s been a great privilege to be offered this degree of insight, and our aim has been to try to bring these experiences as directly to the site as we can, whether through photography, audio, written features or interviews with drivers, engineers and technicians.

Here’s a selection of some of our recent ‘behind the scenes’ pieces. We hope you enjoy viewing and listening, and we’d be glad to receive suggestions on how we can improve our coverage in this area.

Behind the scenes at Ferrari during the British Grand Prix

Shell's Stuart Humm

Meet some Brits on pole that you might not have considered before – the project managers, scientists and technicians who work behind the scenes in F1 to make sure that everything comes together on the day, and who are playing at the very top of the game. They include Shell’s fuel technicians and sponsorship specialists working with Ferrari, who we got to meet during this year’s British Grand Prix.

Goodwood Festival of Speed podcast

Jim Clark's Lotus

We made our first visit to the iconic British motorsport festival this year, not as members of Her Majesty’s Press but as paying customers. We had a great time – and put together our first ever podcast, as a user guide for anyone who wants a taste of what to expect. Visit the associated photo gallery here.

Superleague Formula at Donington Park

Donington pitlane

Superleague Formula, a football-themed racing series now approaching the halfway point in its second season, is still experiencing something of a credibility gap with fans who wonder whether the two sports will ever fit well together. We were among the sceptics when it launched, but were already starting to come around even before we got a close look at the powerful cars and talked to some of the drivers about what it’s like to race them.

Behind the scenes at Williams F1

Williams' trophies

Williams F1 – one of the most iconic racing teams ever to compete in motor racing’s top-flight series. Formed in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, it is one of only three teams in Formula One to have won 100 races. It has also taken nine constructor’s titles between 1980 and 1997 and seven drivers’ championships. Get a rare glimpse behind the scenes at the factory and team museum.

Top Gear Live preview event

Do Not Feed The Stig

Top Gear Live, the stunt-filled live-action version of the BBC TV show, launched its 2009-10 tour at Earl’s Court on Bonfire Night. Title sponsors Shell V-Power invited Brits on Pole to the launch, so we scrambled roving reporter Scott McCarthy and sent him into action. Here’s his review.

Behind the scenes at the Philips Driving Academy prizewinners’ day

The winner with Kazuki Nakajima

As competitions go, this has to be one of the big ones: enter an online game of reflexes and win a drive at Silverstone in a Formula One car, courtesy of Williams’ sponsor Philips. We were at Silverstone to discover how winner Rob Tarlton got on.

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