Race Reaction goes to: F1 Exhibition London
Image: Manav Pallan
In 2023, Formula One offered fans a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of the world’s fastest sport. Starting in Madrid, F1 Exhibition showcases the past, present and future of the sport with interactive displays that educate as well as entertain. The exhibition then moved to Vienna in late 2023, with even better ticket sales.
This year, F1 Exhibition will entertain motorsport fans in two amazing locations, the ExCeL in London and the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. We paid a visit to the London exhibition and here’s what we thought about it!
A rich history
Image: Manav Pallan
The first section of the exhibition was a beautiful display of all that’s great about British motorsport. As you walk in, you’re greeted by a huge wall with information about how the sport we love came to be, with letters to and from prominent figures in the early F1 world such as Enzo Ferrari, Colin Chapman, and Bernie Ecclestone.
Our favourite bit of this section was this trophy display pictured above, which featured the trophy for the winning constructor of the 1997 British Grand Prix, which was Williams, and a special opportunity to see the British Grand Prix trophy. The standout in this area, however, was the iconic trophy from Ayrton Senna’s victory at the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donnington.
Image: Manav Pallan
The headset that the exhibition provides you with will guide you through the history of Formula One came with special interviews with Ecclestone and Ross Brawn playing on large screens around the room. A small section of the Royal Automobile Club’s commemorative royal book was also on show, with signatures from King George VI, the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret, marking their visit to the first-ever Formula One race held on May 13th, 1950.
Cutting edge technology
Image: Manav Pallan
Another key feature was the room which detailed Formula One’s awe-inspiring technological development, from the very first monocoque chassis (pictured above) which won Colin Chapman, Jim Clark, and Lotus the 1962 World Championship. This display took fans on a journey from Formula One’s first foray into carbon fibre, pioneered by the legendary John Barnard at McLaren in the 1980s, to modern-day innovations, including the use of the double diffuser and the introduction of the hybrid power unit.
This particular display also included how far the sport has ensuring the safety of its drivers, with rapid development of the survival cell and the design of the car to minimise the effect of heavy impacts on drivers involved in crashes.
The sacrifices made and the efforts of the sport’s engineers to make the sport a safer place were cemented by the thought-provoking display of Romain Grosjean’s charred Haas VF-20, which sported the scars of the blaze in which Grosjean remained for a mere 28 seconds. The bleached sections from the fire retarded serve as a solemn reminder that motorsport is dangerous, even in the 21st Century.
In this room were two championship winning cars from the last few years, the Mercedes W09, which piloted Lewis Hamilton to his fifth world championship, and the Red Bull RB16B, which famously won Max Verstappen his maiden world driver’s championship in 2021.
The best sport in the world
Image: Manav Pallan
In the final room of the exhibition, a colourful array of helmets, suits, and trophies lined the walls of the ExCeL, with so many interesting stories to follow. You’re met with this unique arrangement of drivers in their assumed driving position, from Lando Norris’ 2024 helmet and suit, all the way back to Juan Manuel Fangio’s setup from the 1950s.
There was an insightful display of the earlier days of the drivers, which shows just how much commitment (and money) you have to put in for that big Formula One dream to pay off!
The first thing you see is a screen which shows archive footage from the karting days featuring drivers such as Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, and Lewis Hamilton. Speaking of Lewis, his first go-kart and race suit were displayed, with all the scuffs from his karting sessions in Stevenage.
Next to this display was a tribute to the Red Bull Driver Academy and how its founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, founded a powerhouse that would go on to produce some of the sport’s most successful drivers namely Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
The wall was decorated with driver helmets from all eras. Our particular favourites were Robert Kubica’s 2011 and Niki Lauda’s 1976 designs, which stood proud with other iconic helmets.
The section also paid tribute to the rivalries that made the sport what it is today, displaying memorabilia from iconic rivalries including Senna/Prost, Schumacher/Hakkinen, and Verstappen/Hamilton. These rivalries were immortalised in a collection of various silverware and odd bits of car and merchandise to give fans a flavour of the tense yet entertaining periods of Formula One.
The end of the exhibit was extremely memorable as it featured busts of the sport’s most iconic drivers including Lewis Hamilton and Ayrton Senna, some more accurate than others! The final section of the exhibition was a short video that played in a very dystopian-looking room, with huge screens surrounding you, which made you feel like you were in a Blade Runner reboot. The video featured footage from the 1950s all the way up to the 2020s - an incredible way to display the beauty of this wonderful sport.
Should you go?
In our honest opinion, we think the F1 Exhibition in London was an amazing experience for all Formula One fans, both old and new. Where else can you see modern F1 cars and original paperwork from the 1967 British GP side-by-side? Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just started out via Drive to Survive, we’d recommend this beautiful collection of the very best Formula One has to offer.
Although it may seem quite pricey for a 45-minute experience, we can confirm that it is worth every penny. You can still book tickets until the end of the exhibition, which is in London until the end of the year by visiting the official F1 Exhibition website here.
