A visit to Silverstone to see the FIA World Endurance Championship 2013 was in order this weekend. I picked Saturday to go, well aware that rain was forecast in the afternoon. But I felt the circuit would be quieter and therefore better opportunities for photography.

I planned in my mind to get there are 09:00am to see the free practice session for the first hour and then go across to the centre of the circuit to the paddock area. I in fact managed to do it in reverse and kicked myself as I walked over the bridge and watched the first of the cars coming along the straight kicking up the spray of the wet track from the night before. What a great photo that would of made. Mental note to myself for next time I go to Silverstone and it’s a wet track.

A few of the stands had been opened for the day and I started off in the Woodcote stand, looking down as the cars came out of Luffield into Woodcote and round into the old pit straight. Now called the “National Pit Straight”.

After leaving the Woodcote stand I wandered round to the raised area at the back of Luffield. This is a favourite place for photographers as you are able to look down onto the track without the fencing getting in the way of your shot. In fact you are shooting over the top of it. Unsurprisingly I found about another 20 photographers here, and also a small raised platform had been setup for the TV Camera filming the days events. I stopped to watch and photograph some of the F3 (Formula 3) qualifying and then moved on to see the new pit straight. Unsurprisingly called the “International Pit Straight”. I decided to wander on further as it was crowded here and I hadn’t walked the length of the circuit in a number of years. Plus I had not seen the new layout of the circuit round at “The Vale” and “Club”.

Thus I have now discovered a second good location at Silverstone for taking pictures. At the bottom of The Vale is a slow left, right chicane which I would imagine is probably the slowest part of the circuit. Here there is a raised bank in front of a spectators stand and you are no more than around 10 meters from the side of the track. Again unsurprisingly there were a number of photographers here, but I managed to find a spot and spent around an hour taking pictures as seen below.

I continued to wander round the circuit. I could of guessed it would start to rain as I was literally equidistant away from the exit and car park where I had parked. I continued round with the view of cutting back under the circuit into the paddocks behind the National Pit Straight. As I came up through the tunnel the F3 cars were queuing waiting to go out onto the circuit for their race of the afternoon. It gave me an opportunity to catch some close up shots, normally reserved for those able to get on the grid at a race. Not one moment after they had gone, and it started to rain heavier. I stopped to grab a shot of the Dunlop truck before finding my way back to the car.