PPC2Britain: "Silverstone"

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Dust shrouded the horizon

The Sweet smell of engines burning

Wheels screeching turning

Thousands gathered under the scorching sun

Merch Galore, met a Mario troupe 

Slid like banana peels to give the scoop

Mere milliseconds positioned the pole for Verstappen

Hamilton and Lando each led a lap

Difficult to forecast what could happen 

The heat wave lashing through London

The weather for Sunday predicted rain

My wardrobe filled as my pockets drain

Buzzed with the hive, my last day among them

the final race all that remain

In the garden of a pub we cheered drinks with laughs

in the bottoms of a glass, we found new paths 

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The sandy lands of Silverstone were shrouded in plumes of dust. The sheer aftermath of displaced air sent riveting winds throughout. The sun shone through the gaps of the fog with a sweltering heat as we arrived.

The atmosphere and attendees were as exuberant as the races themselves. The poem explicitly mentions the group of Mario enthusiasts who came clad in Mario Kart-themed costumes. //Full interviews available at the links to socials below

These were not the only outstanding crowd members. Even JoJo's protagonist would have trouble discerning who an enemy stan user was from a die-hard fan. We witnessed the stunning glisten of Ferrari supporters in full body disco-esque aesthetic outfits. There was overwhelming support for Lewis Hamilton, 9-time Silverstone Grand Prix Champion. 

The consensus three frontrunners- Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton- each showed out during the second day of racing for qualifiers. The latter two each zoomed toward a first place seat in a qualifying lap. However, the final qualifying lap was the true heartbeat escalator of the day. Lap after lap we saw Oscar Piastri, Norris and Hamilton produce strong showings. Time trickled out. It seemed as though the positions were set into stone. However, a shocking turnaround lap captured the pole position with the final drainages of time. Verstappen had managed to edge out Piastri by mere milliseconds.

An eight-time returning attendee to the Silverstone Grand Prix noted the exceptionally large crowd on the first day. He claimed this was the most packed he had seen in the area. He also ironically remarked that his biggest takeaway was “how slow Verstappen was.” //I assume Verstappen angrily sneezed in this exact moment and vowed to race out of revenge the following two days.

I discussed with fans about the potential impact of the weather on the race. The UK had been experiencing record heat waves. These brewed the perfect elixir to decimate the racers’ typical plans.

My pockets were decimated as my card continued to rain down at the various kiosks, stands and stores. Every jacket, jersey and shirt was worth each pound. //I look at my account reminding myself that i totally infallibly do NOT regret anything….still hurts.

I stumbled upon another distinctive character amongst the crowd on my final day in Silverstone. Clad in a bee-themed racing suit, members of the National Trust Stowe Gardens were promoting their “highway for nature.” This utilized the platform of Formula 1 to raise awareness for the endangered species and plants they wished to preserve with this natural trail. 

We watched the final race in a pub called “the Garden” near our hotel. We laughed, drank and ate as we witnessed a historic race to cap off the 75th anniversary of the Silverstone F1 racing Grand Prix. As I was at the bar to refill my glass, I stumbled upon a woman with a familiar owl on her shirt. She informed me that one of my favorite childhood artists would soon arrive in London. I returned to witness the remainder of the race with a plot thickening in my head.