Take a heart-pounding, high-octane motorsport, add a storied legacy spanning 74 years, some mind-melting futuristic innovations and a loyal fanbase comprising millions around the world and you’ll get Formula 1®. It seems only right that they would make an exhibition about it.
Now open in London’s ExCel Centre, the Formula 1® exhibition celebrates the sport in all its multifaceted glory – everything from the record-breaking victories to the headline-making scandals – and we paid a visit to immerse ourselves in the thrilling world of the much-loved motorsport. Read on for our review of the Formula 1® Exhibition…
Where exactly is the Formula 1® Exhibition?
Where exactly is the Formula 1® Exhibition?London’s Formula 1® Exhibition is located in the ExCel centre, just a short meander from Custom House station. This is easy enough to get if the Elizabeth line is playing ball, but if not you can always turn to the DLR (or Uber if the mood strikes). Basically, it’s well-connected.
Once you arrive, there’s plenty of signage, so you’ll find yourself on the right track pretty sharpish and wandering through the doors into a sprawling space emblazoned with sleek neon race car designs and logos galore; not only a reassuring sight for those (like me) who tend to get lost and need to know they are in the right place but also a prime backdrop for a photo op.
Looking in the rearview mirror
Bags in lockers and armed with an audio guide, it’s time to start. The exhibition invites you to ‘experience the past, present and future of Formula 1®’ and like all good time-travelling journeys – you start at the very beginning. Blame the poignant quotes stamped on the walls and gripping footage, or maybe it was the cavernous space and distant sounds of roaring race cars (an especially nice touch), but instantly I felt a sense of gravitas – like stepping into a giant coliseum where something epic was about to unfold. F1® is nothing if not exhilarating after all. Once you take a moment to look around, you can start to explore and there’s plenty to take in.
Whether it’s iconic cars that catch your eye or you soak up written knowledge like a sponge, you can easily flit between studying the gleaming chassis of infamous cars throughout F1® history and reading about how motorsport came to fruition – all the way back in the late 19th-century. There’s a lot of information, often overwhelming at times, but for a fan it’s an intriguing deep dive into the humble, slightly more rough-around-the-edges beginnings of what often feels like a very modern sport.
The first room lays the foundations for all things Formula 1®. This, for me, was particularly effective as I confess I didn’t have a clue about the ins and outs of this shiny world of fast cars and high-tech engineering. The detailed timeline of events came in handy, showing how the sport has grown from more elementary bullet-shaped automobiles with a scrappy thirst for speed, to large sleek machines that are starting to resemble the Batmobile.
Checking the brakes
Ever wondered how exactly a Formula 1® race car gets made? I’m pretty sure every single question you have about the creation of an F1® race car will be answered at this exhibition. The Design Lab is for all of you who geek out on mechanics, covering everything from aerodynamics to brakes and suspension – and, a particular focus throughout the exhibition and intrinsic part of modern-day F1® – safety measures.
To stretch the Batman comparison a little further, it does feel like stepping into the Batcave, where the walls are covered in all sorts of gadgets and intricate pieces of machinery. With touch screens, Pirelli tyres on display and fascinating charts – Did you know how much tyre strategy can affect the race? Spoiler alert: it’s a lot. My main take away was that every single detail of a Formula 1® race car is meticulously thought out – remove one piece of the puzzle and the overall performance is affected.
A particular favourite part for me was looking at the drivers, past and present, who have left their own unique tyre tracks in the world of Formula 1®. Everyone from Jim Clark to Michael Schumacher gets a moment in the spotlight. There are vibrant displays, stats galore and an impressive wall of helmets, some of which are scrawled with signatures and others with dents and grazes.
Keeping your eyes on the prize
Those of you who are here for the star cars won’t be disappointed. There’s everything from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes AMG F1 W09 to Senna’s McLaren MP4/4. The Lotus 72 was a personal favourite, with fond memories of playing with my grandparents’ model version during my childhood, but there’s a thrilling mix of old and new to keep everyone happy. Of course, it’s only ‘look and don’t touch’ but seeing these mechanical feats in the ‘flesh’ was very cool. Your inner kid (or actual child if they tag along) will be delighted.
The evolution of these cars isn’t just reflected in writing, you get to see how they’ve changed over the years with different features from over the years displayed together. Things are a lot bigger and intricate nowadays…
And it seems they’re only going to get better if the Formula 1® exhibition’s look at 2050 is anything to go by. At one point I thought I’d stumbled upon concept designs for a new sci-fi epic, but it was actually a glimpse at what is to come. Forget children, women are the future (of F1). As is sustainability, and, as you might expect, technology. I would recommend taking a moment to watch the video, as I not only discovered how Formula 1® engineers played a critical role during the recent pandemic but also felt a spark of excitement for the future of a sport I previously didn’t know much about. In the words of McClaren CEO Zak Brown “Sports are only just getting started”.
In recent years especially, with big celebs attending the Grand Prix, biographical films about legendary drivers, giant sponsorship deals and fast cars, Formula 1® exudes glitz and glamour. But there’s more beneath the polished surface, namely a big emphasis on safety. F1® has had its fair share of tragedies and breath-stealing events, and before the exhibition ends there is a moment to reflect on this. You can see the charred remains of Romain Grosjean’s chassis from the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix – a structure that ultimately saved his life thanks to safety innovations. It’s an effective reminder of the people at the heart of the sport who work behind the scenes to make it safe.
Following a climactic end wrapped in the cinematic screens of the Pit Wall, there is then the opportunity to get behind the wheel on ‘The Fastest Lap Simulator’. This is an add-on you will need to book before the exhibition alongside your ticket. I would recommend it for those of you who fancy a taste of what it is like to drive around Silverstone (and unleash a bit of speed demon energy) but may not have the same impact for those a tad more unfamiliar with it all. Though, it was pretty satisfying once I figured out the best spots to put my foot down. It’s all about tactics.
Over the finish line
All in all, the Formula 1® exhibition is a complete immersion into the extraordinary stories, pivotal figures and iconic cars of a speed-obsessed world. F1® fans will love it and I’m sure it will make new fans of those of you who previously didn’t have a clue (aka me). There is heaps of information to take in, so depending on how devoted you are to reading every sentence, you could be there for over two hours. In other words, be sure to carve out a good chunk of time. They haven’t forgotten their city host either. In a collaboration with Silverstone, there are some special features for British fans to look out for.
With interactive elements (that often made us feel like mere mortals compared to the professionals), heart-in-your-mouth footage and the chance to see history-making cars up close it’s a true spectacle of grit and glamour. Formula 1® doesn’t do anything half-assed, it’s all about pushing the limits, and this exhibition appears to live up to that trend.
