The F1 Exhibition is an interactive exposition telling a story of Formula 1, it’s innovation and history. Visitors are taken through the history, starting from the birth of motor racing as a whole, through the first ever Formula 1 race at Silverstone, all the way to the 2024 season, and beyond. The F1 Exhibition is a temporary museum, currently located in London, in the Excel Exhibition centre, previously visiting Madrid, Toronto and Vienna. It’s a must-see for all fans of Formula 1, and everyone will find something of interest there. Both, the young fans of motorsports, as well as the more experienced viewers, who know this discipline inside and out.
What F1 Exhibition Has To Offer
The F1 Exhibition is a mix of everything. From some of the legendary cars put on a display, through recorded interviews with former F1 drivers, Team Principals and even drivers, interactive screens allowing to see parts from every angle, to really in-depth analysis of how an F1 engine works, or how the cars generate downforce.
The F1 exhibition in London is also run in partnership with the Silverstone Museum, so there are a lot of facts and information about the one of most recognizable circuits, including documents and photographs from the first race held in 1950, the trophies awarded to the winners of the Silverstone Grand Prix, and even the changes made to the circuit across it’s over 70 years of history.
Helmets And Simulator
Fans from all generations will see helmets of their favourite drivers, including the one worn by Johen Rindt, Peter Revson, Ayrton Senna, but also some of the more modern ones, such as Robert Kubica’s from his time in Renault, the legendary helmet of Lewis Hamilton from the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, as well as his purple helmet from the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grant Prix.
Additionally, you can buy some sessions on the F1 simulators, which are in the room next to the exhibition entrance. There, you can compete to drive the perfect qualifying lap at Silverstone, and compare your time to Lewis Hamilton pole position time. For the best participants, there are some rewards, but be aware – the best times on the leaderboard were faster than Hamilton’s lap time, so unless you’re a real pro, it may be difficult to compete.
Who F1 Exhibition Is For?
The F1 Exhibition is for everyone, no matter their age or level of passion. Personally, I’m a huge geek, and I was a bit sceptical, thinking it will be difficult to show me something that I’m not aware of, but as soon as I entered the exhibition, I was instantly absorbed, and learned a lot more to what I knew already. Inside the F1 exhibition, there were people of all ages, in my timeslot there were many families with small kids, who absolutely loved it, as well as people who looked 60+, and also were fully absorbed by the experience.
F1 HistorianS
Those, who are into history of Formula 1, will spend most of the time in the initial parts of the F1 exhibition, as it tells the story of F1, split into 5 eras. There are a lot of interesting stories, of how the Queen of Motorsports grew in popularity, and how much of a niche sport it used to be in the 50s and 60s.
A big chunk of the exhibition is dedicated to Bernie Ecclestone, and tells the story of how he helped commercialize Formula 1, helped get it on the TV, and invested millions into growing the F1’s popularity worldwide. Since his reign, Formula 1 was no longer just a show for petrol-heads, it became the discipline we know today.
F1 Exhibition for the tech lovers
For all tech lovers, there are numerous F1 engines put on display, including some of the most classic engines, such as the V8 Renault Engine that helped Red Bull win 4 consecutive titles in 2010-2013, or the DFV 3.0-Litre engine from the 1967 Ford Cosworth, and the 1.5-Litre Turbocharged TAG-Porsche engine.
There is also a big section dedicated to the aerodynamics of Formula 1. With various infographics, videos, and examples of how the fight for downforce has changed across the years. Visitors can compare the High Wing, the first rear wing introuced in Lotus 49B, in the 1968, the rear wing of Jody Scheckter’s Ferrari 312 T4 from 1979, and the modern era rear wings of Mercedes and Red Bull.
Front wings have their section as well, and it’s the part which shows best how much bigger the 2024 cars got, compared to the ones from the first decade of the XXIst century. The screens behind the exhibits, show the airflow produced by the front wings and how it impacts the rest of the F1 car.
F1 Exhibition Ticket Prices
If you want to attend the F1 Exhibition in London, get ready to spend quite a lot on the tickets. For adults, the cheapest ticket is £30 on weekdays, and it gets more pricy on Weekends and holidays, with £33 per person. Kids can enjoy the F1 Exhibition for £16 on the weekdays and £18 on the Weekends and holidays. It’s not cheap, but the F1 Exhbition is temporary, and you get a lot of value out of it.
| Weekdays | Weekends and holidays | |
| Adult (17+) | £30.00 | £33.00 |
| Kids (5-16) | £16.00 | £18.00 |
| FLEX – Adult (17+) | £35.00 | £45.00 |
| FLEX – Child (5-16) | £30.00 | £40.00 |
| Group Bundle (min. 5 tickets) | £27.50 | £29.25 |
| VIP – Podium | £75.50 | £78.50 |
| The Fastest Lap – Simulator | £15.00 | £15.00 |
On top of that, you will have to pay £3.00 for a locker at the venue, as you cannot enter it with any food, drinks or even backpacks. I would recommend not buying the Simulator ticket for £15.00. The sessions are quite short, so you only have a couple of minutes to play it, and the queue was quite long during my visit. Also, the only track available is Silverstone, and you can only do qualifying laps. You cannot choose your favourite tracks like Monza or Las Vegas, it has to be Silverstone. Quite lame…
How To Get To F1 Exhibition In London?
The F1 Exhbition is located in the ExCel event venue in the east part of London, right next to the London City Airport. You can get there via the Docklands Light Railway from Tower Gateway (next to Tower of London) and then disembark at the Customs House. You can also use the Elizabeth Line, which connects Abbey Wood with Reading, and goes through some of the major London stations, including the Paddington and Farrington.
Alternatively, you can take the IFS Cloud from the O2 arena, and cross the Thames with beautiful views of London. You will end your journey next to the City Hall, which is a 5-minute walk from the F1 Exhbition.
Is F1 Exhibition Really Worth It?
Yes, the F1 Exhibition is worth the visit, as it provides a great dose of knowledge about F1’s history, challenges and all the technological advancements it brought to life. You will also learn a lot about the drivers, how much work they have to do to be physically fit for the racing, and you will be surprised how young some of the F1 drivers started.
However, the F1 Exhibition is not without any flaws. The tickets are quite expensive, and the whole tour will take you approximately 90 minutes. What struck me the most were the crowds of people in every single room. I was there at the weekend, so I knew it may be a bit more crowded, but didn’t expect so many people. It made the experience much worse, as often I had to wait in queue to be able to read some infographics or take a look at some of the images on display.
Another pain in the neck were the audioguides, which were awful. Yes, they were free, but they wanted to do something innovative, where it clearly wasn’t needed. Instead of tapping the number of the recording and then listening to it, you had to use it like a remote control, and scan a small button by the items on display. This, combined with the crowds made it impossible to locate some of the buttons, and when you finally found them, they were impossible to scan. The worst one took me 5 minutes to scan, just to turn out to be a 30 second recording.
faq
How Long Does F1 Exhibition Take To Visit?
The F1 Exhibition should take you approximately 90 minutes, but if you want to read every piece of information, and watch all the videos and recordings, it may take even 2 hours. In addition, there is a merch shop at the end of the F1 Exhibition, where you can spend some more time looking for gadgets and team apparel.
How Long Will The F1 Exhibition Be Available?
The F1 Exhbition is currently in London, and will be there until December 31st, 2024. It is not yet known which city will be the next one to host the F1 exhibition.
Can I take Photos and Videos at The F1 Exhibition?
Yes, you can take photos and videos of all the exhibits, however be prepared for quite a lot of people around you. It may be difficult to take a perfect picture, and you should not be holding up the traffic, while trying to take one. Be respectful to others
How to Get to F1 Exhibition?
The best way to get to the F1 Exhibition is to take either the Victoria Line from one of London’s stations or use the Docklands Light Railway starting from the Tower Gateway towards Beckton. The travel will take approximately 20 minutes from the centre of London.
