Merging elements of the three main festivals has resulted in paddocks that are quite literally overflowing with metal; the sides of the paths littered with sports cars, supercars and vintage racers taking part in races and demonstration events on and around the circuit over three days.
But where crowds would normally be crowding for pictures, there is just space. “It’s quite surreal being here with nobody else,” says the Duke of Richmond. I wish everyone could be here.
“So we want people to join us and watch it.”
There are some opportunities that come with adversity – and the lack of thousands of spectators on site, and SpeedWeek is taking advantage of the situation, with a rally special stage that will see Group B machines crackle over areas normally filled with tea and champagne tents; a high-speed shootout on the circuit, where there are no banks of fans to worry about.
The format also offers new possibilities, says the Duke. “The idea of the races is that there is a consistency of background, punctured with big Festival of Speed-style moments.
“At the Festival of Speed, we can send down a gaggle of cars to the bottom of the hill but it’s not the same.
“Here, you can send out 30 F1 cars, have the cameras in amongst them – that looks pretty cool. We can do things on the circuit we can’t normally do.
“This is going to be much more than watching the revival live stream. It’s a whole show, with everything built around it. I hope this will show us that we can really make that work.”
