Lando Norris, buoyed by McLaren's success, joins Lewis Hamilton in the hearts of the British public at the Silverstone Formula 1 Grand Prix

For the ^12th round of the Formula 1 (F1) World Championship, at Silverstone (United Kingdom), more than 160,000 people are expected on Sunday, July 6. As the British Grand Prix approaches, the area around the circuit is submerged in a surprising tide of fluorescent orange. "Actually, it's more papaya-colored," says Jason, a short, wiry 50-year-old man who has driven from the south coast with his 13-year-old son James. Both are wearing the official T-shirt and cap of the McLaren team, which adopted this flashy livery in the 1960s to differentiate itself from the competition. With its two drivers leading the world championship standings, the team from Woking, two hours away, is on a roll.

Unlike his father, who has supported the orange team for over thirty years, James only recently came to F1 after watching Drive to Survive, the Netflix documentary series that has been chronicling the behind-the-scenes stories of the most prestigious motorsport since 2019. “Like him, many young people are fascinated by the lives of the drivers, whom they follow on social media,” observes Jason. “That’s why F1 is more popular than ever. In the UK, the range of people interested in it is very diverse.”

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