Opening on August 23rd at ExCeL, the London show is set to be the biggest F1® Exhibition show to date, with a number of new additions including iconic Formula 1 cars and historic memorabilia from the world of F1 and contributions from leading teams.
British motorsport legend and 1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill who visited the preview of the show on Tuesday, revealed Lewis Hamilton’s 2018 record-breaking Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+ that’s being exclusively displayed at the London show.
Other stars of the exhibitions include Ayrton Senna’s legendary 1988 title-winning McLaren MP4/4 and Max Verstappen’s 2021 winning Red Bull RB16 and many more.
Past, present and future
“Auto racing began 5 minutes after the second car was built,” a quote famously attributed to Henry Ford, epitomises motorsport’s instant appeal. The new exhibition explores the origins and pivotal moments in racing, from the 19th century’s first drivers racing on open roads around Paris and the rise of purpose-built circuits where paying spectators cheered on the first generation of superstar drivers, to the future prospects of 500 km/h electric cars and AI-assisted races.
The exhibition includes an interactive audio guide that you can activate at your own pace as you walk round.
Six rooms of speed
The exhibition comes to life across six unique rooms, each specially commissioned for the show. The journey begins in Once Upon A Time in Formula 1, taking visitors through some of the sport’s most defining moments, featuring four iconic race cars and artefacts; as well as bringing the legend of the British Grand Prix to life through an exclusive partnership with Silverstone Museum. The McLaren MP4/14, Williams FW07, Lotus 72 and the iconic 1961 Ferrari 156 F1 “Sharknose” all feature in this first room.
Design Lab offers a glimpse of the detail and development that goes into every race car – such as Verstappen’s 2021 world championship winning Red Bull RB16b car on display. See a breakdown of different parts that make up a formula one car like the monocoque chassis, power train, brakes, suspension and tyres. This room features contributions from Williams Racing, Stake F1 Team, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, McLaren Racing and exhibition Principle Technical Partner Pirelli.
Drivers & Duels is a race-circuit inspired experience, exploring the sport’s champions with numerous interactive games, a Hall of Fame and unique memorabilia. The room contains genuine trophies, 21 race suits, a wall of nearly 100 helmets and an interactive reaction game against an F1 driver.
Revolution by Design presents the innovations in design and technology that is powering the sport into the future, with contributions from McLaren Racing, Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, Classic Team Lotus, Susie Wolff and the inclusion of Lewis Hamilton’s winning 2019 W09 and Ayrton Senna’s legendary McLaren MP4/4.
Survival, in collaboration with Moneygram Haas F1 Team, displays the scarcely believable charred remains of Romain Grosjean’s car from his 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix fireball crash and is dedicated to the pioneers who have sacrificed to improve the sports safety throughout time.
The Pit Wall, Formula 1 Exhibition’s final room, then provides a thrilling climax with an immersive state-of-the-art driving simulator that celebrates the sensational 74-year story of Formula 1. Racers can compete to get the fastest lap that gets displayed on a large leaderboard.
You can also get behind the wheel of an F1 car and win tickets for the 2025 British Grand Prix™, as well as try one of family-friendly interactive experiences.
The Formula 1® Exhibition is located at ExCeL London (Royal Victoria Dock 1 Western Gateway, E16 1XL). Tickets and more information can be found here.
Image credits: © The Formula 1 Exhibition
