News
Prince Harry attends the British Grand Prix at Silverstone
10th July 2011
Prince Harry attended the British Grand Prix at Silverstone today and presented the winners trophy.
The royal brought added excitement to an already electric race as he toured the paddock, garages, pit lane and grid ahead of the event, then presented the trophy to Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso.
Red Bull rivals Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber took second and third places.
Before the race, Prince Harry said: "I'll be cheering on Jenson and Lewis, big time.
"Obviously weather is playing a big part, as it always does at Silverstone.
"I'm hoping for rain, just because I think it will be better for McLaren, but we will have to wait and see."
But his wish did not come true, with some parts of the circuit staying dry.
Prince Harry was met and escorted by former racing drivers Damon Hill and Sir Jackie Stewart, President and Vice President of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC).
He watched the race with them and other dignitaries including Transport Secretary Philip Hammond and Jeremy Hunt, secretary of state for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.
After presenting the trophy to Alonso to cheers from the crowd, Prince Harry managed to escape a shower of champagne and leave the circuit.
Prince Harry, who was at the event on behalf of The Queen, was joined by three
wounded servicemen with whom he spent three days in the North Pole earlier this year for the Walking With The Wounded trek.
Patron of the charity, Prince Harry joined them for the world's first unaided North Pole expedition by a team of war-wounded amputees.
Captain Martin Hewitt, Captain Guy Disney, and Private Jaco van Gass said they were invited by text message by Prince Harry to the occasion, where they also met the Formula 1 stars.
"It's amazing, the technology, the tactics, it's quite similar to Army stuff in some ways," said Capt Disney, 28, from Oxford.
Pte van Gass, 24, who lost his left arm and severely injured his left leg in an RPG attack in Afghanistan in 2009, said: "I think Guy got a text from Harry about this.
"One guy is stuck in work, he's actually the one of us who is keenest on racing."
Capt Hewitt, 29, from Cheshire, whose right arm was paralysed after he was shot in the shoulder in Afghanistan in 2007, said it was a great experience, adding: "I have always watched it since I was a kid, so to be here is brilliant."
A St James's Palace spokesman said it had been Prince Harry's idea to involve the men he joined during the Walking with the Wounded expedition to the North Pole.
And Prince Harry took time to pay tribute to them as he walked the grid ahead of the race, saying: "They are a great bunch of lads, they did amazing things."
This is not the first time Prince Harry has visited Silverstone.
BRDC President Damon Hill said: "I was presented with a trophy by his mum in 1994, he was here but just a lad back then.
"It's absolutely fantastic that he has shown the interest and come to see a race, this is a big British sport event and to have Prince Harry here showing an interest is great.
"He is obviously very keen to learn about it all."
The Prince was also presented with a collector's edition 2011 F1 Pit Lane Pass from Formula 1 tycoon Bernie Ecclestone.
And Prince Harry bumped into drum'n'bass star Goldie, who he teamed up with for
BBC Two series Goldie's Band - By Royal Appointment, which searched the
UK for youngsters with "raw musical talent".
"It's great that he's here. Harry is a people's champion, he really is," the star said.
"The royals span a huge demographic and Harry hits the younger demographic."