\n<\/p>\n
There are, of course, parts to any day out like this which are simply unavoidable.<\/p>\n
There will be some queuing and waiting around, not helped by the unrelenting heat and sun. There will be some hand-holding as you manoeuvre through the overwhelming crowds. And there will be certain sounds and smells that trigger anxiety.<\/p>\n
You just have to navigate those things as they happen – and even then, whatever you do, whatever the provision, everything can become a bit too much.<\/p>\n
Joshua was quiet for much of Saturday. He does not give a lot away verbally, but you can see in his eyes and body language when he is having to grapple with both his emotions and the sheer sensory overload.<\/p>\n
This all spilled over on the morning of the race. He woke up feeling poorly, half wanting to go home and half wanting to go back to the track. Moved to tears, this was likely autistic burnout from the day before starting to show itself.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, with patience and rest it passed – and we were ready to go again and bring the noise.<\/p>\n
Noise level, given we’re dealing with state-of-the-art racing machines thundering around a circuit, is actually a big talking point currently and particularly pertinent for neurodivergent fans.<\/p>\n
Mohammed Ben Sulayem – the president of governing body the FIA – would like to see a return to V8 engines in either 2030 or 2031. In layman’s terms, this means the cars would go back to producing the much more dramatic – and much louder – sound of years gone by.<\/p>\n
Some supporters have long campaigned for such a switch, but it could negatively affect the growing neurodivergent fanbase who have become used to the quieter hybrid engines used since 2014.<\/p>\n
In the immediate term, though, the team at Silverstone can only concentrate on what is within their control – and they are getting plenty right.<\/p>\n
In the family zone, an area accessible to all and where Joshua got lost in Lego, there is a sensory room designed to offer some refuge from the hordes.<\/p>\n
There were also an extra 120 volunteers – or ‘race makers’, as they are called – to help Silverstone fulfil its accessibility requirements in 2026.<\/p>\n
“It’s just so lovely to see more and more people realise they can go out, they can do it, they can take their families with them and they can have a really good time,” said Broomhall.<\/p>\n
So, did Joshua end up having a really good time?<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the best days of my life.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n