F1 with children in Spielberg - what a family wrote to us after the race

After each Formula 1 weekend, we receive a few thank-you messages — from families, couples, regular guests. Some of them tell exactly what is important to us: that it's not the spectacular things that you remember, but what worked smoothly. We were allowed to publish this one with the family's consent because it touches on a question that is most frequently asked of us — and for which there is factual evidence.

The Message

"Dear Schitterhof Team,

We wanted to get in touch again — even though the race was already a week ago. To be honest, before our arrival, I had a bad feeling that with two children (6 and 9) we would end up with a weekend without sleep. My husband really wanted to go to the F1 — the kids were excited too — and I had the idea of 'constant bass from the neighboring tent' and a tired family on the drive home on Monday.

It was different. Mara was asleep every evening after 15 minutes. Felix even overslept on Saturday morning — which means something coming from a 9-year-old who just wanted to 'watch one lap'. We didn't use earplugs once, and I wouldn't have known where to find them if we needed them.

What surprised us the most: after 11 p.m., it was just... quiet. Not 'somehow quieter', but really quiet. We commented on this several times after the second evening because we didn't expect it. The question we had asked ourselves beforehand — 'Can we even subject the children to this?' — was answered on the first night.

We will come back in 2026. Felix says he wants to see Hamilton in the front row this time. Mara says she will pack her igloo tent with the star pattern again — even though she 'actually doesn't need it anymore'. We'll let her. Thank you for a weekend that we didn't expect.

Warm regards,
Family M., Donaueschingen
July 2025"

Why this is also acoustically understandable

What Family M. experienced is not a coincidence — it is documented and understandable. An independent acoustic analysis of all camping sites around the Red Bull Ring according to the international standard ISO 9613-2 shows 38.7 dB(A) at midnight on the F1 weekend for our site. For comparison: a library is around 30 dB(A), a quiet living room at night is at 35–40 dB(A). Other official color-coded sites around the Ring are in the same model between 58 and 65 dB(A) — equivalent to normal conversation level.

The difference is not random. It results from three factors cleanly documented by the model: a chain of hills between Spielbergerstraße and the track, providing 17–22 dB attenuation according to the standard. Main access roads that do not pass through the area. And the structural decision not to operate a DJ stage or race corner on our site.

This is not a statement from us. It is a model calculation with ±5 dB tolerance, the methodology and sources of which are openly available on the linked page. What Family M. heard (or didn't hear) at night aligns with what the geography predicts.

For families still undecided

We recommend the F1 with children. Provided that sleep is guaranteed. Those who want to read the background of the model calculation can find it on the Camping Guide linked above. For those who simply want to book — pitches usually sell out eight to ten months in advance, with quiet locations going first.

Published with the consent of Family M., name anonymized upon request. The mentioned levels are from the model calculation according to ISO 9613-2 (±5 dB tolerance).