Motorsport champions Sebastian Vettel, Francesco Bagnaia, Giacomo Agostini and Jenson Button mingled with the crowds across the weekend
Marvin Kirchhöfer won the Shootout in the newly-unveiled McLaren Solus GT with a time of 45.34 seconds
1937 Bentley 4 ¼ litre Rothschild Sedanca Coupe by Gurney Nutting was named the overall winner on the Cartier Style et Luxe Lawn
After a weekend of amazing action and anniversaries, the 30th edition of the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard has come to a memorable close.
On Sunday, the event resumed after the Festival of Speed was - for the first time in 30 years - cancelled due to a severe wind warning in the Goodwood area. Although the weather paused the festivities for the day, the event was back in full swing on Sunday with a trio of thrilling balcony moments for Ferrari Le Mans winners James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Miguel Molina, MotoGP™ teams and riders, and F1 Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Glorious Goodwood: countless celebrations
The event celebrated more milestones than ever before, as we marked two major anniversaries for Goodwood - 75 years of motorsport at Goodwood and 30 years of the Festival of Speed itself. To celebrate and honour the Festival of Speed’s 30th anniversary, The Duke of Richmond opened the 2023 event in his Jaguar D-Type, the very car in which he opened the first edition of the event back in 1993, making it a full circle moment for Goodwood.
Porsche also celebrated its 75-year anniversary, as it became the first manufacturer to create the Central Feature for the fourth time in the event’s history. Showcasing some of the most iconic models, the much-anticipated sculpture featured the Porsche 804, 963, 962 356 and the variation on the 911, the 992 and 997. A parade of Porsche’s spanning the marque's history stunned spectators across the weekend, including models from the 1961 718/8 Spyder through to 2023 963. Elsewhere around the event, Porsche Art of Dreams “Dream Big'' also made an impact. The stunning piece of artwork created by Chris Labrroy, made its debut at the Festival of Speed as a giant racing driver emerged from the Cricket Pitch.
Other notable celebrations included the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 75 years of Lotus, 75 years of NASCAR, 60 years of McLaren and 50 years of WRC; alongside the event’s biggest-ever celebration of MotoGP™. Six current MotoGP™ Teams along with a host of riders and historic champions participated in the exclusively Grand Prix motorcycle batch which ran across the weekend. Aprilia Racing, CryptoDATA RNF MotoGPTM Team, Ducati Lenovo Team, GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3, LCR Honda and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing all travelled to Goodwood ahead of the British Grand Prix in August.
Motorsport icons and legends
As ever, the Festival of Speed welcomed legends from across the world of motorsport. From current and former Formula 1 drivers, to MotoGP™ riders and Ferrari Le Mans winners, there was something for every racing fan. Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel joined us on Sunday in a sustainable fuel exclusive. Vettel took to the Hill in a number of cars from his personal collection, including his ex-Nigel Mansell 1992 Williams FW14B and ex-Ayrton Senna 1993 McLaren MP4/8. Having launched his sustainable fuel campaign in 2022 - “Race Without Trace” - Vettel encouraged the adoption of sustainable fuel by both the motorsport industry and wider world, meeting fans at his Forest Paddock Shelter in the F1 Pit Lane presented by Sky.
Goodwood was delighted to welcome several current Formula 1 teams including McLaren Formula 1 Team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Team and Williams Racing. Known for being the place to meet your F1 heroes, the F1 Pit Lane presented by Sky afforded the rare opportunity to see legendary cars from across the decades and meet the teams and drivers, with crowds flocking to meet Oscar Piastri and Alex Albon. A heartwarming moment took place on the Hill when current Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team reserve driver Mick Schumacher got behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W02, which his father drove during the 2011 Formula 1 Season.
Other drivers who joined us over the weekend included, Esteban Gutierrez, Jenson Button, Karun Chandhok, Mika Häkkinen, Damon Hill, Travis Pastrana and Mark Webber.
Auction action
A collection of 240 spectacular and unique vehicles went under the hammer at the Bonhams|Cars Auction on Friday afternoon. Highlights included the 2007 Koensigsegg CCGT GT1 Competition Coupé, James Bond classic 1964 Aston Martin DB5 and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren supercar to name but a few.
Top Tech
Showcasing some of the latest technology, Future Lab presented by Randox returned for its sixth year, located in the heart of the Festival of Speed. The exhibition put ‘Technology for a Better World’ in the spotlight with over 20 pioneering international companies representing four main themes, ‘Beyond Earth, For Earth’, ‘Powering the Future’, ‘Mobility on a Mission’ and ‘Simulated Worlds’. The technology hub welcomed experts from across the industry including former astronauts Tim Peake and Mike Mongo, while on Thursday the Red Arrows joined us on the ground for a Q&A, following their magnificent display overhead.
Dynamic debuts galore
Visitors to the Festival of Speed were some of the first to see automotive world exclusives, debuts and reveals. Over the course of the weekend, the AIM EV Sport 01, Alpine A110 R, Alpine A290_β, Bentley Batur, Bentley Speed Six Continuation, BMW 5 Series, Caterham Electric Seven, Caterham Project V, Eccentric Diablo, Ferrari KC23, Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept, Genesis X Convertible, HiPhi Z, HiPhi Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster, Kia EV9, Lamborghini Revuelto, Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, McLaren 750S, McLaren Solus GT, McMurtry Spéirling PURE, MINI Aceman, MG4 XPower, MG Cyberster, Nio ET5, Porsche 718 Spyder RS, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Mission X, Renault R5 Turbo 3E and Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer DLS Turbo Project, were all unveiled - the biggest number of debuts seen at the Festival of Speed in its 30-year history.
It’s electrifying!
This year, Electric Avenue presented by bp pulse - the home of electric mobility at the Festival of Speed - encouraged visitors to explore how an EV would fit their lifestyle and the realities of owning and living with an EV. The AA once again hosted a series of talks, with the aim of addressing any concerns people might have about switching to electric.
Cartier classics
The Cartier Style et Luxe concours d’elegance featured classics full of character as the lawn displayed some truly stunning vehicles, celebrating incredible automotive design and elegance. ‘Best in Show’ was taken by the 1937 Bentley 4 ¼ litre Rothschild Sedanca Coupe by Gurney Nutting as judged by Ramla Ali, Adam Badaiwi, Emma Corrin, Nick Foulkes, Sir Jonathan Ive, Flavio Manzoni, Marc Newson and Jordan Rand.
Event Charity
This year’s Festival of Speed supported the Greenpower Education Trust. The UK-based charity has an outstanding track record in kick starting careers in engineering, helping to unlock potential and spark enthusiasm for STEM subjects through motorsport. A collection of Kit Cars designed and constructed by children from around the UK were on display at the Greenpower stand.
The 2024 Event
We thank everyone for their understanding in regards to the cancellation of Saturday 15 July. All ticket holders who were affected have now been contacted. The dates for the 2024 event will be announced later this week and we look forward to another spectacular year of motorsport at Goodwood.
Image: Porsche 75 Celebrations in front of Goodwood House photo by Kirsty Russell
