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.
The event celebrated 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.
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.
The 2024 Event
The Goodwood team 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. You can register for ticket alerts here.