The Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard was back in full swing this year after selling out quicker than ever. Spectacular vehicles, drivers, partners and exhibitors were present at motorsport’s ultimate summer garden party for its 29th year, celebrating the world of motoring, technology and future mobility.
In an exciting turn of events, the outright hill record was broken by the McMurty Spéirling, driven by Max Chilton on the Sunday in a thrilling 39.08 seconds. The official record has not been broken since Nick Heidfeld set the standard back in 1999, with the VW I.D. R coming close back in 2019 when it set a time of 39.9 seconds in qualifying.
The home of motoring and technology returns
With over 60 supercars on display across the weekend, we saw global debuts from many renowned manufacturers, include the unveiling of the BMW M3 Touring, Mercedes AMG Project ONE, Range Rover Sport and Pagani Huayra Codalunga, in addition to Porsche’s latest Le Mans showstopper, the Porsche 963. In the paddocks, the Kalmar 7-97, Hispano-Suiza Carmen and the GMA T.50 were on also display. Other debuts included Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, Charge Mustang, Czinger 21C, Ferrari SP38, Ford Electric Supervan, Genesis G80 E, Polestar 2 BST edition 270 and Polestar 5 Prototype, Porsche 911 Sport Classic, Radford Lotus Type 62/2, Subaru Gymkhana GL wagon, Subaru Impreza P25 Prodrive.
In a year which celebrated “The Innovators – Masterminds of Motorsport”, the Festival of Speed saw one of its most impressive sculptures to date which paid homage to 50 years of the BMW Motorsport division, showcasing some of the most iconic models developed by BMW M. The spectacular feature included an E9 3.0 CSL, M1 Procar, V12 LMR, E90 320i WTCC and the BMW M Hybrid V8 – the marque’s new top-level endurance racing entry, set against the backdrop of Goodwood House.
Electric Avenue: The Road to 2030 returned for a second year, now presented by bp pulse, showcasing the latest EVs alongside a series of talks and presentations in the Information Hub by experts from The AA and bp pulse. Exhibits included city cars, SUVs, city cars and saloons, with debuts from the Lucid Air and a three-wheeled commuter vehicle from Electra Meccanica.
In the centre of Electric Avenue was the Concepts stage, presented by British Volt, which showcased the next generation of electric cars, including the brand new Lotus Eletre SUV, the Renault 5 prototype and the Fisker Ocean.
A step into the future!
Future Lab presented by Randox remained a popular feature of the event, giving visitors a glimpse of future of mobility in the air, on land, under the sea and deep into space. Future Lab claimed several world-firsts – from Interstellar Lab’s debut of its bio domes for sustaining life on this planet and others, to first-hand demonstrations of Move Ai’s motion capture technology. Visitors could also interact with CalmTech’s never-before-seen AI dolphin – using technology behind Paddington Bear’s recent royal appearance – and experience brand new haptic sensations from TESLASUIT, which creates a whole-body human interface to the metaverse like nothing experienced before. Astronaut and friend of Goodwood Tim Peake also paid a visit, trying out a number of exhibits for himself.
Magical motorsport moments
The Festival of Speed welcomed motorsport legends from across the spectrum. Wayne Rainey joined us as he returned to the saddle for the first time in 30 years. His Yamaha YZR500 bikehad been modified by relocating the rear brake and gearshift to the handlebars allowing Wayne to tackle the Hill and even wheelie off the line. The three-time World Champion was thrilled to be reunited with his beloved bike and was joined by his contemporaries Mick Doohan and Kevin Schwantz, and former team manager and mentor Kenny Roberts on the Hill.
Goodwood was delighted to welcome several current Formula 1 teams including McLaren F1 Team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Team and Williams Racing. The F1 Pit Lane presented by Sky hosted a unique space for visitors to see the impressive cars being prepped to take on the iconic hillclimb, allowing visitors to get up close with the drivers and working engineers. Wowing the crowds, drivers George Russell, Esteban Gutierrez and Zhou Guanyu stopped for photos and autographs before tackling the hill. The F1 Pit Lane also hosted Mahindra Racing’s Gen3 Formula E car as well as MissionH24’s ground-breaking hydrogen-powered endurance race car, the LMPH2G.
In a blast from the past, ‘Mansell Mania’ took over Goodwood as Nigel Mansell joined us for the whole weekend. The 1992 Formula 1 World Champion was reunited with his championship-winning Williams FW14B for the first time in 30 years and fans saw the iconic ‘Red 5’ storm up the hill as Mansell celebrated the anniversary of his win. “I have had the most sensational time of my life!”, Mansell said on the balcony of Goodwood House on Sunday afternoon.
Other drivers who joined us over this weekend included Jenson Button, Tatiana Calderon, Karun Chandhok, Dario Franchitti, Sophia Floersch, Mika Häkkinen, Damon Hill, Travis Pastrana, Bruno Senna, Sir Jackie Stewart, Mark Webber and Tessa Whittock.
Key moments around the site
The Bonhams sale took place on Friday afternoon, selling a variety of spectacular vehicles over the weekend including the James Bond classic Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, Jaguar 3.5 Litre Roadster, Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe, Force India F1 Car and the Ferrari Dino GTS to name but a few.
On Sunday, history was made when The Duke of Richmond was powered by a different type of fuel y, after filling up his trusty motorbike with Zero Petroleum’s new synthetic petrol, developed by former Formula 1 technical director Paddy Lowe. Zero® Syn95™ is a first prototype of a sustainable and fossil-free equivalent of the everyday 95 RON petrol found on UK forecourts.
Across the manicured lawns, guest appearances from pals David Beckham and Gordon Ramsay delighted fans on Thursday, and NFL champs Danielle Hunter, KJ Osborn and Cam Jordan dropped by, stopping to chat with visitors and explore the different elements of the event.
The Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ Lawn featured a highly diverse selection of cars, and the judging panel comprised people from the worlds of art, design, sport and media. ‘Best in Show’ was taken by the 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, from a private collection.
This year’s Festival of Speed supported the Race Against Dementia charity which was started by three-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sir Jackie Stewart. Fundraising efforts saw the RAF Marham Lightning Rally Team pull a Subaru Impreza 29 kilometres representing 29 years of the Festival of Speed in aid of Race Against Dementia. Donations can be made here.
The 2023 Event
The dates of the 2023 event will be announced in the coming months. We look forward to celebrating next year as 2023 marks 30 years of the Festival of Speed. You can register for ticket alerts here.
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