What does the Goodwood Festival of Speed have in store this year?
This year’s event has a lot to offer the motoring-mad fan.
Goodwood’s Festival of Speed is rapidly approaching, with the annual celebration of all things motoring bringing cars, motorcycles and everything in between to the famous estate in the heart of West Sussex.
Kicking off on July 13 and running until July 16, this year’s Festival of Speed is jam-packed with displays, shows and some of the latest metal to check out. Here, we’ve got a breakdown of some of the things you can expect from this year’s event.
Sebastian Vettel to champion e-fuels
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The Festival of Speed is always attended by some of the best racing drivers of all time and this year’s event is no different. Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel will be heading to the show on Saturday and Sunday in a number of cars from his own personal collection, including a 1993 McLaren MP4/8 that was driven by Ayrton Senna.
But he’s here for more than just cars alone. Vettel will also be powering his cars entirely with synthetic fuels, while around 20 per cent of all the vehicles at this year’s event will be run on alternative fuels, be that hydrogen, electric or synthetic.
Porsche’s 75th-anniversary celebration
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It’s a big year for Porsche. The German sports car manufacturer is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and, fittingly, it’s going to be the ‘honoured marque’ at this year’s Festival of Speed.
As a result, there will be parades of all things Porsche while the famous Central Feature sculpture will also be Porsche themed – though the look of it is being kept tightly under wraps until the big event.
100 years of Le Mans 24 Hours
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It’s a year of big milestones, with one of the most famous endurance races of all time – the Le Mans 24 Hours – celebrating its 100th year. This year’s Le Mans race was quite the spectacle, with a number of spills and thrills happening throughout the gruelling challenge.
Le Mans is being celebrated during this year’s Festival of Speed, too. A total of 16 drivers – who between them hold 46 Le Mans race wins – will be in attendance, including nine-time winner Tom Kristensen and five-time winner Derek Bell.
Jenson Button to celebrate Williams Racing
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Williams Racing is set to have a big presence at this year’s festival, with a number of its iconic cars taking to the famous hill climb. It’ll also be the first time that fans will get to see the winning livery from a Williams Racing x Gulf fan-voted competition.
But it’s not just cars that’ll be in attendance. Formula 1 drivers Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon will be driving Keke Rosberg’s race-winning FW08C, while 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button will be in the heart of the action on the Sunday.
Future Lab returns with Tim Peake
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Future Lab has proven to be a big hit at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s a section of the show dedicated to – you guessed it – the future of motoring and mobility, with this year’s instalment based around ‘Technology for a Better World’.
Astronaut Tim Peake will also be in attendance as a curator of the ‘Beyond Earth, For Earth’ section of the exhibit which looks at the latest innovations in space travel and transportation.
Mick Schumacher drives his father’s car
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Mick Schumacher will be in attendance at this year’s Festival of Speed and he’ll be driving a very prominent car – the Mercedes W02 raced by his father Michael during the 2011 season.
It’ll be 24-year-old Mick’s first time at Goodwood, too, and he’ll be in attendance on both Saturday and Sunday.
Thursday tickets for the Goodwood Festival of Speed remain on sale – though in limited numbers. Adult tickets start at £60.
