F1 stars take pole position at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Button and Hulkenberg are among the names to visit petrolheads’ paradise
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But you’ll have to be quick. Tickets are selling out fast, and no wonder. The action begins on the Thursday, with the Moving Motor Show, a chance to see the very latest on-sale models close up, with some guests able to drive the latest models around a special course, including up the legendary hillclimb itself. One of the stars will be the new Mini Seven, making its global debut alongside a range of cars from leading manufacturers.
The fun continues throughout the weekend, with the legendary 1.6-mile hillclimb the centre of attention, as cars and motorcycles hurtle up, competing for the fastest times. This year there will be machinery from five current Formula 1 teams, including Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull.
In fact, the Festival of Speed is the only event — other than the British Grand Prix — where British fans can see so many F1 cars in action in one place, with an unrivalled level of access to both cars and drivers. Confirmed for this year’s festival are Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, who also took victory in last year’s Le Mans 24 Hours with Porsche, and 2009 world champion Jenson Button, along with a host of other well-known names.
It’s all in keeping with the theme of this year’s event, Full Throttle — The Endless Pursuit of Power, celebrating the most epic machinery ever to grace the race tracks of the world. This year’s festival will feature the racing machines that, more than any others, have pushed the power envelope, while honouring the “pilots” who tamed them.
From monstrous aero-engined leviathans to flame-spitting turbo F1 cars, titanic pre-war Silver Arrows to thundering Can-Am monsters, and fearsome two-stroke Grand Prix bikes to brutal Group B rally cars, the festival will feature cars and motorcycles which prove beyond doubt that, where power is concerned, bigger really is better. Alongside this central theme, the festival will pay tribute to BMW’s rich motorsport heritage, as the German manufacturer marks its centenary with an impressive line-up of cars and bikes.
Also celebrated will be 50 years since the inaugural Can-Am championship and the first of the GT40’s four Le Mans wins, and 40 years since James Hunt’s F1 World Championship victory.
Other key attractions will include the Goodwood Action Sports arena, with daring freestyle motocross, trials, BMW and mountain bike displays from leading experts tackling a special collection of jumps, and the exciting rally stage with cars getting airborne. Show-goers will be also able to inspect the cars and meet the teams. Those wanting a more sedate attraction can enjoy a “beauty” pageant fought out by some of the world’s most beautiful cars and judged by a panel of experts. And it wouldn’t really be Goodwood without the aviation and air displays.
“This year’s festival will see the wildest, fastest, craziest, baddest cars and bikes ever to ascend the Goodwood Hill,” says Festival of Speed founder Lord March.