Goodwood: Pure Racing Heritage

What can we expect at the 2025 Festival of Speed?

This year, the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed is all about Formula 1 - and the 75th anniversary it is currently celebrating. The motto is therefore: “The Winning Formula - Champions and Challengers”. What kind of began last weekend at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone will continue seamlessly at Goodwood from Thursday to Sunday. Many legendary racing cars from the premier class will be exhibited, driven and celebrated. Just like the legends behind the wheel. Of course, as at every previous edition, there will also be the timed shootout, in which drivers compete for fame and glory, as well as the countless show runs, premieres and much more. Rally legend Colin McRae, who passed away too soon, and motorcycle icon Carl Foggarty will also be honored.

What's new for 2025?

First and foremost: the cars! BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Lanzante, MG, Mini, Praga and numerous other manufacturers have announced their premieres. Aston Martin is bringing the eagerly awaited Valhalla hypercar and the Ferrari F80 is celebrating its premiere in the UK. The official timekeeper is once again TAG Heuer - only logical, as the Swiss brand has deep roots in motorsport. In keeping with the festive occasion, however, the Maison is going one better and offering the Carrera Chronograph x Festival of Speed, limited to 100 pieces. The 42 mm chronograph with a British Racing Green dial, red accents and brown rally leather strap is intended to evoke the golden era of motorsport in the 1970s and will initially be available exclusively to members of the Goodwood Road Racing Club before going on sale to the general public.

How did Goodwood become a historic motorsport Mecca?

Frederick Gordon-Lennox, the 9th Duke of Richmond, had the Goodwood race track built on a military airfield in 1948. His grandson, Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara, recalls: "I was eleven years old at the time. I have never forgotten the thrilling sound of the racing cars, the smell of petrol and tires and the exhausted faces of the racing drivers. Even then, I vowed to bring motorsport back to Goodwood one day." No sooner said than done: in 1992, the grandson took over Goodwood from his father and organized the first Festival of Speed in 1993. This was followed in 1998 by the Goodwood Revival in late summer.

Why wasn't the race held on the Goodwood racetrack, but on a hill circuit next to the family seat, Goodwood House?

It took several years of planning and a tough battle with the authorities before the Earl of March received permission to hold races on the old circuit five days a year. But he didn't want to wait that long after taking over Goodwood in 1992. That's why he first organized the Goodwood Hillclimb. Incidentally, this is also a tradition. In 1936, the Earl's grandfather had organized a hillclimb in this park - and immediately won with a Lancia. Today, however, the “Members Meeting” in spring and the upcoming “Goodwood Revival” in late summer are also part of the fixed program - they both take place on the newly revitalized “Goodwood Circuit”.

Why is Goodwood so successful?

First of all, there is the name Goodwood. The Brits with petrol in their veins have not forgotten the old tradition. Then the Earl of March put on a real garden party. And finally, he brought together the valuable historic and modern vehicles with the right drivers from different generations. That's what makes it all so attractive.

Why do the audience, the drivers and even the mechanics at the Goodwood Revival on the old race track wear clothes from decades long gone?

The Earl of March and his team, which today comprises 600 full-time employees, asked for it. The idea was enthusiastically received at the first edition in 1998. Every spectator becomes part of the event. Anyone wearing a modern baseball cap will feel very out of place here.

And why does the dress code not apply to the Festival of Speed?

The Goodwood Revival celebrates the races of the years 1948 to 1966 - with the cars and sometimes even the drivers from back then. The Festival of Speed, on the other hand, features cars that are a hundred or more years old, as well as modern racing cars. Contemporary clothing styles would never go together.

What else is there at Goodwood besides motorsport?

The three motorsport events Members Meeting, Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival as well as the Glorious Goodwood horse race form the core. Glorious Goodwood already has a similar status to Ascot. Golf, wellness, hotels, air shows and much more have established themselves around it. Since 2011, the Festival of Speed has also been accompanied by a major exhibition of new cars. It is often described as the most important car show in the UK. Pretty much all the major car manufacturers present their latest model range here.

Tickets, timetable and more information:

→ goodwood.com