With Formula 1 as its main theme, the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, supported again by Mastercard, provided an epic weekend for hard-wired petrol heads to casual motoring enthusiasts!
Held in sublime British summer weather, the 4-day weekend attracted over 200,000 spectators to the stunning Sussex estate with the headline theme ‘Champions and Challengers’, celebrating the 75th anniversary of formula one, 75 champions and a retinue of charismatic challengers, most of whom would never aspire to the wearing the coveted title ‘World Champion’.
World champions attending included Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansel, Alain Prost, Emmerson Fittipaldi, Damon Hill, Mika Hakkinen and popular evergreen American Mario Andretti. But no celebration of Formula 1 history is complete without acknowledging the changes Bernie Ecclestone presided over during his four-decade regime, so Bernie was there to join the photocall. Two-wheeled heroes included 4-time Superbike champion Carl Fogarty with fellow champions Tom Sykes and Colin Edwards riding up the challenging hill, together with Isle of Man TT legend, John McGuinnes.
Among other pivotal motorsport topics celebrated was F1 and super-car designer, Gordon Murray’s contribution to motoring and motorsport – including the innovative Brabham BT 46 Fan car – thereby qualifying Professor Murray for the ultimate Festival of Speed accolade, Gerry Judah’s iconic 2025 sculpture erected in front of Goodwood house, complete with its own regular firework display throughout the weekend.
Bragging rights for fastest weekend shoot-out time on the hill rested with Romain Dumas in Ford’s outrageous F150 1419 bhp Supertruck EV evocation, that whistled almost silently up the 1·2 mile ribbon of tarmac to record 43·23 seconds, crossing the line with a terminal speed of 157 mph. Currently the 39·08 hill record is held by the diminutive McMurtry Sperling EV fan car driven by former F1 driver Max Chilton.
As ever, the rally stage at the top of Goodwood’s sinuous hill provides the main focus for fans to watch drivers ply their trade on the challenging wooded rally stage based on notoriously slippery Sussex chalk, wet or dry, but attracting the cream of historic rallying plus, M-Sport, Toyota Yaris and Hyundai WRC teams. Drivers included Kalle, Rovanpera, Elfyn Evans, Ott Tanak, Josh McErlean, Takamoto Katsuta, who were joined by Red Bull F1 prodigy Liam Lawson and versatile American stunt driver Travis Pastrana.
Before returning to Machynllech Friday evening, WRC leader Evans (above) posted quickest time of weekend at 2:20·5. Second was McErlean’s Puma 2:24·0 and third Tanak’s Hyundai i20 2:24·2. Liam Lawson recorded an impressive 2:25·2 in McErlean’s Puma and Pastrana 2:25·0 in his remarkable Subaru WRX. Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala clocked 2:26·9 in his Toyota Celica ST 185 and also drove a Rally 1 Yaris. Former 4-time world champion Juna Kankkunen tried a WRC 2 Yaris. Excluding WRC cars, Tom Williams won each day’s rally stage shoot-out in his Skoda Fabia Rally 2.
Marking another significant anniversary – the MG Metro 6R4’s 40th – the rally paddock was chosen to launch its biopic written and copiously illustrated by Reinhard Klein, John Davenport and AR engineer Wynne Mitchell. Some drivers who had successfully rallied the Williams GP designed group B car, Jimmy McRae, Dai Llewellin, Malcolm Willson (all above) and David Gillanders, joined former Austin/Rover technicians at the IRDC gazebo noon on Friday to autograph copies of the book in front of a large crowd of enthusiasts, with sales of the £200 tome reported as brisk!
The 12,000-acre Goodwood estate is the family seat of the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. Former photographer Charles Gordon-Lennox is the inspirational founder of three annual motorsport events: Members and Revival race meetings plus the Festival of Speed, but Goodwood’s portfolio also encompasses equestrian interests with Glorious Goodwood racecourse.
Since the inaugural 1993 Festival of Speed and 1998 Revival meeting His Grace has successfully massaged Goodwood’s turnover from a modest £8M to a whopping £73M. In addition, the family art collection is one of the greatest in any English country house. The 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed is 9 – 12 July.
© Words and images Ken Davies and FoS
