What to look out for at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed

This year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone marked 75 years of the Formula 1 World Championship and was won in sensational style by McLaren’s Lando Norris.

And just a week later, the largest turnout of F1 cars in Goodwood Festival of Speed history is converging in West Sussex for four days from today (10 July).

Champions Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill are set to entertain on Goodwood House’s drive, where the Festival of Speed was established by Lord March - now the Duke of Richmond - in 1993.

A host of other champions from rallying, motorcycling and the full spectrum of racing disciplines will also colour motorsport’s ultimate multi-faceted garden party.   

Formula 1’s class of 2025

World championship leader McLaren heads The Teams demos, with Alain Prost driving his 1985-winning TAG-powered MP4/2B. Son Nicolas samples a Renault RE40 in which he almost won in 1983.

Fresh from Nico Hulkenberg’s magnificent podium at Silverstone, Sauber deserves a tremendous reception, but its 2013 C32’s driver is TBC.

The McLaren with which Prost won five grands prix to take his maiden F1 title in 1985 is at Goodwood this weekend

Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon saddle 2023 and 2024 Haas-Ferraris, while Marc Gene returns for the Scuderia with 2019 and 2021 cars.

Valtteri Bottas and Frederik Vesti represent Mercedes-AMG F1 with a 2022 W13 E, David Coulthard and Patrick Friesacher share Red Bull’s 2012 Renault-powered RB8 and Paul Aron drives Alpine’s A523. McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes also have current cars on static display. 

Champions on the charge 

With nine world championships against their names, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Jacques Villeneuve transport petrolheads back to a golden era of F1. And introduce younger fans to the charismatic cars of yore, all identifiable regardless of sponsors’ liveries.

Fittipaldi will drive the Lotus 72 and McLaren M23, Andretti Zak Brown’s Lotus 79, Prost a McLaren-Honda MP4/4, Mansell a Williams-Honda FW11 and Villeneuve a 1975 Ferrari 312T in The Champions festivities.

Jackie Stewart’s sons Paul and Mark will take his 1971 and 1973-winning Tyrrell 003 and 006 up the hill.

Brabham is represented by Geoff Underwood’s 1966 Repco V8-engined BT20 and 1983 champion Nelson Piquet’s team-mate Riccardo Patrese in a BT52-BMW. Five Red Bulls are on static display. 

F1 underdogs at The Kennels

Fans can also see the Brawn cars, which claimed the 2009 F1 titles in shock fashion

Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

The world loves a plucky underdog and F1 fans have rejoiced when the establishment has been beaten.

Cars spanning five decades showcase myriad marques, from the Rob Walker Racing Lotus 18 in which Stirling Moss won the 1961 Monaco GP to Ross Brawn’s magnificent eponymous brainchild, in which Jenson Button won 2009’s first five GPs en route to his world championship.

Jordans - with Damon Hill set to drive a 198 - Benettons, a Toleman TG184 turbocar with Stefan Johansson up, a Brabham BT26A for Jacky Ickx, Tyrrells (with Jonathan Palmer reunited with an 018), a svelte Ligier JS11 for Emanuele Pirro, plus March 701 and Brabham BT44 and BT44B headline the demos. The 1972 Connew PC1 is on static display.    

The Art Deco era in Europe

The European championship Grands Prix of the 1930s were characterised by some of history’s most magnificent engineering tours de force.

Vittorio Jano’s supercharged straight-eight Alfa Romeo P3 contrasted with Bugatti’s rasping T35C and T59 and fabulous Maseratis - of which T26M, 8CM and GP to Indianapolis 500 8CTF models run at Goodwood - before Germany’s mighty Silver Arrows hit their targets.

The intrepid Hans-Joachim Stuck - son of triple European hillclimb champion Hans - contrasts three-litre V12 Auto Union Type D with 5.6-litre eight cylinder Mercedes-Benz W125, both supercharged, on the hill. Raymond Mays and Peter Berthon’s English Racing Automobiles was a minnow which excelled worldwide. ERA is represented by Dick Skipworth’s Lincoln green R3A in Mark Gillies’ hands. 

Gordon Murray’s design genius

Gordon Murray will be honoured at Goodwood, the legendary designer whose F1 cars won titles throughout the '80s

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Few racing car designers can rival the output of South African Gordon Murray, whose engineering genius over 60 years is encapsulated within automotive brainchildren of outstanding beauty.

Around 40 will be demonstrated. Iconic Brabhams form the largest set - from BT44 through BT46B ‘fan car’ to BT55, via Nelson Piquet’s 1981 and 1983 world championship-winning BT49 and BMW turbo-engined BT52.

Four-time world champion Alain Prost will drive one of the all-conquering 1988 McLaren-Honda MP4/4s [in which Ayrton Senna pipped him to the title] and there will be McLaren-BMW F1 GTR sportscars in long and Le Mans-winning short tail configurations.

Look for 1967 Murray’s IGM-Ford T1 recreation, a Light Car Company Rocket, Duckhams LM Ford and current GM Automotive T50 and T33 hypercars.  

Winners across the divides 

The Winning Formula opens the hillclimb action with a cross-section of champions and challengers spanning 118 years.

From 1907 Mercedes and Bentley Barnato Hassan Special to FIAT S76 ‘Beast of Turin’ to Napier Railton Special of the Brooklands era to current World Rally Cars and Aston Martin and Cadillac Le Mans Hypercars.

It is not just F1 on show this weekend, with Hypercars also present

Photo by: Rainier Ehrhardt

Danny Sullivan reunites with his 1985 Indy 500-winning Penske March 85C, while Johnny Herbert demos reborn Lola’s Formula E T00.

Local hero Derek Bell drives Porsche 962C and Mirage GR8, Karl Wendlinger a Sauber-Mercedes C11, Kenny Brack and Dario Franchitti McLaren F1 GTRs, Tom Kristensen, Dindo Capello and Benoit Treluyer Le Mans, IMSA and GT Audis and Jackie Oliver his 1974 Can-Am Shadow. Five wacky Ford Supervans add variety.  

Priaulx heads tin top heroes

BMW’s three-time world champion Andy Priaulx returns to his hillclimb roots to head a star-studded touring car stampede.

The Guernseyman saddles a 2001 M3 GTR in the Bavarian marque’s line-up alongside Venezuelan Johnny Cecotto’ 1992 E30 M3 DTM.

Reigning British Touring Car Championship champion Jake Hill will thunder Ric Wood’s 2001 Holden Commodore up in the company of New Zealanders Steve Richards (1990 Nissan HR31 GTS-R Skyline) and Greg Murphy (2003 Holden Monaro 427C), winners of nine Bathurst 1000 races on Australia’s Mount Panorama circuit between them. 

Benoit Treluyer also graces the Ultimate Touring Cars set in a 2019 Audi RS5 DTM. A 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle, a 1975 Vauxhall Cavalier and current Chevrolet Camaro add to General Motors’ cast. 

Colin McRae remembered 

Goodwood will mark 30 years since the late Colin McRae won his WRC title

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Thirty years after Colin McRae became the first Briton to win the World Rally Championship, and Subaru secured its first crown, the late Scot’s 1995 title-winning Impreza 555, developed by Prodrive, takes centre stage at Goodwood.

As a gifted teenager, Colin followed in the tracks of his five-time British champion father Jimmy, who leads the tribute.

In addition to staccato-voiced Subaru Legacys and Imprezas, Colin’s brother Alister will demo Ian Gwynne’s Ford Focus WRC, representing his return to the Blue Oval’s products.

McRae won 24 WRC rounds, the last five in Focus cars between 2000 and 2002. Toyota Celica GT-Four, Mitsubishi Evo 6, Lancia Delta HF Integrale, Audi Quattro and Peugeot 206 SRC represent the challengers. 

Foggy, fast bikes, faster cars

Carl Fogarty and Carlos Checa (Ducatis), John McGuinness and Colin Edwards (Hondas) are among the motorcycle legends ascending the hill, with Steve Parrish (Norton) joining the fun.

Ben Birchall/Kevin Rousseau and Maria Costello prefer three wheels on their 600cc LCR-Honda sidecars. There are ‘First Glance’ road bikes from BMW, Royal Enfield and LiveWire.

Two-wheels is also represented with four-time Superbike world champion Carl Fogarty amongst those attempting the hillclimb

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

The car equivalent sees Chinese electric newcomers the 217mph Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, Xpeng G6 and Denza Z9 GT and B5 on parade. New 2025 model Audis, Aston Martin DBX S, Bentley, BMWs, Bovensiepen Zagato, Mercedes-Benz CLA MG IM5 and EX4 Concept, Honda Civic Type R Ultimate Edition, Hyundai IONIQ 6 N Performance, Lotus Emiras and Lamborghini Urus SE and Toyota GR Yaris Aero Package are also debuting. 

Sensory overload on the campus

There is almost too much to see at the FoS, with compelling attractions everywhere. 

Don’t miss the Forest Rally Stage and ORA Safari Championship and Extreme Off-Road course for competitive action adjacent to the hillclimb’s upper reaches. 

Supercar runs will acquaint you with the latest exotica, from Bugatti to Koenigsegg, Pagani to Zenvo and Corvette E-Ray.

The Cartier Style-et-Luxe lawns celebrate 100 Years of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, low-chassis Invictas, Bugatti’s Veyron, 60 Years of Alpina, vast grandiose Franco-American Facel Vegas, deliciously curvaceous coachwork by Carrozeria Touring and even light delivery vans from characterful Lancia Ardea 800 Furgoncino to Austin A101, Morris LD30, Ford Transit and Bedford CA familiar to Britons of a certain age. 

Truly something for everybody. 

The 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place on 10-13 July

Photo by: JEP