Goodwood Festival of Speed 2017 to celebrate Bernie Ecclestone
Former Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone will be the focus of the centrepiece display at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed
It will be the first time that the Festival's 'Central Feature' has celebrated an individual rather than a marque.
Ecclestone will attend the Festival of Speed on June 30-July 2 along with a number of world champions, team owners, engineers, designers and mechanics who have featured in his career.
The Central Feature of the event, a towering sculpture outside Goodwood House, will display cars from the five different chapters of his life, as driver, manager, team owner, impresario and finally as a legend of motorsport.
"This is not so much a tribute, but rather a Goodwood celebration of a racer who has had such a huge influence on the sport we all love," said event founder Lord March.
"It's wonderful that Bernie has agreed to spend the weekend at the Festival with many of the great names with whom he worked during a life dedicated to racing.
"I'm also delighted that he will bring with him some great historic grand prix cars from his incredible collection."
Ecclestone's first involvement in motorsport was as a driver, in 500cc Coopers during the late-1940s and early '50s, culminating in an entry for the Monaco Grand Prix in a Connaught.
He then turned his hand to management, guiding the careers of Stuart Lewis-Evans and Jochen Rindt before moving into team ownership when he purchased the Brabham F1 team at the end of 1971.
In 1974, at the request of other team owners, he took control of the F1 Constructors' Association and guided F1 to become the most watched sport in the world.
The 2016 world championship-winning Mercedes W07 will bring the story of his time in F1 right up to date.
Significant names from his life will be at Goodwood, alongside the man himself, on Sunday July 2 when there will be a key moment in front of Goodwood House at 3pm.
F1 world champion Nico Rosberg to drive 2014 Mercedes at Goodwood
Formula Ford drivers to celebrate 50th anniversary at Brands Hatch
Cosworth: F1 return not on radar despite Ford's comeback
Cosworth is not considering a future return to Formula 1 despite former partner Ford’s comeback with Red Bull in 2026, saying it “hasn’t been a focus.”
Ekstrom joins World RX as sporting director for 2023 season
One-time World RallyCross Championship title-winner Mattias Ekstrom will join the series promoter as sporting director ahead of its second season of its full-electric regulations.
FIA president Ben Sulayem steps back from day-to-day F1 operations
The FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stepped back from the day-to-day running of Formula 1 ahead of the new season.
Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence
OPINION: Motor racing still has some way to go to usurp cricket as India's favourite sporting discipline. The long-awaited return of international motorsport to the country this weekend with the Hyderabad E-Prix is an important step in the right direction, but it will take more than Formula E's arrival to cause a true shift
How F1's greatest sound has returned to the track
The first of three new BRM V16s is bringing the greatest-sounding engine to a new audience – and back to the race track - at the Goodwood Revival this weekend. Here is the story of the ambitious 1950 Formula 1 project's resurrection for historic competition
Porsche’s hopeful Le Mans future meets its illustrious past
Rising sportscar star Adam Smalley had to pinch himself when offered the chance to drive the car that won the world’s most famous enduro in 1987
How a little electric storm thundered to Goodwood's hillclimb record
Nick Heidfeld's official Goodwood Festival of Speed record in McLaren's MP4/13 Formula 1 car - and the unofficial hillclimb record set by the Volkswagen ID.R - were both brushed aside by the McMurtry Speirling driven by Max Chilton on Sunday. Here's a look at the fan car that blew away the competition
How Lotus emerged as a period Goodwood force
Colin Chapman’s marque was the most successful across Goodwood’s 71 contemporary era Members’ Meetings, from 1949 to 1966. Many of the future Formula 1 pacesetter's finest creations will be in action during this weekend's 2022 event, attempting to re-live an era when period Lotus was gaining unstoppable momentum
Remembering Goodwood’s heroes at 78th Members' Meeting
A year and a half after it was originally scheduled, this weekend’s 78th Goodwood Members’ Meeting honours key figures from the circuit’s history, including the likes of Stirling Moss, Dan Gurney and Gerry Marshall
The restorer keeping a land-speed record-holder's memory alive
From a famous land-speed special to an Indianapolis 500 frontrunner, restorer and racer Geraint Owen has a fascination for making old machines work
The restored BSCC battler back in its family's hands after 50 years
The Imps of George Bevan became famous in British Saloon Car Championship competition during the early 1970s. Thanks to the efforts of a small band of enthusiasts, including Bevan's grandson Jonathan, one of the ex-Bill McGovern title winners has recently returned to the race track
Why Goodwood Revival’s revival will be an unmissable event
After a year's enforced absence due to the pandemic, the Goodwood Revival Meeting returns this weekend for the 23rd in a series that transports fans to a bygone era of motorsport. Here's 10 reasons why you should check it out
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.