Setting the Stage: Breaking Records & Big F1 Vibes
From July 10 to 13, 2025, the Goodwood Festival of Speed returned to West Sussex in full force. This year’s theme, "The Winning Formula – Champions and Challengers", marked Formula 1’s 75th anniversary and brought an unforgettable display of racing legends, modern marvels, and future tech to one of motorsport’s most iconic hillclimbs.
Over 100 Formula 1 cars—from Grand Prix relics to today’s speed machines—converged on Goodwood, with appearances by F1 royalty including Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Häkkinen, Jackie Stewart, and others. Contemporary drivers like Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, and Liam Lawson showed fans that the future of racing is just as fierce as its past.
The F1 action was more than just nostalgia. Each day delivered roaring runs, fierce launches, and stunning hillclimb moments that gave fans the sounds, sights, and smells that define true motorsport.
Saturday’s “Best of” session was a dream lineup of champions: Stewart, Andretti, Prost, Villeneuve, Mansell, and more, with Bernie Ecclestone making a rare public appearance. The real punch? The raw emotion on the hill as icons stood beside their old machines—engines roaring once again.
Young blood took the stage too. Lawson, Bearman, Tsunoda, and Bortoleto pushed current-gen race cars up the hill, bridging history with the now. No gimmicks—just grip, speed, and gravel flying.
Sunday’s Timed Shoot-Out was pure motorsport. Romain Dumas, piloting the Ford F‑150 Lightning SuperTruck, demolished the hill with a record-breaking 43.22-second run—0.7 seconds faster than his 2024 time. A 1,419-horsepower electric truck just burned everyone else. That’s 2025 for you.
Chasing him? Scott Speed in Subaru’s Project Midnight, clocking a lightning-fast 45.03. Fastest production car honors went to the Koenigsegg Sadair Spear, laying down a 47.14-second run—an absurd balance of aero, carbon, and guts.
The Shoot-Out field was stacked: 27 cars across GT, Rally, Pre-war, Touring, and Supercar classes. Notables: Alpine A110 R Ultime, Lister Storm, Holden Commodore, and the monstrous Ford Mustang GTD.
Automakers pulled no punches. Goodwood 2025 was a launch pad:
Forget concept art—these machines ran the hill.
The Forest Rally Stage gave us dirt-flying, tire-melting brilliance. Travis Pastrana nearly flipped the woods upside down, while Dani Sordo delivered pure class. Subaru, Toyota, Hyundai, and Ford dominated the mud.
Then came The Arena—where drifting stole hearts. Think smoke, screeching tires, and insane angles. Controlled chaos. Pure entertainment.
This year’s Central Feature Sculpture honored Gordon Murray’s six-decade impact on motorsport design. His F1 and McLaren masterpieces soared high above Goodwood’s lawn, reminding everyone that engineering can be art.
Meanwhile, the Cartier Style et Luxe Lawn was full of heavy-hitting elegance—Bugattis, Veyrons, Rolls-Royces. Rich taste met raw power.
Bonhams’ auction made headlines too: a Bugatti Veyron went for £437,000. Wealth in motion.
Over 210,000 people poured into Goodwood this year. Families. Collectors. Celebrities. Diehards. F1 fans. Kids. Everyone. The energy was electric.
General admission? Sold out early. If you didn’t book months ago, you were stuck on the resale grind. Hospitality packages—Startline Club, Library Lawn, and Seat Unique—offered Champagne, pit views, private lounges, and more.
This wasn’t just a motorsport event. It was culture.
Couldn’t go? You didn’t have to miss it. The Festival of Speed livestream delivered full coverage on YouTube and Facebook. F1 hill runs, EV debuts, Shoot-Out drama, rally stage—unedited and raw.
And for the highlight junkies, ITV4 and Motorsport Magazine are rolling out specials through July and August.
Thursday, July 10 – Press day. Team debuts. Early hill action. Future Lab packed. Alpine and McLaren opened strong.
Friday, July 11 – Timed Shoot-Outs began. Romain Dumas set an early benchmark. F1 legends flooded the grounds. Drift and Rally shows ramped up.
Saturday, July 12 – F1 at full force. Mansell. Prost. Stewart. Villeneuve. Packed hill and even more packed Cartier Lawn. Koenigsegg and Subaru were flying.
Sunday, July 13 – Final Shoot-Out. Dumas dropped a 43.22. Everyone else chased shadows. Rally finale. Drift closer. Ecclestone waved to fans. End credits.
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2025 wasn’t just the most important motorsport gathering of the year. It was a living, breathing museum—on fire. F1 champions. Future tech. Loud engines. Unhinged power. This wasn’t curated—it was unleashed.
If you love cars, if you breathe motorsport, if you crave the raw pulse of performance—Goodwood 2025 was for you.
