The 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held from 10–13 July at Goodwood House in West Sussex, proved to be an unforgettable celebration of motoring heritage, innovation, and adrenaline-fuelled spectacle.
The event’s core theme, ‘The Winning Formula: Champions & Challengers’, paid tribute to the 75th anniversary of the Formula 1 World Championship. More than 100 F1 cars from every era were showcased, with seven past world champions; Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Jacques Villeneuve and Mika Häkkinen descending onto the iconic Goodwood House balcony for a special appearance, eliciting thunderous applause from the crowd. Bennett’s presence included Bernie Ecclestone and the Duke of Richmond, reinforcing the evening’s grandeur.
On Sunday, Alain Prost stole the spotlight: he drove his legendary 1988 McLaren MP4/4 to the balcony, then handed his gloves to an excited youngster before joining host Karun Chandhok, and even designer John Barnard, amid a heartfelt celebration.
Tribute also flew high for automotive design genius Gordon Murray, with a striking sculpture juxtaposing the Brabham BT52 and the GMA T.50, alongside track appearances by his cars, including a run by Dario Franchitti in the T.50.
A new hillclimb record fell in the Timed Shoot‑Out: Romain Dumas drove a Ford F‑150 Lightning in a blistering 43.22 sec, shaving 0.76 sec off his own 2024 record.
New‑model unveilings dominated the event. Highlights included the breathtaking Koenigsegg Sadair’s Spear, which claimed the production‑car hill record at 47.14 sec. Hyundai introduced the performance-focused Ioniq 6 N, while Toyota teased its next GR‑branded supercar. Other notable debuts included the Zenvo Aurora, Maserati MCPURA, Alpine A290 Rallye, Porsche 911 by Singer, and Lanzante’s McLaren-inspired 95‑59.
Porsche made a strong showing too. Dua Lipa presented her custom 911 GT3 RS, auctioned to support her Sunny Hill Foundation, and Adrien Brody debuted a documentary about his time as a Porsche intern, screened in a bespoke drive‑in cinema featuring 30 Porsches. The brand also displayed a range of high-performance and prototype EVs, including the Cayenne EV and Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package.
The festival spanned all motorsport disciplines, from rally and sportscars to motorbikes, drifting, and Dakar trucks, and included engaging exhibitions like the Rally Stage, Future Lab, Supercar Paddock, Drift Arena and Bonhams automotive auction.
Over the course of four sun-drenched days, Goodwood attracted roughly 200,000 fans, who witnessed a perfect blend of nostalgia, cutting-edge technology and thrilling competition. From heroic balcony moments and record-breaking hillclimb runs to world-class car reveals, the 2025 Festival of Speed reaffirmed its place as the world’s preeminent automotive celebration, already setting the bar impossibly high for 2026.
