Site MapFamed Goodwood Motor Circuit: 2022 Festival of Speed
“World’s Largest Automotive Garden Party” adds to racing ambience
This weekend was a powerful reminder why the Goodwood Festival of Speed continues to be among the most prestigious events in the already full-throttle motorsport industry.
Although the event is held annually at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in Chichester, United Kingdom, the Goodwood Festival is not exactly a race weekend – it’s more of a celebration, with historic marques from across the world of motorsport participating. Visitors get a chance to see racing vehicles from Formula 1, IndyCar, W Series, and the World Rally Championship up close, with plenty of opportunities to run into a favorite driver or two.
Branded as the “world’s largest automotive garden party,” the festival has been charming racing fans since its inception in 1993, and a large part of Goodwood’s prestige comes from its connection to the upper crust of British society. As one of several motorsports events held annually at Goodwood House, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Richmond, the festival has ensured that the estate remains central to both innovation in motorsports and British tradition.
As always, visitors to Goodwood were treated to exhibitions from some of racing’s top teams and drivers. Mercedes-AMG sent native Brit George Russell to show off their title-winning Mercedes W10, and in another big moment for the Silver Arrows, they also debuted their highly anticipated F1-engined Mercedes One hypercar. And although Goodwood has always been one of the best places to see what’s next in motorsports, the crowd was treated to a genuine first this year, when the fully electric McMurtry Speirling fan car set a new speed record on the annual Goodwood Hillclimb.
But for every new record set, there are old ones that have to be acknowledged and celebrated. The Brits over at McLaren are always a welcome presence at Goodwood, and this time around, they brought two-time F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen in Ayrton Senna’s 1990 MP4-5B – two McLaren Racing legends, one exhibition. Of course, Hakkinen was not the only familiar face in the mix, with other F1 heroes like Jackie Ickx and Damon Hill also making appearances.
Finally, this year’s festival also featured a celebration of 50 years of BMW M, which continues to be one of the most dominant motorsports divisions created by any major marque. The estate made BMW the center of their celebration with a commemorative sculpture in front of Goodwood House, and BMW also used the occasion to unveil a new Touring version of the M3. Not bad for a stuffy British garden party, and well worth the trip for any racing enthusiast.
