Photos: Jathu Thillai
If you’re someone who keeps tabs on the annual motoring calendar and auction circuit, you must be well aware that events like Villa d’Este and Pebble Beach are some of the most prestigious events that you can attend every year. They are no doubt spectacular in their own right and are ideal for admiring collector-grade machines up close. But Goodwood? It’s different.
Only at Goodwood do we get the chance to see these cars at full chat, ignited, roaring, and hurtling up the Hill in front of an equally ecstatic crowd. That’s what truly sets the Festival of Speed apart. It’s not an event that is static, but one that is alive and dynamic.
Since its inception in 1993, Goodwood has grown from a humble hill-climb revival into a global celebration of speed, automotive innovation, and motoring culture, and this year was no exception. Across four action-packed days between July 10th and 13th, the 32nd edition of the Festival of Speed brought together everything from aerial displays and hill-climb heroics to concept-car debuts, celebrity appearances, and so much more.
Also, with 2025 marking the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, Goodwood celebrated the occasion with a historic gathering, with not one, but seven world champions making an appearance, who returned to the Hill in the cars that defined their legacies, along with several balcony moments. Other big names who’ve also defined the modern era of Formula 1, like Adrian Newey, Ross Brawn, and Gordon Murray, were also in attendance.
We also saw no fewer than ten global debuts, from the Pagani Huayra Codalunga Speedster and Maserati MCPura to Lamborghini’s Temerario GT3, Lanzante 95:59, 911 Carrera Reimagined by Singer, and Porsche’s electric Cayenne Prototype. Bentley had a staggering 30 cars on display, and its latest new Bentayga Speed set a record for internal combustion SUVs with a 55.8-second run, while Ferrari staged the dynamic debut of the F80, and also showed off its Roma successor, the Amalfi, besides the track-focused 296 Speciale.
And let’s not forget the Bonhams Goodwood sale. With £10.2 million ($13.75 million) in total sales and an 80% sell-through rate, highlights of the auction included a Mercedes-AMG One that went for $3.31 million, a Bugatti Veyron at $2.1 million, and the Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift Mazda RX-7 FD was a real surprise, going for a cool $1.2 million.
But the biggest highlight? Ford’s all-electric Supertruck record run. Romain Dumas wrestled it up the Hill in just 43.22 seconds, the fastest time of the entire weekend. Here’s a day-by-day round-up of the moments that defined this year’s Festival of Speed.
Thursday: Kicking Off the Celebrations
Day 1 delivered an unforgettable fusion of innovation and heritage. David Coulthard, ever the crowd magnet, made his return in the screaming Red Bull RB8. The V8 lit up the hay bales as he carved up the hill, waving to fans and marking 75 years of Formula 1 in true DC style. Liam Lawson also set pulses racing in the RB7, bridging the past and present of Red Bull Racing.
The Central Feature, a towering celebration of Professor Gordon Murray’s genius in front of the Goodwood Estate, which became the event’s spiritual anchor. With the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail, T.33, and the track-only T.50S all on display and Dario Franchitti attacking the Hill in the T.50S, this was no static tribute. It was Gordon Murray’s design legacy, made kinetic.
Then came the 12-cylinder thunder. Ferrari’s new 12Cilindri made its dynamic debut. Not to be outdone, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre, the most powerful model in the British marque’s history, swept past crowds at a tremendous pace, but in eerie silence.
However, things only got wilder as the day progressed. A Holden Commodore lit up the crowd with V8 drama, while a Volvo 740 wagon did things no Volvo should. A Renault 5 Turbo danced up the Hill on the edge of grip, and Maserati brought both heritage and performance with the 8CTF and T26M tearing through time.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6N and RN24 proved that the electric future can still drift. Meanwhile, Toyota’s GR DKR Hilux Evo and WRC GR Yaris swapped rally stages for the Sussex hillside, throwing up dirt and style in equal measure.
While a Red Arrows Squadron painted the sky in colors of the Union Jack, below, visitors found moments of calm on the Cartier Style et Luxe Lawn, surrounded by old-school Bentley Continentals and coachbuilt Rolls-Royces, bringing Thursday to a close.
Friday: Raising The Tempo
Friday at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed brought even more excitement. Carl Fogarty, four-time World Superbike Champion, tore up the Hill on his race bike, and his run brought raw two-wheeled energy to the Sussex estate, channeling the spirit of the Isle of Man TT into Goodwood’s broader motorsport spectacle.
Down in the paddocks, legends came alive. The Tyrrell-Cosworth 006, a Formula 1 ace from the 1970s, as engineers brought it back to life for its afternoon run. Jaguar showcased its dramatic and controversial all-electric Type 00 concept.
In stark contrast, the Jaguar TWR Supercat restomod was let loose and was putting out a phenomenal soundtrack from its high-revving V12. The Ferrari FXX-K, which delivered yet more V12 action, while Koenigsegg’s recently unveiled Jesko-based track-focused “Sadair’s Spear” shot up the Hill with ruthless speed.
Mad Mike, never one for subtlety, slid and screamed his way through in the flame-spitting RX-7 FD “HUMBUL.” The Ford Supertruck gave us a jarring, adrenaline-filled ride-along, while the MG EX4 Concept piloted by BTCC’s Daniel Rowbottom revived the spirit of the Metro 6R4 in the most dramatic way possible.
Then came the run: Scott Speed in Subaru’s blacked-out Project Midnight. Built for nothing but pace, the rallycross monster with its boxer heart tore through the course, posting a blistering 47.65 seconds. Fastest time of the day, and a warning shot for Sunday’s Shootout.
Bruno Senna kept the momentum going in the McLaren 750S Coupe, where as Coulthard returned in the RB8 with even more aggression, and the all-electric Lotus Evija also made its way up the hill. By sundown, Gordon Murray Automotive’s central feature was still pulling in crowds.
Saturday: The Coronation
Day three saw some of the most dramatic moments of the whole weekend. No longer a celebration, it was a coronation, of champions, machines, and moments that no one saw coming. Pop star Dua Lipa shocked the motorsport faithful with a surprise hillclimb run in a Rennstall-prepared Porsche 911 GT3 RS. “I feel very lucky to work with the Porsche team,” she said. “They’ve let me express myself in ways I didn’t expect. It’s been pure fun.”
Then came the legends. Seven Formula 1 World Champions returned to their title-winning cars in a once-in-a-generation display. Sir Jackie Stewart climbed into the Tyrrell 003, Emerson Fittipaldi drove the McLaren M23. Mario Andretti brought out the Lotus 79, while Mika Häkkinen took the McLaren TAG MP4/2B for a blast from the turbocharged past. Prost reunited with the McLaren MP4/4, Mansell returned to his 1986 Williams FW11 and Jacques Villeneuve roared in his championship-winning Williams.
On the Goodwood House balcony, all seven stood shoulder to shoulder for a tribute to 75 years of Formula 1. With Karun Chandhok guiding the conversation, joined by former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, and the Duke of Richmond, Charles Henry Gordon Lennox. Prost reflected on 1985, while Mansell praised the unmatched precision of the FW14B. It was quiet, heartfelt, and historic. Other stand-out Grand Prix and F1 cars over the weekend included the pre-war Mercedes-Benz W125, the six-wheel Tyrrell P34 from the mid-1970s, the Lotus 97T from the John Players-era in which Ayrton Senna took his first win, and Jim Clark’s championship-winning Lotus 25 from 1963.
As for hillclimb runs, Romain Dumas laid down a 43.50 in the all-electric Ford Supertruck. Later, James Vowles took out the 992.1 GT3 RS Manthey, then joined the celebration again in the FW14B. Kenny Bräck hurled the McLaren Lanzante P1 HDK up the Hill, while the Maserati MCXTREMA, a nod to old MC12 Corse looked equally spectacular. Other cars from the hypercar class included the hybrid Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro, the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, and Cadillac's #12 Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R car that was on the front row at 2025 edition of Le Mans last month.
Mad Mike’s RX-7 went up in flames mid-drift, and the crowd exploded. Smoke, fire, and chaos, but he pushed on all the way to the finish line. Not to be outdone, the Toyota GR DKR Hilux EVO thundered past the crowds. Then came the Ford Mustang RTR, vaporizing its tires in a drifting masterclass.
And the standouts kept coming. The Pagani Utopia Roadster and Huayra Evo R unleashed their V12 fury. The Land Rover Defender D7X-R prototype clawed its way up the hill, brutish and composed. Hulian Mazjub hurled the Maserati Tipo 26M up the course like the 1930s never ended, while the Mercedes 300SL Panamericana stood as a showcase of the endurance racing spirit of the 1950s.
Coming back to the F1 action, the Brabham Repco BT20 was like a time machine in full attack, the McLaren MP4/13 screamed its V10 song at 17,000 rpm, and Valtteri Bottas wrung every ounce from the Mercedes-AMG W13. Oliver Bearman lit up the Hill with donuts in the Haas VF24, while Esteban Ocon did more of the same in a VF23 in front of the Goodwood House. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and the single-seater McLaren Solus GT each added their own flavor to the frenzy, and cutting through it all, the Rimac Nevera, silent and savage, that rewrote records without a burning a drop of fuel
Besides the hill-climb action, a Forest Rally Stage at Goodwood on Friday and Saturday provided thrilling off-road action, showcasing the evolution of rally cars from early WRC champions like the Alpine A110 to current Rally1 and Rally2 machines. The tight, slippery course challenged drivers who pushed iconic Group B machines like the Lancia 037 and Audi Quattro to the limit. A special tribute honored Colin McRae, featuring his championship-winning Subaru Imprezas alongside other 1990s and 2000s rally legends.
Sunday: A Fitting Grand Finale
The final day of the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed delivered exactly what motorsport dreams are made of: nostalgia, adrenaline, and a last-chance showcase of world-class machinery running flat-out.
Alain Prost returned to the Hill in the iconic McLaren MP4/4, celebrating 40 years since his first world championship. As he waved to the crowd and lowered himself into the carbon-fiber cockpit, the V6 turbo behind him screamed one more time.
Then came the procession. The Ultimate F1 Grid, an unprecedented lineup from every era, assembled for a historic hill-climb. It began with the 1950 Alfa Romeo 158, Stewart’s Tyrrell, Senna’s Lotus 97T, Schumacher’s F2004, and Button’s 2009 Brawn BGP 001 all making an appearance. But it was Nigel Mansell, easing the FW14B onto the start line, who brought a hush over the crowd.
Elsewhere, Sunday refused to coast. Esteban Ocon debuted Toyota’s GT3 Concept, i.e the Japanese brand’s LFA V10 successor. Mario Andretti returned in the Lotus 79, throwing it into corners with the confidence of a champion. The Ford Mustang RTR lit up its tires once again, while the McLaren 765LT Spider unleashed a soundscape of pure aggression.
The Ford Supertruck came back for another charge, clinching that record time of 43.22 seconds. So did the Subaru Project Midnight. Mad Mike, unstoppable all weekend, strapped into a Chevrolet Camaro NASCAR and gave the crowd one last dose of tire smoke and insanity. Raw, loud, and beautifully emotional, Hollie McRae, daughter of Colin McRae, sent the Subaru Impreza 555 up the Hill.
There was no shortage of artistry either. The Lotus Emira Cup looked sharp and focused. The Ferrari F80 stunned with futuristic lines. The Kimera EVO37, a reimagined Lancia icon, attacked the tarmac like it had something to prove. Then came Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50S XP2, purpose-built and howling like no other.
Over at the FOS Future Lab, presented by Randox, the focus shifted to what comes next. Hydrogen prototypes, autonomous systems, and AI-driven design showed the quiet revolution happening just beyond the noise.
As the Red Arrows returned for one last formation and the sun began to fall behind Goodwood House. A closing chapter worthy of the diamond anniversary of Formula 1, demonstrating the innovations that have happened in what is the pinnacle of motorsports over the past 75 years, and maybe the most unforgettable Festival of Speed to date.
