Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024
posted 19th July 2024
Popin recently had the pleasure of attending the Goodwood Festival Of Speed 2024 courtesy of our friends at Spandex UK! Taking place at the historic Goodwood house, in the beautiful Sussex countryside. This annual event celebrates all things motorsport; from exhibitions of iconic cars to its world renowned Hill climb race where competitors jostle for the fastest time to the top!
The History Of Goodwood & Its World Renowned Hill Climb
Back in 1966 the Goodwood racing circuit, which was regarded as the centre of British motorsport since it's opening in 1948, hosted its final race. The iconic circuit had to close because its owners did not want to modify the track with more chicanes to control the increasing speed of modern racing cars. Nearly 50 years later, in 1993 Lord March sought to bring motorsport back to the Goodwood circuit. However, he didn't possess the necessary permit to race there. Instead, he decided to host a race on his own grounds. The first Goodwood festival of speed was held on the 30th of June 1993 and saw 25,000 people attend the event. Now, in 2024 the event sees around 200,000 attendees over the space of 4 days.
The 2024 Goodwood central feature celebrating MG
Described by F1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya as the "bumpiest, least grippy course" he had ever been on; Goodwood's famous hill climb sees drivers put their racing skills to the test on a 1.16-mile-long hill at the centre of the event. 2024 saw Ford's Supervan 4.2 driven by Romain Dumas take the top spot. Boasting 1,400 horsepower, this large vehicle smashed the competition with a time of 43.9 seconds. Running up in second place was the Subaru WRX: Project Midnight. Third place was claimed by one of the oldest cars on the course; the Gurney Eagle-Chevrolet FA74 was driven by racing driver Micheal Lyons and finished with a time of 47.3 seconds. No one has yet managed to beat the track's fastest time of 39.08 seconds, set in 2022 by Max Chilton in a McMurtry Speirling.
Unique Cars & Eye Catching Liveries
Whilst at the event, it's impossible to resist getting completely immersed in the spectacular vehicles on display at the event. From iconic classics, cars of the future, rally, race, and everything in between, take a look over some of the highlights on what was on show. One such sight was the Ferrari 250 GT0 produced in the early 1960s. Only 36 of these V12 powered grand tourers were ever produced, and they are priced at around £52 million, making them one of the most valuable collectors' cars in the world.
Ferrari GTO 250 on display at Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Whilst stylish classics like this are a rare sight, Goodwood also presented the infrequent opportunity of viewing vehicles which push the boundaries of modern engineering. Hyper cars like this Lotus Evija are amazing to take in in person with its breath taking presence characterised by a venturi tunnel through each rear corner. Every inch of this vehicle has been designed with aerodynamics in mind! The livery of this car is particularly special, as it mirrors the streamlined gold on black stripes of the John Player Special livery; used by Lotus between 1972 & 1986.
Lotus Evija on display at Goodwood Festival.
Rear of Lotus Evija on display at Goodwood festival.
Lotus team Formula One car sporting the John Player Special Livery.
One group of cars we were particularly struck by was Lanzante's stand featuring a range of different cars, including the McLaren P1 GTR-18 which was modelled off the F1 GTR longtails who won Le Mans in 1995. Of course, we couldn't help but notice it's livery, inspired by the original Gulf Team Davidoff F1 GTR. The bold contrasting colours of orange and blue are instantly recognisable, and carry the legendary status associated with the Gulf team. We love how this iconic racing livery has been translated to fit the slick modern look of the new P1!
McLaren F1 GTR sporting the Gulf Team livery, on display at Goodwood Festival.
McLaren P1 GTR-18 on display at Goodwood Festival.
On to another sleek and recognisable design, this Mazda RX7 sports the streamlined look of Falken's iconic livery, which emphasises the cars energetic look. With its bright yet cohesive combination of mint green and blue and low profile highlights, the car has a defined look. The RX7 features a niche Wankel engine commonly seen in Mazda cars of this generation, rather than the more commonly seen crank and piston engine. This combine with all the engineering to bump the cars performance for drifting gives the car it's distinct 'BRRP-BRRP-BRRP' sound.
Of course, we can't talk liveries without giving credit to the gripping world of off-road racing. Goodwood presented the opportunity to get up close to some top-class rally cars both during the festivals forest rally stage, and on display in the paddocks. This Audi Sport Quattro S1 from 1985 raced in golden era of rally: Group B, wears the yellow stripes of cigarette brand HB international with pride, complimenting the vehicles angular features. The Group B regulations fostered some of the fastest, most powerful, and most sophisticated rally cars ever built however, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were blamed on their outright speed with lack of crowd control at events.
Mazda RX7 sporting the Falken team livery, on display at Goodwood Festival.
Audi Sport Quattro S1 1985, on display at Goodwood Festival.
3M'ers Showing How It's Done!
On the Meguiars stand, our friends at 3M were demonstration the new High Gloss range of 2080 on a Porsche. Opting for 3M 2080 Series High Gloss Sky Blue, 3M were transforming the look of a Porsche with ease. 3M™ Wrap Film Series 2080 is a multi-layer dual cast adhesive-backed film for vehicle wraps, accents and partial decoration wraps. This series features more conformable and stretchable film layers providing a better fit around curves and in channels and a smooth, sleek appearance. The high gloss variations of the film provide a deep glossy finish perfect for customising your vehicles without using paint!
The Eye-Catching Senna Sempre
Exploring the festival, we felt the vast range of vehicle liveries on display at Goodwood really highlighted the importance of vehicle graphics in the motorsport industry. Not only are they a powerful tool for advertising, with many race cars sporting an array of logos from their sponsors, they can also be used to reflect the essence of a vehicle. Liveries can also give one a feeling of nostalgia and pay homage to past icons. The McLaren Senna Sempre livery does the latter remarkably. This stunning tribute to Formula One legend Ayrton Senna was on display at McLaren's Senna30 tent at Goodwood, marking the 30th anniversary of the drivers passing.
Before we talk about this exceptional livery, we must mention the man himself and the legacy he left as McLaren's greatest driver. Born in Sao Paolo, Brazil in 1960. Ayrton Senna da Silva won 41 grand prix and set 65 pole positions. During his 10 year career he won the Formula One World Drivers Championship 3 times, and has raced for Toleman, Lotus, McLaren & Williams.
He had an infamous rivalry with his teammate at McLaren, Alain Prost who he contended for the championship title with at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. Amidst the tense atmosphere during the race at Suzuka circuit, Senna, and Prost both collided on the last chicane as Senna looked to overtake. Whilst Prost left his car post-crash, Senna beckoned the Marshalls to push start his car. Going on to win the race, he was later disqualified as the stewards deemed the action illegal.
Senna is also well known for what is referred to as his 'lap of the gods'. Which during a very wet European Grand Prix at Donington park, where after a great start he was in fifth place at the exit of the first turn. By the end of the lap he had rinsed through the spray of the four cars in front and went on to dominate the race in first place. During this race he was described by fellow driver Karl Wendlinger as "walking on water".
Senna was always easily recognised by his iconic helmet, which reflected his Brazilian roots. Rival drivers have often commented on glancing the menacing flash of yellow on Senna's helmet as he took up the rear.
McLaren Senna Sempre on display at Goodwood Festival.
McLaren Senna Sempre on display at Goodwood Festival.
This one-off Senna Sempre livery, Senna Sempre meaning "Senna forever" in Portuguese, captures Senna's vibrant personality and spirit. The design features the colours of the Brazilian flag, matching his helmet. The McLaren Special Operations team managed to create such a stunning gradient of Yellow, blue and green using a newly developed paint technique, which allows specialists to brush colours into each other. This creates a slick, streamlined effect, evoking the speed and movement of a waving flag. The livery also features an intricate halftone image of Senna's face, which preserves it's detail whilst still staying cohesive with the rest of the livery.
