The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010 ‘Viva veloce’ The passion for speed: Photo Gallery 1
What can I say that hasn’t already been said time and time again regarding The Goodwood Festival of Speed? It is simply the best event of its kind anywhere in the world today. It draws the greatest drivers and riders, the rarest and most historic cars and motorbikes as well as modern Formula One teams and automotive manufacturers to it. Add to this, art, music, fashion, fine dinning, air displays and a plethora of other activities and you will still only looking at the tip of the Festival’s iceberg such is its magnitude.
‘Viva Veloce’ the passion for speed is the theme of the 18th festival, With Alfa Romeo taking centre stage with the minimalist carriage circle Sculpture by Gerry Judah Celebrating 100 years of the marque with a 1925 P2 and the stunning 8C Competizione mounted on a stunning red steel pipe work in the shape of a four leaf clover. This year’s event also paid homage to 60 years of Formula One
Seven F1 teams, Ferrari, Williams, McLaren, Red bull racing, HRT, Mercedes Benz and Lotus all brought cars and drivers to the festival. Marc Gene, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Karun Chandahok, Bruno Senna, Jarno Trulli, Nick Heidfeld and Heikki Kovalainen took contemporary and classic F1 cars up the hill over the weekend. Jenson and Lewis took Alain Prost’s 1986 McLaren MP4/2C up the hill, Jenson was clearly amazed by the prodigious power from the turbocharged V6 “the amount of power is unbelievable and it comes in all at once” he commented. On Sunday Lewis couldn’t resist the lure of his 2008 MP4/23 and delighted the crowds with a series of spectacular doughnuts in front of the house. Both drivers were in high demand, signing thousands of autographs and posing for photographs during there time at Goodwood.
HRT’s Bruno Senna appeared in his Uncle Ayrton’s McLaren MP4/8, seeing the yellow, blue and green of Bruno’s lid in that car was a moving sight for many. Emerson Fittipaldi got to drive his 1972 ‘John Player Special’ Lotus 72E and the 1974 McLaren M23. Current Lotus drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen drove classic Lotus Grand Prix cars too Heikki taking a turn in the 72 and Jarno in the ex Andretti 79. Hispania’s Karun Chandhok enjoyed his time in the ex Keke Rosberg Williams FW08 so much he asked Jonathan Williams to book him for the next 20 years! Nick Heidfeld and Nico Rosberg sampled the delights of the 09 title winning Brawn BGP001 albeit in Corporate Mercedes livery. Heidfeld set the record back in 1999 with an outrageously quick 41.6 seconds, causing the organisers to stop timing the modern F1 cars!
Mika Hakkinen, was entrusted with the priceless Mercedes W196, Arturo Merzario took several classic Italians for a run up the hill including the Alfa Romeo 159 ‘Alfetta’ and a Tipo 33. Dan Collins made the crowd smile in the Lotus 79 he shared with Trulli by attaching a set of fluffy ears to his lid which duly flapped about in the slipstream.
Devotees of the ‘The great race’ saw six iconic Bathurst cars take to the hill in the shape of the 1964 winning Lotus Cortina Mk1, the 1973 winning Ford Falcon XC GS500 of Moffatt and Ickx, the TWR Jaguar XJS of 1985, the 1988 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth which came home second in the hands of John Bowe, the 1995 Holden VR Commodore of Larry Perkins and Russell Inglall which started dead last and carved its way through for a historic victory was present and finally the 1982 winning Holden VH Commodore of nine time winner Peter Brock was demo’ed by Peter Champion who had a run in with the Goodwood hay bales rearranging the drivers side nose and braking the steering rack for good measure. Undeterred he managed to source a replacement which was fitted over night and with the front receiving cosmetic attention after every run he was back out to play on both Saturday and Sunday.
The Rally stage provide some spectacular viewing, Miki Biasion had a ball in the chalky stage driving the Lancia Delta Integrale, Ken Block took his WRC Focus round a couple of times as did Kris Meeke in his Peugeot 207 S2000, Freddie Loix stood in for the injured Guy Wilks and drove the Skoda Fabia S2000 like he’d stolen it! There were plenty of Classic Rally cars which all took turns to churn up the dust including Ford Escort Mk1 and 2’s, Lancia’s from the Fulvia to the 037 Rally, a Ford RS200, A Volvo PV544 and Rauno Aaltonen, the original flying Finn, was reunited with his 1965 RAC rally winning Mini Cooper S which he drove with great gusto. On the hill climb the rally boys put on a show for the record crowd, Jean Ragnotti doing impossible things with his Renault 5 Maxi turbo, Ken Block tried to use more of the grass than tarmac and Kris Meeke was on a mission every run he made, the list goes on but the pictures tell a better story.
If you like bikes, the Festival, catered for you too, with a jaw dropping selection of machinery and riders. Kevin Schwantz rode the RGV500, Ago his MV Agusta 500, Neil Hodgson got reacquainted with his 2000 British Superbike Championship winning Ducati 996 RS going so far as to wear the leathers and the lid he wore for full effect. Barry Sheene’s son, Freddie demo’ed the Icon Sheene, a limited production machine built to honour the great man, the 1400cc turbocharged engine develops about 250 HP, a figure which would have put a huge smile on Barry’s face. Aaron Slight put the 1998 Castrol Honda RC45 world superbike through its paces with Wheelies and on Sunday a rolling burnout in front of the house. Other Stars to wheelie past Goodwood House included former BSB star Sean Emmett, James Toseland, Leon Camier, Leon Haslam, Eugene Laverty, Chaz Davies, Jonathan Rea and Australians Chris Vermeulen and Troy Corser both on top form, Corser in particular seemed to be struggling to keep the front wheel of his BMW on the ground. Stunt rider Mattie Griffin amazed the spectators with some incredible riding on his modified BMW F800R.
In the air, the RAF Red Arrows put on there usual precision routine, the only Avro Vulcan in full flying condition, XH558, set of hundreds of car alarms with a series of low passes and a pair of P51 mustangs put on a stunning display on Sunday afternoon.
These are only some of the highlights of a fabulous weekend of the petrol head heaven that is Goodwood. I’d like to congratulate Lord March and his team on a fantastic weekend. I always come away from the Festival thinking “how on earth are they going to top that?” The thing is, every year they do! And long may it continue.
Next report, the Silverstone Classic…
