A sizzling weekend! The 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard
The Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard celebrated an incredible weekend, bringing together legendary drivers and riders while showcasing an outstanding collection of cars and motorcycles.
This year’s theme, The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels, brought some of motorsport’s greatest battles to life, celebrating the head-to-head contests, iconic machinery and legendary competitors that have defined racing history.
Central Feature
Taking pride of place in front of Goodwood House, this year’s Central Feature celebrated Singer. Renowned for reimagining the classic Porsche 911, Singer’s spectacular sculpture – designed by Gery Judah – showcased the exquisite craftsmanship, engineering and attention to detail that define the marque’s ethos. To open the event on Thursday morning, The Duke of Richmond joined Singers’ Chief Strategy Officer, Mazen Fawaz, in a 1991 DLS Turbo Reimagined by Singer.
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Drivers, riders and teams
A standout moment of the weekend saw reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion Valentino Rossi come together for a special celebration courtesy of Monster Energy. With Norris driving the 1996 Liberty Walk S13, the pair drew huge crowds for a memorable Balcony Moment on Friday, before Norris returned on Saturday for a celebration of his World Championship with McLaren – driving the McLaren MCL60 – and joined by McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team Principal Andrea Stella as well as Sir Jackie Stewart.
Other Balcony Moments throughout the weekend celebrated some of motorsport’s most recognisable figures. Ducati kicked off proceedings on Thursday as part of its centenary celebrations, welcoming renowned riders Troy Bayliss, Josh Brookes, Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne, Carl Fogarty, Dario Marchetti and Casey Stoner, as well as current Ducati Superbike stars. On Friday, Isle of Man TT legend John McGuinness took centre stage, celebrating the 30th anniversary of his event debut, while Gerhard Berger appeared on Saturday to celebrate 40 years since his maiden Formula 1 victory. The celebrations continued on Sunday with Damon Hill, who returned to Goodwood as part of a special tribute marking 30 years since his 1996 Formula 1 World Championship triumph, getting behind the wheel of his title-winning Williams FW18.
As ever, Formula 1 had a major presence at the event. Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, Atlassian Williams F1 Team, BWT Alpine Formula One Team, McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls were all in attendance, while Kimi Antonelli, Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad, Yuki Tsunoda, Fred Vesti and James Vowles were among the stars out on the Hill and in the paddocks.
FOS Fan Zone
The 2026 Festival of Speed marked the debut of the FOS Fan Zone presented by Pirelli. Hosted by Ariana Bravo and Jarod DeAnda, the stage welcomed some of the biggest names in motorsport for a packed programme of live Q&As, interviews and interactive sessions. Guests included Kimi Antonelli, Jamie Chadwick, Damon Hill, Freddie and Tom Hunt, Lando Norris, Freddie Sheene and James Vowles..
Americana
Cathedral Paddock was transformed for the Americana Celebration presented by Bank of America. Showcasing the best in American motorsport and car culture – and coinciding with the United States’ 250th anniversary – the celebration brought together iconic cars, motorcycles and legendary names. Fans of all ages were also treated to appearances from seven-time Piston Cup champion Lightning McQueen, whose presence proved one of the most popular family attractions at this year’s event.
Goodwood Road Racing Club of America
The Festival of Speed provided the perfect platform to announce the expansion of the Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC). Announced during the celebration of American motorsport and car culture at the Festival of Speed, the move marks the beginning of a new era for Goodwood, bringing its distinctive approach to car culture to the United States for the first time. The new California-based membership offering will launch in 2027. Find out more at grrcamerica.com.
Le Mans ‘66 reunion
One of the most memorable moments of the weekend saw the extraordinary reunion of the 1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT Mk IIs. 60 years on from Ford’s historic victory over Ferrari, the very same cars recreated their famous formation run on the Hill, bringing one of motorsport’s most iconic moments to life for a new generation of fans and providing a fitting tribute to one of racing’s greatest rivalries.
World-exclusives and debuts
Visitors to Festival of Speed were some of the first to witness global marques and manufacturers unveil their latest models, including debuts of the Alpine A110 Mule, Aston Martin DB12 S, BMW i3, Cupra Raval, Denza B5, Ferrari Amalfi, GMA T.50S, Honda Super-N, Jaecoo 7 SHS, Lepas L8, Renault 5 Turbo 3E, Toyota GR GT, Zenvo Aurora Tur, and many others.
Cartier classics
The Cartier Style et Luxe concours d’elegance welcomed some of the most intriguing and beautiful vehicles at the event, celebrating incredible automotive design and exquisite restoration. With a phenomenal and unique collection of cars, ‘Best in Show’ was awarded to the 1955 Lancia Aurelia Spider as part of the ‘Drop it like its Haute’ class, as decided by a stellar line-up of judges including Stanley Tucci and David Jonsson.
A step into the future
FOS Future Lab presented by Randox showcased cutting-edge innovation across science, mobility and sustainability, exploring four key themes:
- Unseen Worlds – digital innovations enabling us to detect, visualise, and understand the previously invisible world around us.
- Intelligent Systems – exploring the multifaceted fields of robotics, machine learning, AI, autonomy, and automation.
- New Frontiers – scientific and engineering developments that are enabling humanity to reach new realms of exploration.
- Extending Reality – advanced interactions and enhanced sensory experiences that extend our perception of the world around us.
The exhibition featured breakthrough work in AI-driven healthcare, clean-energy systems, space technology, robotics, AI, quantum computing, space travel and underwater habitation, alongside hands-on demonstrations from organisations shaping tomorrow’s world, including Formula E, Pulsar Fusion, DEEP, Touchlab, Sony Europe and many more.
Event charity: Mission 44
This year, Festival of Speed supported Mission 44’s vital work to create a fairer, more inclusive future for young people. Founded by Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mission 44 focuses on tackling systemic inequality through programmes that improve representation, create opportunities and empower young people from underserved communities.
2027 Festival of Speed
The 2027 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard will take place Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 July. 2026 ticket buyers, Members and Fellows can purchase tickets on Monday 13 July. Tickets go on sale to the public later in the year. Sign up for ticket alerts here.
Catch up on the action
For those unable to make this year’s event, catch up on all the action on ITV4 on Wednesday 22 and Wednesday 29 July at 8pm.
Further details of Goodwood’s 2027 event season will be announced in the coming months. Media accreditation for next year’s Festival of Speed will open in January 2027.
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