Goodwood Festival of Speed: Hectic, passionate love affair

For the uninitiated, the Goodwood Festival of Speed (GFOS) is an annual motorsports festival held in the U.K., which brings together the best of the motoring world in a grand celebration of automotive brilliance. 

Now in its 30^th year, the GFOS is truly a mouth-watering event for any petrolhead. Here are some observations from a first-time attendee: 

Massive crowds turn up each year to soak in the motorsport atmosphere, with an estimated 200,00 people attending over four dyas

Brands are also on hand to display their latest and greatest models (the Lotus stand this year was particularly huge)

1. Absolutely massive 

GFOS is held each year at Goodwood House, an estate belonging to the Duke of Richmond. The event itself is already massive - plenty of car displays (the Lotus one was particularly huge), aftermarket booths, F&B choices, as well as other activities, all set around the main highlight, the famous 1.86km Hillclimb. 

The crowds are equally massive - upside of 200,000 people attend each year over the four days. And with displays ranging from classic Formula One cars and rare (and super expensive) automotive icons to the newest EVs and hypercars, there's really so much more than you can see in just one day (unfortunately for me, I was only there for one day). 

Consequently, it also gets quite hectic, especially if you're trying to see as many things as you can in a limited amount of time (like me). Running from paddock to paddock, constantly distracted by yet another amazing car, it's really quite a lot to take in. 

The Polestar Roadster Concept is a tantalising taste of the Polestar 6 that's soon to come

Where else in the world will you see the 28.4-litre Beast of Turin lined up behind a couple of Hyundai WRC racecars? 

2. Cars galore 

Being a big car event, car manufacturers turn up in full force, bringing with them their latest and greatest models. GFOS is where plenty of cars make their dynamic debut, and some even their global reveal (the Ioniq 5 N was unveiled at the massive Hyundai booth). 

For many, it is also a chance to get first looks at a whole host of concept or pre-production models - highlights for me include the Polestar Roadster Concept (soon-to-be Polestar 6), the Alpine A290_β, the Singer DLS Turbo, and the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. 

The famous Hillclimb is where many vehicles take turn to feature - from the McLaren Solus GT (this year's quickest timing) and pre-production cars like the Polestar 5, to classic F1 cars and even 2023 MotoGP bikes. For many manufacturers, its a chance to showcase their newest models to the world amidst one of the most iconic location and event from the automotive world. 

With cars constantly running up the hill, planes flying through the air and the perpetual hum of human excitement, the perpetual buzz of noise and unmistakable joy permeates the air

3. All about the noise 

I have to highlight the noise. Because vehicles go up the hill pretty much throughout the day, the vast and varied automotive soundtrack comes to dominate the overall festival experience (except when the EVs are doing their runs, of course). And it's glorious. Sonorous V8s, wailing V12s, and the unmistakable scream of a two-stroke engine. Sonic joy. 

That feeds into to the constant chatter and fervour coming from the crowd. You can immediately sense the heightened sense of excitement and joy in the air - the people here truly love their automobiles. 

At Goodwood, you can see famous motorsport faces side-by-side (and sometimes tucked inside) priceless motoring royalty 

4. Stars are everywhere

F1 drivers past and present, MotoGP riders, the who's who of the motoring world descend upon Goodwood every year. Many of them come to drive vehicles up the Hillclimb, or just to partake in the festivities. The biggest name this year is probably Sebastian Vettel, who drove his own Williams FW14B and Ayrton Senna's 1993 McLaren MP4/8 up the hill. But take a walk around and you're quite likely to casually bump into a famous face. There were even Hollywood stars in attendance, though sadly not on the day I was there. 

And, it's not just the people. It's the cars as well. This year featured a host of exciting categories - Le Mans racers, drift cars, WRC icons, classic and modern Formula One cars, all the iconic four-wheelers that were posters on many people's walls. Of particular mention is the Cartier Style et Luxe Lawn, which is a Concours-style event (there's judging and all), but a whole bunch of these unfathomably expensive cars are parked in a field where you can walk right up to them. Bespoke Bentleys from the 1930s, GT1 homologation specials like the Lamborghini Diablo GT, Bugatti EB110SS GT, Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion and Nissan R390, and of course, just a breathtaking number of classic Ferraris. Jawdropping stuff. 

And you have all the modern stuff as well. Hypercars, super EVs, trucks even. It's dazzling and actually slightly overwhelming. 

This year's GFOS also has a special celebration for two-wheelers, featuring both contemporary MotoGP bikes to classic race bikes in appropriately iconic liveries

5. It's not just cars

This year in particular celebrated two-wheelers (of which I am particularly fond of). There was big MotoGP contingent on hand, headlined by a number of current MotoGP riders. And perhaps more excitingly, there were a slew of sports bikes from the past - complete with iconic livery from the likes of Rothmans and Lucky Strike. And these aren't just display pieces - bikes dating back all the way to 1947 took turns running up the hill. 

And there's really something for just about everyone. Booze? Check. Fudge? Check. Autographed memorabilia? Check. A new home driving simulator setup? Check. Heck, there was even a whole zone dedicated to BMX riding. 

Whether you're there to fawn over classic F1 cars, check out the latest EVs, or just have a nice family day out, Goodwood truly has something for everybody

6. Everyone's invited

You might imagine that a motorsport festival would primarily appeal to a particular demographic (male, stereotypically), but it is really quite universal. I saw plenty of families with young kids (babies, even!), which perhaps goes some way to explaining why car culture is still so strong in U.K. 

In many ways, this is like a massive family event, just one that happens to be largely based around cars. Walk through The Cricket Pitch (a massive green field where a lot of the F&B stalls are located), and you'll walk past families lounging on picnic mats, dogs running about, people soaking in the effervescent ambiance of motoring joy. 

With a dizzying number of cars on display and so much more to do, Goodwood is definitely an experience worth going back for, over and over again

Even though I had a lot less time than I'd wish at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, its immediate and obvious why it's such a highly-regarded carnival. Beyond just the flashy cars both old and new, it is the shared joy amidst celebration that comes to define the occasion. It's why people will gladly brave a multi-hour jam to get to the south of England, to soak in the summer sun (and rain, because it is the U.K. after all), breathe the petrol/electron/hydrogen/synthetic fuel-tinged air, and bask in the unfettered motoring excitement that surrounds you everywhere. 

Fancy checking it out for yourself? Dates for the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed have already been announced. I for one hope that I'll get the chance to go back once more.

Catch more of all the thrills and spills of the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed with us here in this video!