Think about the last motoring trade show you attended... Did you like it? Well, it has nothing on the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
It is a warm and sunny London morning and we are ready for a day in southern England. After an hour and a half of panoramic highways on board a Porsche 911 we finally arrive to Goodwood, a grand estate of 4,000 acres where the passion for engines is at a constant.
The Festival of Speed welcomes enthusiasts from all over the world for four days of races, shows, fun, automotive news and record-breaking adrenalin.
Arriving to Goodwood, you are greeted by “The Five Ages of Ecclestone” grand sculpture which immediately sets the tone. Commemorating the five stages of the great Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One legend to whom this 2017 edition was dedicated to.
Driver, manager, team owner, impresario and true legend of car racing, Bernie's life and victories on display, represented by the five pillars with racing cars at each end of the giant installation.
A not-to-be-missed stop inside this immense park dedicated to speed in every expression is definitely the Martini Drivers Club, a lounge area where drivers can relax and prepare for the race and also where enthusiasts can take their chances at hunting for autographs and selfies with the great champions and vip guests. Another great entryway with a collection of some of the most famous cars running with the Martini Racing livery.
At the 2017 Festival of Speed there was also, of course, an area dedicated to Ferrari’s 70th birthday. Here, one could admire the many cars belonging to the history of F1 racing but also rare models such as the Ferrari 750 Monza and the first racing cars of the 40s and 50s.
F1 lovers were also able to feast their eyes on 22 single-seaters by the Italian manufacturer of all ages from the 1948 166 to Formula 1 cars of Clay Regazzoni, Gilles Villeneuve and Jean Alesi, all the way to the latest models.
Every year, Goodwood Festival Of Speed is an immense and triumphant celebration of high-tech mechanics and speed, with a focus on world-class champions of car racing. The year’s theme was “Peaks of Performance - Motorsport's Game-Changers”, in other words the history of cars so fast, so powerful, costly and futuristic that they have demanded a revolution in the world of motoring and racing.
Photo credits: Federico Bajetti for The Outlierman © 2017
