Held annually since 1993, the Festival of Speed (FOS) has never lacked spectacle, but this July, the tree-lined drive of Goodwood House will become Formula 1’s grandest hall of fame. With the pinnacle of Motorsports celebrating 75 glorious years in 2025, the venue that plays host to the iconic hill climb event will bring together over 100 historic F1 cars and eight world champions, including the likes of Alain Prost, Mario Andretti, and Nigel Mansell. Running between July 10 and 13, the spotlight this year is on three of the most influential engineers and designers of the modern Formula 1 era: Adrian Newey, Professor Gordon Murray, and Ross Brawn.
Statistically, the most successful designer in F1 history, with 223 Grand Prix victories and 26 World Championships to his name. Newey (nearly two decades at Red Bull Racing as CTO), now the Managing and technical director at Aston Martin Formula One, is teaming up with Goodwood to curate the Innovators Class, one of six storytelling pillars of the sport at this year’s event. These categories are Prologue, Pioneers, Innovators, Underdogs, Champions, and Teams, respectively, and they aim to capture the essence of F1’s pursuit of speed, innovation, and technological advancements made over the past 75 years.
But beyond his four decades of design brilliance, Adrian will also showcase two iconic cars from his personal collection: the Lotus 49 that inspired his career and the futuristic Leyton House CG901, a car he penned during the 1990 season.
As for Gordon Murray, the South African-born motorsport titan was the creative genius who came up with Brabham’s radical “Fan Car” and McLaren’s all-conquering MP4/4. His post-F1 masterpiece, the McLaren F1, which triumphed at Le Mans in 1995, is often considered one of the greatest road cars ever made and will share the space with a stunning collection of machinery from Gordon Murray Automotive, this year’s featured marque at Goodwood.
Ross Brawn, a central figure behind Michael Schumacher’s dominance in F1, comes with the ultimate underdog story: the championship-winning 2009 Brawn BGP 001 piloted by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, complete with its double-diffuser setup. Brawn also laid the foundation for Mercedes’ dominant streak in the past decade, but his influence didn’t end on track, and as F1’s recent Managing Director of Motorsport, he led a sweeping push towards modernisation.
Tickets for the event are nearly sold out, Friday through Sunday, but a handful of Thursday passes are still available. If you are lucky enough to be attending in person, you won’t just witness a parade of F1 legends, but the living story of Formula 1 and some of the brightest minds that have shaped the sport.
Image Source: GoodWood
