Memorable moments from the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed was, simply put, a display of pure machinery and history that left fans at the Goodwood House estate breathless. Across four days of non-stop action, we saw the current stars of the grid mingle with the absolute icons of our sport in a way that only this legendary hillclimb can facilitate.

Lando Norris certainly grabbed the spotlight, taking the McLaren MCL60 for a run up the hill before debuting the McLaren Racing MCL-HY Hypercar. But the real magic happened on the balcony of Goodwood House. Norris, who has long spoken of his admiration for the man, was joined by none other than nine-time Moto GP World Champion Valentino Rossi to the delight of the massive crowd.

It was a year for emotional reunions as well, as Damon Hill marked the 30th anniversary of his 1996 title by reuniting with the Williams FW18. Watching that car return to the hill was beautiful, and it clearly resonated with Hill, who said he “absolutely loved every second of it.” Williams Team Principal James Vowles also got a turn in the legendary machine.

Kimi Antonelli made his Goodwood debut in the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed, showing a clear hunger for more track time. He was joined in the Mercedes camp by Fred Vesti, who took the 2022 W13 for a spin. They were just the tip of the iceberg, as Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, and Isack Hadjar represented the Red Bull and Racing Bulls efforts, while Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto turned out for Alpine. Colapinto, in particular, seemed to enjoy his maiden appearance, treating the crowd to a series of donuts in the E20.

The future of the sport was also on display as junior category stars took on the hill. It was quite a spectacle to see the likes of Leonardo Fornaroli, Paul Aron, and Jak Crawford taking the wheel for their respective manufacturers, while F2 leader Nikola Tsolov handled the Red Bull RB8. Even the F1 ACADEMY contenders made their mark, with Alisha Palmowski piloting the Red Bull RB17 Hypercar and Nina Gademan taking the E20 for a run. To see them alongside titans like Jackie Stewart and Mario Andretti was a reminder of why we follow this insane, beautiful sport.