This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed gets underway next week (July 11-14, 2024), and visitors can expect an action-packed line-up of features and attractions.
This year’s edition charts the 130-year evolution of automotive engineering with its central theme of Horseless to Hybrid – Revolutions in Power, while MG is being honoured as the celebrated marque for its centenary.
As the celebrated marque, iconic cars from MG’s history will be driven up the hillclimb in front of thousands of spectators throughout the four-day event. The brand’s new sports car, the Cyberster, will serve as inspiration for Gerry Judah’s iconic central sculpture outside Goodwood House. MG will also unveil its all-new HS SUV at the event on July 11.
The inevitable flock of Formula 1 fans will be delighted by Red Bull Racing’s plans to mark its 20-year involvement in the sport
The celebration of the Petty family’s 75-year involvement in motor sport is another major celebration that neatly ties into this year’s central theme. NASCAR legend Richard ‘The King’ Petty will be in attendance to mark the occasion, and his iconic no. 43 Plymouth Superbird will thunder up the hillclimb with Richard’s son, Kyle, behind the wheel.
Another motor sport icon to star in the 2024 edition of the FoS is Michael Dunlop, the most successful rider in Isle of Man TT history. Dunlop’s achievements will be celebrated with a balcony moment at Goodwood House on Saturday July 13.
The inevitable flock of Formula 1 fans will be delighted by Red Bull Racing’s plans to mark its 20-year involvement in the sport. This will be headlined by the world debut of Adrian Newey’s RB17 hypercar and the presence of reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, who will take on the challenging hillclimb course alongside teammate Sergio Pérez on Sunday.
Red Bull Racing will be joined at Goodwood by five of its rival teams: Scuderia Ferrari HP, Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Williams Racing, BWT Alpine F1 Team and McLaren Formula 1 Team. Headline drivers include Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, Alex Albon and Mark Webber, among others.
2024 will see all-women Iron Dames motor sport teams back in action, with Michelin Le Mans Cup drivers Célia Martin and Karen Gillard debuting their Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 on the hillclimb. Iron Dames rally drivers Sarah Rumeau and Julie Amblard, meanwhile, will showcase their skills in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 in Goodwood’s Forest Rally Stage.
There’s also the chance to take in an eclectic selection of new machinery, ranging from SUVs and hatches to head-turning hypercars. This year sees the debut of Maserati’s all electric GranCabrio Folgore, as well as its Icona and Leggenda MC20 special editions which mark the 20th anniversary of the MC12 hypercar. Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo will showcase its stunning 33 Stradale and Aston Martin will display its new retro-inspired Valiant, a track-focused take on the Valour that was originally commissioned by Fernando Alonso.
Fans of BMW’s M Division will undoubtedly be excited to get a first glance of the new M5, while Chinese manufacturers BYD and Yangwang will mark their first appearances at FoS with the BYD Seal and Yangwang U8 SUV.
Those with a penchant for classic machinery should head over to the Cartier Style et Luxe concours lawn, which brings together some of the finest motor cars ever created. This year’s edition boasts classes dedicated to the Bugatti Type 57, Marcello Gandini, Silver Ghosts, Pagani and even vintage tractors.
Bonhams will return as the official auction partner, with 74 tempting lots that includes the Tom Scott selection of world-class Mercedes-Benz models. You can read our full auction preview here.
For tickets and further information, head to the official Goodwood Festival of Speed website. You can catch up on all the action from home via a special highlight programme on ITV1 that will air on Monday July 22 at 22:45 BST and July 23 at 23:00 BST.
