The 5 famous faces of Goodwood Festival of Speed

For 28 glorious years, Goodwood Festival of Speed has been gracing car fanatics, being the home of the iconic hill climb and as a Formula 1 and motorsport hotspot. The festival rightly holds a special place in visitor’s hearts and is no stranger to celebrities making an appearance. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Festival of Speed was unable to take place last year.

However, in 2021 it is amongst several pilot schemes for the Events Research Programme running until 11 July and returns, better than ever. Here are 5 famous faces who have attended in the past and have helped to construct the Festival of Speed into the event that it is today.

Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz

The iconic F1 McLaren duo who raced together for two years, visited fans at the festival in 2019. Norris and Sainz drove Bruce McLaren’s legendary M8D and much to fan’s delight, showed off their raw, racing talent up Goodwood’s famous hill climb. Both drivers had a memorable time racing together, yet the start of the 2021 season saw Carlos jump ship to rival team Ferrari. Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo took his place at McLaren with teammate Lando Norris completing the pair.

Instagram @landonorris

Sir Jackie Stewart

The ex-racing driver who rose to success in the late 1960’s and went on to win three F1 Championships attended the Festival of Speed in 2019. At 80 years young, he is acclaimed for his achievements within the world of motorsport for what he has accomplished not only on the circuit, but on the outside of the confines of his car. He pushed for the increased safety precautions within Formula 1 races, promoting the importance of having medical teams on standby after his near fatal accident in the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, 1966.

Jodie Kidd

TV personality, model and race car driver Jodie Kidd attended the festival in 2017. Alongside commentating legend Murry Walker, she assisted in presenting and made the appearance at Goodwood with BMW as a friend of the brand, sprinting the futuristic and hybrid BMW i8 up the hill climb’s ascent. Kidd has a collection of beloved cars, ranging from a Jaguar F-Type Coupé R to a 1970’s Land Rover Defender.

Natalie Pinkham

The Sky Sports presenter arguably has an avid Formula 1 fan’s dream job. Not only has she befriended old and new drivers alike, but travels the world reporting the latest, live from the F1 grid. Natalie attended the Festival of Speed in 2015 and helped set a new world record with a stunt driver Terry Grant, driving a car on two wheels.

Chris Evans

The TV presenter, radio DJ and hardcore car enthusiast is a familiar face at Goodwood Festival of Speed. In 2011, for Children in Need, Chris along with BBC Radio 2 attended the event with ‘Magnificent Seven’ Ferrari’s. Bidders battled to win one of seven spots to travel the South East of England in one of the supercars and in the process, raised a huge £1.1million for the charity, proving to be a huge fundraising success.