Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Going on a speed date

Iconic F1 machines, cool supercars, and a whole lot of history... here’s what went down at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

For one reason or the other, the Goodwood Festival of Speed had eluded me. For any car nut, this event is a bucket-lister. Goodwood FOS, as it is popularly known, is motorsports’ most immersive celebration. Legendary racecars and modern supercars charge up a historic hill. It’s a living, roaring tribute to speed, heritage and the enduring passion that unites car lovers across generations.

Niki Lauda’s 1975 Championship winning Ferrari 312T was on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

This year was my first time at Goodwood, and what an introduction it was! Unlike any other car gathering, Goodwood tears down the velvet ropes. Here, the world’s most significant cars, from priceless grand prix machines to cutting-edge hypercars, aren’t displayed behind barriers. They’re alive and loud, storming up the legendary 1.9km hillclimb past the Duke of Richmond’s ancestral home. It’s a garden party, where the soundtrack is the shriek of V12s, the bark of turbos, and the scent of fuel.

Legendary F1 driver Karun Chandhok took a spin in this Brawn F1 car.

What a year to make my debut. The 2025 Festival marked 75 years of the Formula 1 World Championship, and Goodwood rose to the occasion spectacularly. Over 100 cars from F1’s history created a rolling museum unlike anything else on Earth. Hearing high-revving, naturally aspirated V8s, V10s and V12s scream was a visceral reminder of what we’ve lost in the hybrid era. To see Mansell’s title-winning FW14B, Lauda’s ’70s Ferraris, the Brabham BT52 turbo icon, and Jackie Stewart’s Tyrrells sharing tarmac in the same afternoon was a privilege only Goodwood can deliver.

A highlight: Experiencing it alongside Karun Chandhok, the only Indian other than Narain Karthikeyan to have driven in Formula 1. Karun seemed to be everywhere at once, slipping into cockpits worth millions, offering insights only someone with his knowledge and credibility can. This year alone, he was at the wheel of Mansell’s FW11, the wailing 2006 McLaren MP4-21, and Ross Brawn’s championship-winning Brawn GP car. Watching him switch from driver to historian, chatting trackside with F1 legends and team bosses, made it clear: Karun is both racing’s custodian and storyteller.

What makes the Festival of Speed truly special is its accessibility. At no other event can you stand a few feet from a Le Mans legend firing up, then turn to watch a world champion chat with fans. The smells, the sounds, the heat radiating off engines — it’s a multi-sensory experience.

Brands such as Jaguar unveiled their cutting-edge supercars at the festival.

Lord March’s audacious idea back in 1993, to bring motorsport back to his ancestral estate after the Goodwood circuit closed in ’66, has blossomed into something extraordinary. What began as a single-day gathering, managed with little more than polite requests for donations, has evolved into a global spectacle where the biggest brands in the world set up lavish stalls. Jaguar Land Rover were there in full force showcasing their past, present and future models (The Jaguar 00 made its Goodwood debut this year).

Despite this, the Goodwood FOS retains that quintessential, British charm. The iconic Central Feature sculpture, reinvented each year (this year was a tribute to the legendary Gordon Murray), serves as a visual anchor for this living, breathing museum of speed. I can confirm: It’s utterly addictive. Next year?

I’ll be back.

From HT Brunch, July 19, 2025

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