This July the Goodwood Festival of Speed is back for 2021. After a year of uncertainties and cancellations across the motorsport world, FOS will return to Goodwood this summer. If you aren't familiar with the Festival of Speed then a quick google search will reveal it's a sort of motoring summer garden party. Cars, motorcycles, drivers, and riders from all over the world gather on the grounds of the beautiful Goodwood House over three days to tackle the famous Hillclimb, a 1.16-mile course snaking from the bottom of the driveway. The fastest time of the weekend wins, and for the skilled enough to be crowned, a party in the house on Sunday night is thrown in their honor.
As the 2020 event was canceled this year's FOS is promising to be a very welcome return of motoring and the biggest and best festival yet. Aspects of last year's planned event and this year's will be squeezed into one high octane weekend that shouldn't be missed. The theme of last year has been carried over, so we will see 'The Maestros – Motorsport’s Great All-Rounders' hit the Hillclimb with a supercharged temperament, trying to claim that top spot. A very special maestro, Mario Andretti has confirmed his attendance and said "Goodwood in July sounds wonderful to me right now. I welcome the invitation and look forward to being there for the third time. It is truly one of the most fan-friendly motorsports events. A very unique jewel. There is simply nothing like it on the planet.”
Expect The World's Most Expensive And Lusted After Supercars And Racecars To Go All Out Up The 1.16 Mile Track
After the 2019 rendition of FOS, a 20-year-old record was broken on the Hillclimb when the all-electric VW ID.R, driven by Romain Dumas, broke the record set by Nick Heidfeld in the McLaren MP4/13 F1 car in 1999. Teams this year will be looking to set an even faster time and claim victory over the famous climb. Confirmed F1 teams attending this year are McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, Williams, and Red Bull Racing, with drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, said to be making an appearance on Sunday.
Festival of Speed isn't just about the Hillclimb, however. Up at the top of the hill, the forest rally stage is always an exciting spectacle. Legends such as Sebastien Ogier, Sébastian Loeb, Ken Block and Petter Solberg, Rauno Aaltonen, Juha Kankkunen and Elfyn Evans will all be tackling the course over the weekend. Best of all is the proximity you can get to the rally stage and the cars. Festival of Speed offers engagement like no other event in the world. You will be able to get close enough to touch the cars in the paddock and meet the drivers face-to-face.
Many Marques Have Played Host To The Central Feature at FOS: This Year, It Is The Turn Of Lotus
It was 2012 when Lotus was last celebrated by the central feature at FOS. The central feature has been an integral part of the festival since its inception in 1993, where a DB7 was humbly mounted to a plinth in front of Goodwood House. Since then, we have seen engineering mastery from local companies under the direction of artist and designer, Gerry Judah, celebrating everything from Ferrari to Renault to Rolls-Royce. This year the focus will be on Lotus's new hypercar the Evija and yet-to-be-revealed sports car the Emira, which will have its public debut at this year's event. The feature this year promises to be more accessible and interactive than ever.
The ever-popular drifters are also back causing chaos and tire smoke as they light up the Hillclimb with some sideways action. Expect stunt displays across the weekend from legendary names in the business.
The most influential players in technology present monumental advancements in the field at FOS Future Lab. Since 2017 Future Lab has been recognized as one of the forefronts of new technology launches. Inventors and Scientists from all over the world debut interactive visions of the future, to inspire the next generations of bright minds. For sim enthusiasts, there will be a full-body racing VR rig to try your hand at and reportedly a robot cocktail maker.
The weekend isn't solely about celebrating speed. Outside the house is the Cartier Style et Luxe Lawn, where the finest concours d'elegance in the world is held. Beautiful, exceptionally maintained cars from history are displayed and judged by a panel of experts on style and luxury. A wide variety of rare and wonderful cars are a sight not to be missed. The Luxe Lawn is also a welcome break from the theatrics of the track and paddocks.
The Festival of Speed 2021 is gearing up to be a key event in this year's diary of automotive action. Stay up to date with all the announcements via Goodwood's dedicated FOS website, whereas we get closer to the event more about who and what is attending this year will be revealed. The Goodwood Festival of Speed will be held from 8th - 11th July 2021.