The Goodwood Festival of Speed has always had a talent for mixing eras, and the 2026 edition delivered on that promise. Reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris shared the famous Goodwood House balcony with nine-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, while Damon Hill climbed back into the car that won him his 1996 title. Not a bad weekend’s work.
Norris Takes Centre Stage
Norris tackled the hillclimb on Saturday in the MCL60, McLaren’s 2023 Formula 1 car. He also drove the MCL-HY, McLaren Racing’s World Endurance Championship Hypercar, in what the event marked as the car’s global public debut.
The crowd moment came afterwards, when Norris appeared on the Goodwood House balcony to greet fans — and was joined by Rossi, a figure Norris has previously named as one of his heroes. It was the kind of unscripted crossover that Goodwood does better than almost anywhere else.
Hill Reunited With His Championship-Winning Williams
To mark the 30th anniversary of his 1996 Formula 1 World Championship, Damon Hill drove the restored Williams FW18 in a demonstration run. Hill said afterwards that he had “absolutely loved every second of it.” Williams Team Principal James Vowles also got behind the wheel of the historic challenger during the event.
It was a rare chance to see a title-winning car in the hands of the driver who won with it, rather than simply on static display.
New Faces on the Hill
The 2026 event marked several notable Goodwood debuts. Mercedes driver and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli made his first run up the Hill in a Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed, commenting afterwards that he wanted more laps. Mercedes Third Driver Fred Vesti drove the W13, the team’s 2022 car, dressed in 2026 livery.
Racing Bulls fielded Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, Red Bull ran Isack Hadjar, and Alpine brought Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. Colapinto appeared to enjoy his debut particularly, performing donuts for the crowd in the E20.
Several current drivers were also seen alongside legends of the sport, including Jackie Stewart and Mario Andretti — a reminder of how effectively Goodwood compresses motorsport history into a single weekend.
Junior Talent Gets Its Moment
Beyond the established names, a number of junior and reserve drivers took to the Hill. Formula 2 championship leader Nikola Tsolov drove the Red Bull RB8, while F2 driver Alex Dunne handled the Alpine E20. F1 Academy standings leader Alisha Palmowski drove Red Bull’s RB17 Hypercar, and rival Nina Gademan also completed a run in the E20.
Reserve drivers Fred Vesti, Leonardo Fornaroli, Paul Aron, and Jak Crawford represented Mercedes, McLaren, Alpine, and Aston Martin respectively.
The breadth of that junior presence is worth noting. Goodwood has long served as a stage for established stars, but giving younger drivers (including those from the F1 Academy) access to significant machinery in front of large crowds carries real value for the sport’s pipeline. The 2026 edition made that point clearly.
