FORMULA ONE IS COMING HOME AT THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

In just under two weeks, the calm tranquility of the picturesque Goodwood Park will be shattered as the 2010 Festival of Speed gets underway. From 2-4 July more than 90 stars drivers and riders, and over 350 significant competition vehicles, will be in action at the world’s greatest celebration of motoring culture. A key attraction will be the contemporary Formula 1 teams and drivers, as well as a mouth-watering display of the greatest F1 cars from the past 60 years of the F1 World Championship.

Goodwood’s unique ability to attract the top works Formula 1 teams is a key strength of the Festival of Speed – nowhere else in the world can you get so close to the latest and greatest F1 cars and drivers. This year six F1 teams have confirmed their attendance at the Festival, just one week ahead of their appearance at the British Grand Prix.

Scuderia Ferrari – the incomparable Italian marque will be at the Festival once more, their blood red cars forming a central part of this year’s ‘Viva Veloce!’ celebration.
McLaren-Mercedes – the MP4-23 will be in action all weekend, with 2008 and 2009 World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button at the controls. They will also both be driving the ex-Alain Prost championship winning 1986 McLaren-TAG MP4/2C.
Mercedes GP – one the newest F1 teams in the pit lane will mark its return to full works competition after a 55-year absence with an appearance at the Festival of Speed, with Nico Rosberg in action, as well as Goodwood hillclimb speed record holder Nick Heidfeld.
Red Bull – after setting the pace through the early part of the 2010 F1 season, Red Bull are amongst the favourites this year, and their car is sure to be a Festival highlight, especially with Mark Webber at the wheel. Red Bull’s engineering genius Adrian Newey will also be appearing in the 2009 Red Bull-Renault RB5.
Lotus-Cosworth – after a long absence in F1, Lotus makes a welcome return and will be at Goodwood with drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen.
Williams-Cosworth – the latest FW32, which will appear at the Festival, renews Williams’ relationship with Cosworth, with whom it won four World Titles in the 1980s.
The 60th anniversary of the Formula One World Championship will be celebrated at Goodwood with paddocks full of important Grand Prix cars from the last six decades. Cars from the 1950s will include the championship-winning Alfa Romeo Tipo 159 ‘Alfetta’, Mercedes-Benz W196, Vanwall, and BRM’s first winner, the Type 25. Highlights from the 1960s include the Cooper-Climax T53 ‘lowline’, Lotus-BRM 33, Lotus-Cosworth 49 and Matra-Cosworth MS80.

Be-winged Grand Prix cars of the 1970s include the Lotus-Cosworth 72E, due to be driven by Emerson Fittipaldi and Heikki Kovalainen and the legendary six-wheeled Tyrrell-Cosworth P34. Highlights from the ground-effect and turbo Grand Prix eras will include the Lotus-Cosworth 79, Williams-Cosworth FW08 – the last car to win the World Championship powered by a Ford-Cosworth DFV engine, and due to be driven by Karun Chandhok at Goodwood, plus the Toleman-Hart T183B in which Ayrton Senna mad his GP debut.

Post-Turbo Grand Prix car will include the Benetton-Ford B192, Bruno Senna at the wheel of his uncle Ayrton’s 1993 McLaren-Cosworth MP4/8, the 1994 Lotus-Mugen 109, 1996 Williams-Renault FW18 and Jordon-Ford EJ13.

Look out in the paddock too for familiar Formula 1 faces, including as Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart, Damon Hill, Christian Horner and Murray Walker.

Source: Goodwood