Each day of the 2025 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard was punctuated by a moment on the balcony of Goodwood House, each in their own way delivering a memorable and often emotional highlight that differentiates this great event from anything else in the world.
The weekend got off to an emotional start when local boy and Le Mans legend Derek Bell made his way up onto the balcony for reminisce on a wonderful career alongside Karun Chandhok and his family.
After driving up to the steps of the house in his iconic Le Mans 24 Hours winning Porsche 962, Bell embraced the love of the crowd who turned out to show their appreciation to one of motorsport’s good guys. He remains Britain’s most successful driver at the Le Mans and puts his success down to his sheer love of racing, which we were all so happy to share with him during this genuinely lovely moment at the 2025 Festival of Speed.
But it’s not just his exploits at Le Mans that make him a motorsport legend. Before his exploits in sportscars, he also raced in F1 for the likes of Ferrari and McLaren. A West Sussex native, his first taste of racing came at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, which also proved to be the site of his first race victory. Bell returned to Goodwood to celebrate 50 years since his first Le Mans success in 1975.
The summer of ’95 returned in full swing on Festival of Speed Friday with a moment dedicated to four-time World Superbike Champion, Carl Fogarty. Emotions ran high once more as ‘Foggy’ approached Goodwood House astride his Championship-winning Ducati 916 before proceeding to drench the waiting crowds with champagne before heading up onto the balcony.
He was close to tears before he even started speaking, and we got to see just how much it means to the great man to have a spotlight shone on his remarkable career. Fogarty was responsible for single-handedly bringing World Superbikes to the masses in Britain, as ‘Foggymania’ transformed the sport into a mainstream interest virtually overnight.
Aside from becoming a four-time World Champion, Carl Fogarty was an inspiration for an entire generation, and his influence was demonstrated by the passionate crowds that gathered below the Central Feature at the Festival of Speed.
Saturday saw arguably the single most incredible moment in the history of the Festival of Speed, as no less than seven F1 World Champions made their way onto the Goodwood balcony for what will be remembered in years to come as a truly mesmerising spectacle.
With 14 World Championships between them, won over four decades, a huge window of F1 history was on show, as one of the biggest crowds the Festival of Speed had ever seen flooded the grounds below.
Sir Jackie Stewart was joined by Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve and Mika Hakkinen, each taking time to acknowledge the crowd, and talk to Karun about their individual achievements. The godfather of modern F1, Bernie Ecclestone, was also up on the balcony to embrace the stars that he cultivated during his time at the helm of the world’s greatest sport.
This is one of those moments that, in years to come, those in attendance will be able to say: “I was there.”
But there was one F1 superstar in particular who was invited back onto the balcony on Sunday for an individual recognition of his greatness. Four-time World Champion Alain Prost returned for one last moment at the wheel of his 1988 Monaco Grand Prix-winning McLaren MP4/4, as Goodwood recognised one of the greatest racing drivers of all time.
Prost’s motorsport story is as remarkable as it is legendary. As a child he had no interest in cars or racing, but after a chance first experience at the wheel of a kart, he never looked back. His career in F1 saw him race against, and beat, an endless list of great drivers, including several of those he joined on the balcony the day before.
The great Frenchman climbed from the cockpit of his McLaren to greet another huge crowd in front of Goodwood House and handed his gloves to a young boy before joining Karun and his family on the balcony to rapturous applause. One of the most gracious and amicable drivers we’ve ever had the fortune to meet, it was an absolute pleasure to have Alain Prost at the 2025 Festival of Speed.
After four incredible balcony moments, Goodwood has its work cut out to go one better in 2026.
Sign up for our ticket alerts or join the Goodwood Road Racing Club today to secure your 2026 tickets ahead of the general on sale later this year.
Main photography by Jordan Butters and Pete Summers.
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