The best Goodwood motorsport moments of 2025

Bruno Senna drives Ayrton’s Lotus 97T

Goodwood is famed for providing pinch-yourself moments, and the 82^nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport did just that when Bruno Senna climbed aboard his uncle’s Lotus 97T for several laps of the Motor Circuit. As if the moment wasn’t poignant enough when he donned that famous yellow helmet, it marked the 40^th anniversary of Ayrton’s first ever Formula 1 win. At the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix, Senna took that black and gold machine to victory in a deluge.

At Goodwood, Bruno had more favourable conditions, and the crowds witnessed him stretching the Lotus’ legs and allowing that turbocharged Renault V6 to sing. For those who witnessed Ayrton Senna, it was enough to make the hairs on their necks stand on end. And for younger enthusiasts, it brought to life a different era of F1.

GT3 racers on the edge

There’s something wonderfully incongruous about seeing modern competition machinery thundering around the period setting of the Goodwood Motor Circuit, and we were treated to such a spectacle when it was the turn of GT3 racers from this century to contest the Shoot-Out at 82MM.

We love GT3 endurance cars for their close visual relationship to the road cars they’re derived from, but their aggressive splitters, big wings and unforgiving exhaust notes leave you in no doubt as to their intent. Drivers such as Andrew Jordan, Andy Priaulx, Jake Hill and Andre Lotterer ensured the machines — everything from a thundering Chevrolet Camaro to a screaming Ferrari 458 Italia amid BMWs, Aston Martins and McLarens — were driven as quickly as they could go. Jordan and the Camaro topped the timesheets in what was a thrilling finale to the 82MM weekend.

A balcony filled with stars

Goodwood isn’t all about the machinery. It’s the people who provide the beating heart of the events, and that was more than apparent when no fewer than seven Formula 1 World Champions assembled on the balcony at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. It was all part of our celebrations of the 75^th anniversary of the F1 World Championship, and the crowds gathered in vast numbers to witness this unforgettable moment.

The assembled party spanned four full decades, from Sir Jackie Stewart, who won his first title in 1969, Champions of the 1970s Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti, all the way to Mika Häkkinen, who was crowned for a second time in 1999.

The drivers arrived in style, too. The 1997 winner Jacques Villeneuve arrived in Niki Lauda’s Ferrari 312 B3, Nigel Mansell drove his own Williams FW14B, while Alain Prost showed up in the McLaren MP4/4. Between them, the seven drivers present had 14 World Championships between them. It was truly an incredible and, at times, emotional gathering that no one who witness it will ever forget.

Jenson Button claims his first Revival win

F1 World Champion Jenson Button has been racing at the Goodwood Revival since 2021, but for one reason or another a race win has always evaded him. That was until the 2025 Revival. With their Jaguar C-type, Button and co-driver Alex Buncombe dominated Official Practice for the Freddie March Memorial Trophy to start from pole position for the first race of the event on Friday evening.

When the flag dropped, Bill Shepherd muscled his way past Button and another C-type, but Button was able to seize his moment to regain the lead and from there built a comfortable margin ahead of the following pack. When he handed over to Buncombe, it looked like a home run. Fortunately for the duo rain didn’t stop play, and the C-type scored a decisive victory — and with it, a delighted Button’s first Goodwood triumph.

Frank Stippler’s incredible last-to-first victory

Never mind whether this was the race of Members’ Meeting weekend, it will go down in history as one of the all-time great victories here at Goodwood. In the two-driver Gurney Cup, Frank Stippler took over the Ferrari 206S from last place only to scythe his way through the entire field for an unforgettable win. With headlights ablaze, he made the diminutive Ferrari dance among bigger, more aggressive competition. 

As the race was homing in on the chequered flag it became a classic Ford versus Ferrari battle, with Stippler vying with GT40 driver Rob Huff for victory. We were on the edge of our seat wondering whether the German driver could make it all the way to the front in the closing stages. History, of course, tells us he did. And what a win it was.

RAC TT Celebration a who’s who of motorsport

Reading through the entry list for the Revival’s RAC TT Celebration is akin to reading a who’s who of motorsport. We have Le Mans winners, touring car champions, IndyCar heroes and Formula 1 legends lining up in a grid of formidable 1960s sportscars. How’s this for just a small selection from the line-up: Jenson Button, Romain Dumas, Andy Priaulx, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Gordon Shedden. 

There were two Revival debutants this year, too. The 1997 F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve made his Goodwood debut in the ‘Hairy Canary’ Cobra (having visited as a guest last year), while Tony Kanaan was another driver from the world of IndyCar to come to West Sussex, here piloting a Jaguar E-type. 

Ultimately, after a dramatic, rain-affected race, it was experienced Goodwood hand and two-time BTCC champion Tom Ingram who was victorious, bringing home his E-type co-driven with Richard Kent in first place.

Sir Jackie Stewart inducted into the Ton Club

In Goodwood’s original incarnation, the Ton Trophy was handed out by Freddie March, the 9^th Duke of Richmond, to any driver who completed a 100mph lap of the Goodwood Motor Circuit. Innes Ireland, Stirling Moss and Jim Clark were all members of the Ton Club, but it was a concept that was dropped as cars became faster and achieving the feat became easier.

Sir Jackie Stewart remained outside of the Ton Club, despite the fact that he set the lap record that was equal to his friend Clark’s in 1965. The was set right 60 years later at the Revival, when Stewart was inducted to the Ton Club as part of the weekend’s extended Jim Clark celebration. A newly made award, inscribed with both his and Clark’s names, was presented to Stewart by the Duke of Richmond in one of the most poignant moments of the event.

Aston Martin Valhalla makes its dynamic debut

The Festival of Speed isn’t all about competition cars, of course, and road-going vehicles are as much a part of the event. But there are road cars... and there are road cars. The one that sticks in our mind from 2025 is the dynamic debut of the Aston Martin Valhalla. We have had a wait, but it sure was worth it. 

With 1,079PS (1,456kW) when the V8 engine and electric motors are combined, and more than 600kg of downforce at 150mph, it has racing car credentials despite its registration plates. Its top speed is governed to 217mph and the 0-60mph sprint takes 2.5 seconds. It certainly made an impression while it ascended the Hill.

Cadillac hypercar makes its European debut

The 82^nd Members’ Meeting was the scene where the Cadillac V-Series.R made its European debut in the hands of Team Jota, who subsequently ran it in the World Endurance Championship. Jota itself was celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year, as well as 20 years since its Le Mans debut. It was also fresh from becoming the Hypercar Teams’ Champion in 2024.

It appearance at 82MM was no static display. High-speed demonstration laps across both Saturday and Sunday, courtesy of drivers Alex Lynn and Will Stevens meant we were able to enjoy hearing that 5.5-litre V8 engine at full chat, and didn’t it just look the part in its gold, white and red Hertz livery?  

Incredible battle in the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy

For Part 2 of the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy, all eyes were initially on the pairing of Tony Perkin and Billy McConnell after their 42-second win in Part 1. The drier conditions didn’t seem to suit their machine as well, though, and they fell down the order. 

The battle for first was between Dan Jackson and Glen English. English made his move at Woodcote only for Jackson to make his way back at the Chicane, and they continued to swap places on virtually every corner thereafter. At one stage, Mark Taylor joined to make it a three-way battle. The rider changes disrupted a spectacular battle and mixed up the field, but the racecraft we witnessed while it lasted will live in the memory.

Scintillating Supertruck wins FOS Timed Shoot-Out

We knew before he left the line that Romain Dumas was in with a shot of winning the 2025 Festival of Speed Timed Shoot-Out. Both he as a driver and the Ford Supertruck have form on the 1.16-mile Hill. Dumas is also a bit of a hillclimb specialist, with a Pikes Peak win under his belt alongside his more famous Le Mans victories.

And so it proved. The Supertruck sounds like the most intimidating Scalextric car you’ve ever heard, and it corners almost as aggressively as one, too. He flashed up the Hill in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it style and crossed the line after just 43.23 seconds had elapsed to claim back-to-back Timed Shoot-Out victories. When it comes to the Goodwood Hill, Dumas really is the man to beat.

After a spectacular 2025, you don’t want to miss out on the amazing celebrations in store at next year’s events. Tickets for the 83^rd Members’ Meeting are on sale now, exclusively for Members and Fellowship members of the GRRC, and you can find out how to secure your 2026 tickets here.

Photography by Pete Summers, Joe Harding, Toby Whales and Charlie Brenninkmeijer