This ultimate F1 grid would deliver a race dreams are made of

13th July 2025

Rachel Roberts

When it comes to Formula 1 at the 2025 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, there’s no such thing as too much. All four days here at Goodwood we’ve celebrated 75 years of the F1 World Championship, and on Sunday there was a special edition of the usual batches we’ve seen run up the Hill. This is the ultimate F1 grid.

Comprising 26 cars that reflect the breadth of machinery that comes with a near century of competition, this curated batch began with one of the more modern offerings. Red Bull’s RB7 was adorned in the current Racing Bulls white livery, with Patrick Friesacher serving up some doughnuts in front of the House.

A special focus on Sunday has been on four-time World Champion Alain Prost, and before his moment on the balcony he joined this grid in the MP4/2B, accompanied by his son Nico in his father’s Renault RE40.

Such thoughtful pairs of cars followed on the Hill, a wonderful display of history in motion. We had the Ferrari SF90 2019 challenger alongside the F399 20 years its senior; Mercedes partnered the 1955 300SLR with 2022’s W13 E; McLaren’s MP4-21 of 2006 journeyed with Emerson Fittipaldi’s M23.

The two-time Champion was present, indulging in his Lotus days driving his victorious Type 72, following in the tyre tracks of Mario Andretti at the wheel of the Lotus 49. Great drivers were joined by great designers — Adrian Newey had the honour of driving the Lotus 49B at the tail of the innovative Type 25.

Two cars driven by Nigel Mansell, the FW14B and the FW11, traversed the Hillclimb together, the man himself in the former with Ricardo Patrese in the latter. Williams was also represented by the FW07, driven by another Champion celebrated in Saturday’s balcony moment, Jacques Villeneuve, and Sir Jackie Stewart’s sons once again piloted two of the three-time Champion’s Tyrrells, and Team Enstone winding lineage offered the Renault RS10 in tandem with Alpine’s 2023 car, the A523.

Italy’s mark on Formula 1 is indelible, the 156 Sharknose, 312 B3 of 1974 and it’s most recent Constructors’ winner, the F2008, all starred on the Hill, and Alfa Romeo’s early dominance of the sport was highlighted by the 158 Alfeta that was victorious in the first ever Championship race in 1950, and the 1933 P3 Tipo B that pre-dated it all. The batch was rounded out by the car that delivered Graham Hill his first title, the BRM P57.

Formula 1 has evolved dramatically in its 75 years, the difference in design of each of these cars was stark when witnessed one after another. The largest ever grid of an F1 race was made up of 26 cars, at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix. If these 26 cars really did line up for a race, we have no guesses who would come out on top, but we’d be in for a hell of a spectacle.

Photography by Rob Cooper.