Video: 2025 Madgwick Cup highlights | Goodwood Revival

Madgwick Cup highlights

These sub-3.0-litre sportscars of the early-mid 1960s were a joy to watch on Saturday, injecting some much-needed colour to proceedings after a grey start to the day. The track surface remained wet as the race got underway with these wonderfully nimble cars slithering and sliding their way around the Motor Circuit.

William Nuthall in one of several Elva Mk7 Ss taking part in the Madgwick Cup claimed the lead of the race at the start from third on the grid as he hung it around the outside of the first corner in impressive fashion. It was a decisive move that put him in control on an incredibly slippery track.

It was Elva leading Elva leading Elva in the early going, and Nuthall fought hard to repel the pressure of Olly Birkett and Max Bartell behind, eventually losing out to Birkett before the rain returned and necessitated a red flag.

Birkett struggled away from the restart and could only watch on as Nuthall again made the best getaway to lead again into Madgwick corner. Birkett began trying to recover position and pulled off an audacious move on Bartell into the Chicane to get himself back into the top three, but he pushed his luck as he approached St. Mary’s, colliding with Andrew Hibberd’s Lotus 23 and taking a costly detour over the grass.

The battle at the front meanwhile remained intense, with Nuthall and Bartell within a tenth or two of each other with five minutes to go, and Bartell made a decisive move into Fordwater to finally claim the lead of the race. He too would be scuppered, though, as one corner later Birkett, who had recovered again to third place, slid off and into the barriers at St. Mary’s to bring out another red flag.

The race was brought to an end, and the final order was taken from the end of the previous lap meaning it was Nuthall who prevailed to claim victory in the 2025 Madgwick Cup.

Madgwick Cup Official Practice

Heavy showers drenched the Motor Circuit ahead of Official Practice for the Madgwick Cup, which made for treacherous conditions as the sub-3.0-litre sportscars of the early 1960s made their way out of the Assembly Area for the first time of the weekend.

You know it’s bad when even the Revival’s most experienced hands are caught out by the weather, as the likes of Andrew Hibberd and Mark Gillies were both caught facing the wrong way in the early stages. But it was William Nuthall in his Elva Mk7 who found his feet first and climbed to the top of the leaderboard.

The opening ten minutes were a duel between Nuthall and Chris Goodwin’s Lotus 23B for pole position, but it was Nic Carlton-Smith who found more speed with five minutes to go as the track began to dry. The #39 Lotus 23B stormed into provisional pole by more than two seconds.

The top four of Carlton-Smith, Nuthall, Goodwin and Olly Birkett were swapping positions relentlessly as they each set faster lap times, but as the chequered flag dropped it was Max Bartell’s Elva Mk7 that swept in to snatch the top spot with a remarkable last gasp effort.

If Official Practice is anything to go by, the Madgwick Cup is set to be an exciting race when it gets underway on Saturday afternoon.

Photography by Charlie Brenninkmeijer.

Madgwick Cup grid (Top 15)

What is the Madgwick Cup?

A fixture from the earliest days of the Revival period, the Madgwick Cup takes inspiration from sportscar races that took place during the 60^th-64^th Members’ Meetings. It was first awarded in 1948 as the Goodwood Voiturette, won by Dudley Folland in a MG Magnette K3. It was awarded annually until 1954, and as the Goodwood F2 — Formula 2 — race for the last three editions. Stirling Moss was a two-time winner, in 1949 and 1951, respectively, while Roy Salvadori also claimed the cup in 1953.

Steeds included Coopers and Connaughts, though at Revival it has been varying Lotus models that have enjoyed success. The grid for the Madgwick Cup features some of the most beautiful cars of the event, with sleeker bodywork and smaller engines it's quite a contrast to some of the weekend’s other contests.

In 2025, the grid will comprise sportscars from 1960-’66 with engines smaller than 3.0-litres. These svelte cars each vying for victory in a 25-minute battle.  

When is the Madgwick Cup?

Official Practice for the Madgwick Cup takes place on Friday afternoon, with the starting line-up to be determined during this 20-minute session that begins at 13:10. The race itself follows on Saturday, when the flag drops at 15:25, preceding the day’s Alfa Romeo Track Parade.

Previous winners of the Madgwick Cup 

The 2025 Goodwood Revival is underway! You can watch every moment of the action by watching our live stream.

Photography by Toby Whales.