Video: 2026 Chichester Cup highlights | Goodwood Revival

Chichester Cup highlights

The Chichester Cup delivered breathless action right from the green light. Chaos erupted within the first five minutes with slow starts, dramatic spins and cars sliding wildly onto the grass.

Overnight rain left the circuit greasy, forcing drivers to hunt for rare dry patches. The unforgiving conditions caught out Hicks in the Caravelle Mk III and Nathan Metcalfe in his Lotus-Ford 20, sending both onto the turf.

At the front, a clash of titans emerged as previous winners Stuart Roach and Michael Hibberd locked horns. Roach masterfully wrestled through heavy traffic to build a massive gap, while a ferocious, paint-trading war erupted behind him. With less than 0.5 seconds separating second through fourth, drivers used every inch of the track in a desperate fight to the finish line.

Chichester Cup Official Practice

 Many of the greatest Grand Prix drivers of the 1960s started out in Formula Junior. These scaled-down Formula 1 cars were the gateway into single-seater racing, and their modest power and limited grip made them ideal for future greats to hone their skills.

The secret to success with a Formula Junior is to maintain as much speed as possible in every corner. With no surfeit of power and torque, there’s no room to waste forward momentum. At Goodwood, with its fast, sweeping corners, that means remaining on the very limit of adhesion for lap after lap. What these cars lack in outright pace they make up with sheer racecraft.

Unfortunately, a red flag came out early in Official Practice when Abby Wingett got into a slide in her Elfin that saw her collect the Lotus 18 of an innocent Chris Porritt. Thankfully both drivers were unharmed, and the field gathered in the pitlane during the clean-up.

Once the green flag came out, the top spot swapped between Hibberd, Roach and Metcalfe. As the session progressed, Roach really found his stride and was the first to dip into 26-second lap times. He claimed pole in his Alexis, with two Lotus in close quarters. The top three grid positions are separated by less than 0.7 seconds, so we’re in for some close racing for the race on Saturday.  

Photography by Jordan Butters. 

Chichester Cup grid (top 10)

When is the 2026 Chichester Cup? 

These single-seater racers first hit the track for Official Practice at 10:30 on Friday morning. Then, the Chichester Cup takes the spotlight as Saturday opening race, with the flag set to drop at 09:20, kickstarting an action-packed day of high-speed celebrations. It’s a perfect early dose of historic motorsport nostalgia.

Who’s competing in the 2026 Chichester Cup?

This year’s Chichester Cup features a stellar line-up of returning winners eager to add another victory to their records. Veterans Andrew Hibberd, James Hicks and Stuart Roach bring ample experience, all hungry to dominate this fixture once again. This race is also set to star Abby Wingett, who has travelled all the way from South Australia to fulfil her dream of racing here at Goodwood, particularly poignant in the year we celebrate her hero, Jack Brabham. 

Which cars are competing in the 2026 Chichester Cup? 

Much like the drivers, the machinery in this year's pack features plenty of proven pedigree. Dominant models like the Alexis-Ford Mk2, Lotus-Ford 22 and Cooper-BMCs return to the grid with victories under their belts, though many will be wondering if this could be the historic first win for Wingett’s 1962 Elfin Formula Junior. 

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