Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026: Epic rivalries, exclusive interviews and full photo gallery

Every Goodwood Festival of Speed is built around a theme, but in 2026, ‘The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels’ shaped the event more clearly than most. Across the weekend, the focus fell on the drivers, cars and manufacturers whose battles helped define motorsport history.

Across four hot summer days, Goodwood brought many of those rivalries back together on the hill. Famous cars ran alongside former opponents, while championship-winning drivers returned to machinery closely linked to their careers.

Mario Andretti, Sébastien Loeb, Tom Kristensen, Sir Jackie Stewart, Valentino Rossi, Damon Hill and Lando Norris were among the many major names sharing the paddock with fans.

The programme also included current competition cars, new road-car debuts and a look at future racing projects, giving the 2026 Festival its usual mix of history and modern motorsport.

Rivalries across the paddock

Much of Goodwood’s appeal comes from the way spectators can experience the cars and drivers at close range.

Le Mans winners run on the hill instead of sitting behind museum ropes. Formula One engines can be heard across the estate, and world champions often stop to speak with fans before climbing into the cars that defined their careers.

This year’s theme gave those appearances more context. Formula One, endurance racing, rallying, MotoGP and American motorsport were all represented through cars and people connected to some of their best-known contests.

Ford versus Ferrari, 60 years on

The 1966 Ford versus Ferrari battle at Le Mans was one of the main stories of the weekend.

Sixty years after Ford’s victory in France, Goodwood reunited the three Ford GT40 Mk II cars that completed the famous formation finish and ended Ferrari’s run of Le Mans wins.

Karun Chandhok drove one of the GT40s during the Festival and said the reunion showed what Goodwood can arrange when the right cars and owners come together.

“It’s one of these things that can only happen at Goodwood,” Chandhok told GT REPORT. “To get all three cars back together — I think it’s only the third time in history it’s happened. To have them all running up the hill together is so special.”

Chandhok also watched the three cars from the grandstands. He believes the success of the Ford v Ferrari film introduced the 1966 race to a new generation, while seeing the cars running together added another layer to the story.

“Hopefully this weekend, those of us who’ve been lucky enough to drive them have reminded everyone of how amazing they are in real life.”

The GT40 also proved more approachable than its reputation might suggest.

“It was surprisingly easy to drive. The steering is very precise, very direct, the seating position is actually very comfortable and the engine just sounds amazing. It has very drivable torque, so I could see why it achieved the results that it achieved.”

Chandhok’s most significant run came in the GT40 shared by Ken Miles and Denny Hulme in 1966. Miles crossed the line first, but the staged finish and Le Mans regulations handed victory to the sister car.

“Ken Miles is the story,” Chandhok reflected. “He’s the driver who should have won and was the moral winner. To drive the Ken Miles and Denny Hulme car… that’s a very emotional, powerful thing to do when you know this is a guy who should have won it.”

Dario Franchitti and Tom Kristensen drove the other two GT40s, allowing the three friends to share the experience.

“Privilege is an understatement in moments like this,” he smiled. “Goodwood is about not just great cars and great people, it’s about being with your friends… to share that experience with them was very cool.”

Seeing all three cars on the hill gave spectators a rare chance to compare them in motion and revisit one of Le Mans’ most discussed finishes.

More on the Ford GT40 reunion

We spoke with Karun Chandhok after he drove the Ken Miles and Denny Hulme GT40. In our upcoming feature, he dives deeper into the 1966 finish, the car’s driving characteristics and the experience of running all three Fords together at Goodwood.

David Brabham drives the Jaguar XJR-9

David Brabham’s runs in the Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9 LM were another highlight for endurance racing fans. The purple-and-white Group C prototype brought the sound of Jaguar’s 7.0-litre naturally aspirated V12 back to the hill.

The XJR-9 ended Porsche’s run of Le Mans victories in 1988 and gave Jaguar its first outright win at La Sarthe since 1957. Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace shared the winning car, which beat the Porsche 962s after 24 hours.

Brabham remembered watching that victory and immediately felt comfortable when he climbed into the car at Goodwood.

“Seeing this car win Le Mans in 1988 and then having the opportunity to drive it is pretty cool,” he told GT REPORT. “Even just driving up the hill, it feels like an old glove on the hand. It’s so easy to drive, the drivability of the V12 engine is phenomenal.”

Although he was driving at demonstration pace, Brabham said the Jaguar quickly inspired confidence.

“The car just sits into the ground. You can trust it. You’re not fighting it… it just feels right.”

Sitting in the XJR-9 also brought back memories of his own time racing Jaguars with Tom Walkinshaw Racing.

“As soon as I sat in it, I felt at home. It brings back memories that you don’t even remember until you sit in the car.”

The XJR-9 ran throughout the weekend, allowing visitors around the estate to hear its V12 as well as see the car up close in the paddock.

More on the Jaguar XJR-9

In our upcoming interview, David Brabham talks about driving the XJR-9, the confidence provided by its chassis and V12 engine, and the memories it brought back from his own years with Jaguar.

Lando Norris draws the crowds

Lando Norris arrived at Goodwood as Britain’s latest Formula One world champion and quickly became one of the weekend’s biggest attractions.

During an appearance in the new Fan Zone, Norris recalled visiting the Festival with his father and brother fourteen years earlier. He returned this time with a world championship to his name.

Norris drove the McLaren MCL60 Formula One car, helped unveil McLaren’s future Hypercar programme and performed burnouts in a Ford Mustang. Large crowds followed him around the venue, with his balcony appearance alongside McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella and Sir Jackie Stewart drawing one of the weekend’s biggest gatherings.

Valentino Rossi joins the celebration

Valentino Rossi joined Norris for a Monster Energy appearance that brought two of the weekend’s most popular guests together in the Fan Zone.

The nine-time motorcycle world champion spent time with fans and shared the stage with Formula One’s newest champion. Their joint appearance was a simple example of the range of drivers and disciplines represented at the Festival.

Damon Hill returns to the Williams FW18

Thirty years after winning the 1996 Formula One World Championship, Damon Hill was reunited with his title-winning Williams FW18.

Hill drove the Renault V10-powered car up the hill and stopped outside Goodwood House before appearing on the balcony with his family. The run gave the crowd another chance to hear one of the best-known Formula One cars of the 1990s and marked the anniversary of Hill’s championship season.

Singer takes over the Central Feature

Singer was the subject of the 2026 Central Feature outside Goodwood House.

Designed by sculptor Gerry Judah, the installation displayed Singer’s reworked Porsche 911s above the main entrance area. It gave the company a prominent place at the Festival and put its approach to design and craftsmanship in front of the weekend’s largest crowds.

BMW brings the M3 Touring 24H to Goodwood

BMW’s M3 Touring 24H was one of the newer competition cars to attract a large following at Goodwood. Driven by BMW factory driver Jordan Pepper, the estate-bodied racer was easy to spot thanks to its large rear wing and Nürburgring livery.

The project began with an April Fool’s post from BMW M Motorsport. The response encouraged BMW’s engineers to build a one-off endurance racer using the BMW M4 GT3 EVO as its basis. A few months after its first rollout, the M3 Touring won the SPX class and finished fourth overall in the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours.

“What started out as an April Fool’s joke turned into something far more superior than anyone could have imagined,” Pepper told GT REPORT. “It’s just a proud moment to see the wagon go up the hill. It’s a proper good race car.”

The team initially approached the car as a promotional project, but the development process soon became competitive.

“It wasn’t really about the performance at first — it was about showing up with something very different,” Pepper explained. “But you’ve got racers at heart, and quite quickly the goal was to make it as quick as possible. For this car to almost get an overall podium at the Nürburgring, considering it only did its first rollout in March, was truly sensational.”

Pepper also praised the car’s stability and the reaction it received from spectators.

“I’m quite impressed with how stable the aero platform is. But I think the coolest thing about the car is the love and passion from all the fans. It’s only a few months old as a race car and it’s already an icon.”

He completed the Timed Shoot-Out in 46.54 seconds, setting the fifth-fastest time overall. Pepper said the team still placed more importance on entertaining the crowd than chasing the outright result.

“We’d love to be the best combustion-engine car. But more than that, the biggest goal is just to have fun and put on a good show for everyone.”

The amount of attention around the car in the paddock suggested that BMW had achieved that goal before Pepper even reached the start line.

More on the BMW M3 Touring 24H

We caught up with Jordan Pepper to discuss the Nürburgring-winning BMW M3 Touring 24H, its reception at Goodwood and the rapid development that took it from an April Fool’s post to fourth place at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in more depth. The full feature is coming soon to GT REPORT.

Romain Dumas wins the Timed Shoot-Out

The Timed Shoot-Out closed the competitive part of Sunday’s programme, with drivers chasing the fastest time over Goodwood’s 1.16-mile hillclimb.

Romain Dumas won in the all-electric Ford Super Mustang Mach-E with a 41.98-second run. It was the Frenchman’s fifth Festival Shoot-Out victory, adding another win to his record on the hill.

Drifting brings the tyre smoke

The dedicated drift demonstrations remained one of the busiest areas away from the main hillclimb.

Professional drivers produced long runs of tyre smoke while carrying large angles through the course. The sessions offered a very different type of driving from the historic racing cars and prototypes elsewhere on the estate.

Drifting is now a regular part of the Festival programme and gives fans another reason to move between the hill, paddocks and demonstration areas throughout the day.

New machinery in First Glance

The First Glance category gave manufacturers and specialist car makers space to present new models alongside the Festival’s historic machinery.

The Audi Nuvolari was among the most prominent debuts and previewed Audi’s latest design direction. The Nichols N1A provided a smaller and more unusual alternative.

The lightweight sports car was created by Formula One designer Steve Nichols, whose previous work includes McLaren’s dominant MP4/4 from the 1988 season. The N1A draws inspiration from 1960s Can-Am cars and combines that shape with modern engineering and an analogue approach to driving.

For many spectators, First Glance offered an early opportunity to see these cars moving in public rather than viewing them only through launch images or static displays.

Rally cars, motorcycles and more

Formula One occupied a large part of the programme, but the Festival covered far more than single-seaters.

World Rally Championship machinery ran on the Forest Rally Stage, the Off-Road Arena hosted its own demonstrations, and historic Grand Prix cars shared the hill with Le Mans prototypes and NASCAR machinery. Ducati also marked its centenary with a gathering of riders and motorcycles.

The sound around the estate changed throughout the day, from turbocharged Group B rally cars in the forest to naturally aspirated Formula One engines on the hill.

What Goodwood does best

Goodwood’s strongest feature remains the access it gives fans to the cars and the people connected to them.

Visitors can stand metres away from Formula One world champions, watch Le Mans winners run on the hill, see motorcycles, rally cars and hypercars on the same programme, and often meet the people who drove them.

The rivalry theme gave this year’s programme a useful thread. Cars were presented alongside the drivers, opponents and events that made them important, helping visitors understand why they still attract so much attention.

By Sunday evening, the paddocks were thinning and transporters were being loaded. Over four days, fans had seen 1960s Le Mans cars, a current Formula One champion, Group C prototypes, drift cars, motorcycles and new road cars in motion. That range, and the chance to experience it up close, remains the reason the Festival works.

Photos by Michal Pospisil