Goodwood Festival of Speed
Jenson Button, Sebastien Loeb and Lewis Hamilton set to star at Goodwood 2009
The line-up for this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed is starting to thrash out.
Chief highlights will be record-breaker (and owner of a French knighthood) Sebastien Loeb, the winner of five consecutive WRC world rally championships expected to drive both the famous Goodwood hill and the forest rally stage in his Citroen C4 WRC car.
Word is he may also be piloting the Citroen GT concept supercar, which was created for Gran Turismo 5 and was unveiled at the Paris motor show. Rumours suggest Citroen may put it into a very limited production run (around 15 cars priced at approx. one million euros), with an announcement due in the next month. If the answer’s a positive one expect a publicity gathering run up the hill.
Lewis Hamilton will be prominent, too, with drives in his 2008 F1 car as well as Ayrton Senna’s 1988 championship winner – the McLaren MP4/4 – planned.
John Surtees – the only man to win both motorcycle and Formula 1 world championships – will be present and despite his 75 years of age, is expected to appear on both two and four wheels.
Le Mans aces of past and present, Derek Bell and Allan McNish, will be driving, with the latter potentially fresh from his third win in La Sarthe. The current leader of the Formula 1 drivers’ standings, Jenson Button, is also expected to be driving on the Sunday.
Ferrari will be showcasing three new models during the Sunday Times Supercar Run. These will be the first front-engined V8, the California, the commemorative high performance Scuderia Spider 16M and the 599 GTB Fiorano with HGTE package.
Ferrari is also represented by the Scuderia Ferrari team who will be demonstrating the 2008 Championship-winning F1 car, driven by Marc Gené, throughout the weekend. Additional examples of Ferrari’s racing heritage can also be seen in the Cathedral Paddock.
From Infiniti, the company's performance concept 'Essence' will be shown for the first time since its debut four months ago in Geneva.
Performance for the rear-wheel-drive coupe is provided by a 600PS petrol/electric hybrid powerplant. It'lll be on display in the TECH pavilion and also on the famous Goodwood Hillclimb, where it will perform in public for the first time.
Joining Essence on the Hillclimb – and later in the Sunday Times Supercar paddock – will be the V6-powered G37 Convertible in right-hand drive form, the first example ever produced.
Elsewhere, Porsche will be showing off the latest GT3 – a UK debut – and the Panamera Gran Turismo. Both will be taking part in the Sunday Times Supercar run. A Cayenne will be demonstrating its performance and handling capabilities on a specially-designed circuit.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is open from July 3-5 2009, with the theme ‘True Grit – epic feats of endurance’. There will also be birthday celebrations for a number of cars and marques, including the Mini, Bugatti and Morgan. Admission is by advance ticket only (Goodwood ticket Hotline +44 (0)1243 755055 or email booking@goodwood.co.uk).
