Express & Star

Behind the scenes at Goodwood Speedweek

Goodwood’s first livestream-only event sees a huge variety of cars take to the famous track. We went behind the scenes the day before it began…

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Classic racing on Goodwood Motor Circuit

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the cancellation of numerous events worldwide, and Goodwood is no different. The West Sussex estate had to cancel the Festival of Speed, Revival and Members’ Meeting in 2020, but it came up with a one-off solution: Speedweek.

Hosted at Goodwood Motor Circuit, the premise is that it combines some of the highlights of each event into one package. The racing might be closed to spectators, with everything streamed live on line, but we were fortunate enough to attend before it all kicked off for a look behind-the-scenes of this truly unique event.

Here’s what our cameras picked up…

Lotus Evija
Lotus’s new electric supercar, the Evija, was on display. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Lotus Evija
Clever design, such as these tunnels in the bodywork, mean it needs fewer wings and spoilers. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Lotus Evija
A second Lotus Evija silently crawls through the venue. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Ford GT
This Ford GT was yellow, but far from mellow. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Mark Webber
Famous faces aplenty at Goodwood. Here, Mark Webber strolls down the pit lane. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Mark Webber
The Australian driver couldn’t help but admire a Lotus 79 in iconic John Player Special livery. (Darren Cassey/PA)
'The Beast of Turin'
The aeroplane-engined Fiat S76 is a Goodwood favourite, nicknamed The Beast of Turin. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Drift cars assemble
A gaggle of drift cars demonstrate just how much variety is on show. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Mustang Mach-E
An electric, drift-modified Ford Mustang Mach-E was one of the fastest cars of the day. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Porsche Le Mans
You’re never far from a classic Le Mans car at Speedweek. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Porsche Le Mans
And most of those classic Le Mans cars are made by Porsche! (Darren Cassey/PA)
Classic Jaguar
Mechanics work on a classic Jaguar in the low autumn sunshine. (Darren Cassey/PA)
Ferrari Monza SP-1
Away from the track, a Ferrari Monza SP-1 sits pretty under cover. (Darren Cassey/PA)
McLaren Elva
McLaren also brought its own version of a classic speedster, with the new Elva. (Darren Cassey/PA)

Goodwood Speedweek takes place from October 16 to 18, and is available to watch on the Goodwood website or through its social channels.

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