The highly anticipated annual Goodwood Festival of Speed has had its first superstars announced for its 2026 edition, with names such as reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris and nine-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi already confirmed.
This year’s festival, which will take place from 9-12 July at the iconic Goodwood venue, regularly sees some of the biggest names in motorsport tackle the famous hillclimb. The theme for this year’s event is “The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels”.
The announcements of Norris and Rossi also came with confirmation that they will attend on Friday and Saturday (10 and 11 July).
Other confirmed drivers include 1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill. He will make an appearance on Saturday in his championship-winning Williams FW18 and will also feature on the balcony of Goodwood House as part of celebrations marking 30 years since his title triumph.
Williams Racing have also confirmed that James Vowles, Luke Browning and Jamie Chadwick will join Hill in making appearances over the weekend, although the dates they will attend have yet to be confirmed.
Alpine F1 Team have also confirmed the drivers and dates they will feature throughout the event. Pierre Gasly will open proceedings on Thursday alongside Alpine Academy and F1 Academy driver Nina Gademan. Current Formula 2 title contender Alex Dunne will represent the brand on Friday before Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron takes over on Saturday. Gasly’s Formula 1 team-mate Franco Colapinto will close out the weekend on Sunday.
Aston Martin’s Jak Crawford and Jessica Hawkins will take on the hill across the weekend. Both drivers are expected to be involved in demonstrations featuring Aston Martin machinery, although full details are yet to be announced.
Ferrari will also make an appearance, with a number of notable cars set to tackle the hill throughout the festival. The full extent of the marque’s presence is yet to be confirmed.
Mercedes reserve driver Fred Vesti will take the wheel of the 2022 Mercedes W13 across all four days, while the German manufacturer will also have its 2018 Formula 1 car available in the new Pirelli Fan Zone, where fans can try their hand at a pit-stop challenge.
Away from Formula 1, Ducati will celebrate its 100th anniversary across the four-day event, with plenty of displays and attractions for fans to enjoy.
The trio of Ford GT MkIIs that famously finished 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans will reunite for the first time in a decade at the festival, marking 60 years since their historic achievement.
Many younger motorsport fans may credit animated film star Lightning McQueen as the reason they first became interested in the sport. The legendary red racer will be appearing at the festival as Pixar’s Cars celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Many more announcements are expected in the coming weeks, with the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed now just a few weeks away.
