‘Record Breakers’ theme for 2019 Festival of Speed

Goodwood has announced the official theme for this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, and it’s set to celebrate those in motorsport who push themselves and their machines to the very limit and beyond.

‘Speed Kings – Motorsport’s Record Breakers’ is to be 2019’s central theme, somewhat appropriate for an event which itself seems to break attendance records and debut impressive machinery nearly every year. Surprisingly, it’s now been two decades since the record for the Goodwood hill climb itself was last broken. Nobody has driven up faster than Nick Heidfeld, whose 41.6sec run in a McLaren MP4/13 remains unmatched, not least by last year’s attempt by Romain Dumas in the Pikes Peak record-holding Volkswagen ID R.

We’d not be surprised if Porsche chooses to bring along its 919 Hybrid Evo to this year’s event though – yet another current record holder, having set a remarkable 5:19.546 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in mid-2018. It was briefly the lap record holder at Spa Francorchamps too, until Sebastian Vettel’s 2018 qualifying lap snatched it back for a Formula 1 car. If anything is in with a chance of out-sprinting Heidfeld, the 919 could be it. The theme will celebrate not just the cars, but also record-breaking drivers, as well as fastest laps, most successful manufacturers, most pole positions, and more. Goodwood hasn’t revealed much more than that about this year’s theme, and it’ll be a little while before we know details of the centrepiece that will sit in front of Goodwood House, but there will be some changes made to the location of certain attractions, to be revealed in time.

‘We are delighted with this year’s theme, as it offers an opportunity to celebrate the ultimate heroes of motorsport past, present and future,’ says Will Kinsman, head of motorsport content at Goodwood. ‘The team are working hard to ensure the paddocks are bursting with the most talented drivers and riders alongside the most iconic road and race machines in the world.’