Goodwood unveils all-star lineup for Festival of Speed

Organisers for the Goodwood Festival of Speed have confirmed some of the stars of the show, six weeks before the event is set to begin.

Formula One stars Jensen Button, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg are all set to make an appearance at the festival, which will boast a total of 80 drivers and riders in attendance when it opens on July 2.

Former F1 champions also expected to be present include Emerson Fittipaldi, Sir Jackie Stewart, Mika Hakkinen, John Surtees and Sir Stirling Moss.

Goodwood is billed as the world's largest celebration of motoring culture, with stars from many major motorsports such as Formula One, World Rally Championships, Intercontinental Rally Challenge, NASCAR and the motorcycle Grand Prix.

From the world of rallying, Miki Biasion, Ken Block, Kris Meeke and Guy Wilks will be present, whilst Giacomo Agostini, Kevin Schwantz, Chaz Davies, Neil Hodgson and Trevor Nation will lead the lineup of motorcyclists.

In total, over 20 World Champions across all disciplines will be attending, and many will be tackling the 1.86 kilometre Goodwood hillclimb in both new and classic vehicles.

The festival is renowned for allowing spectators to get closer to the action than many other events, as most of the enclosures are open to the public.

Side events include the centenary celebrations for Italian marque Alfa Romeo, the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe' concours d'elegance competition and the "FoS-Tech" exhibition showcasing automotive technology.

In the wake of this year's cancellation of the British Motor Show, normally held in London, organizers have arranged a separate "Moving Motor Show" for prospective buyers on July 1, which allows visitors to test drive cars from high street brands.

The festival runs from July 2-4 at the Goodwood Estate, in West Sussex, England.

http://www.goodwood.co.uk/