The 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held from July 9 to 12 in West Sussex, revolved around the great rivalries in motorsport. With that backdrop, the outcome of Sunday's Timed Shoot Out was the one that has become customary in recent editions. Romain Dumas was again the fastest on the hillclimb. Driving the Ford Super Mustang Mach E, he set a time of 41.97 seconds to claim his fourth victory in this competition, his third in a row with this electric prototype.

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This year's edition was affected by unusually intense heat which, combined with the dust settling on the track, affected grip at several points on the course. In those conditions, Dan Ticktum, at the wheel of the new Formula E Gen4, was Dumas's closest rival with a time of 42.46 seconds, finishing 49 hundredths behind. The McMurtry Spéirling Pure, the production version of the car that holds the absolute record of 39.08 seconds since 2022, also ran up the hill, but its objective was never to set a new record. The company preferred to prioritise data collection on asphalt that did not offer the guarantees needed to exploit its revolutionary Downforce on Demand system to the full.

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That system, which uses fans to generate nearly 2,000 kg of downforce even while stationary, needs a pristine surface to translate that advantage into pure time. With dust playing a leading role, pushing the car was an unnecessary risk. The Spéirling Pure we saw at Goodwood is a substantial advance over the 2022 prototype. It features a 100 kWh battery, two Helix electric motors delivering approximately 1,000 horsepower, and a redesigned carbon‑fibre chassis. Its presence at the festival served to showcase the tangible evolution of the project, which is gradually getting closer to its first customers.

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The progression of times in Goodwood's history confirms the advantage of electrics. Dumas's time leaves the historical table at a point where road or race cars with combustion engines no longer have a place in the fight for the top. Alex Summers's Shadow DN4 was the fastest among its class with 46.30 seconds, more than four seconds behind the winner. The 41.18 seconds that the Volkswagen ID.R set in 2019, which seemed unbeatable, is now only the fourth‑best time. The 41.60 seconds that Nick Heidfeld set in 1999 in the McLaren MP4/13 F1 car, which held the record for more than two decades, now sits in fifth place.

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Beyond the battle against the clock, Goodwood 2026 was a showcase of moments hard to see anywhere else. Lando Norris, the reigning Formula 1 World Champion, got behind the wheel of the McLaren MCL60 in front of a balcony at Goodwood House that was packed. Valentino Rossi rode the Yamaha YZR M1, and Ducati celebrated its centenary by bringing together champions such as Troy Bayliss, Carl Fogarty, Casey Stoner and Álvaro Bautista. Damon Hill drove the Williams FW18 with which he was champion in 1996, and John McGuinness recalled his 30 years on the Isle of Man. Seven current F1 teams brought cars and drivers such as Kimi Antonelli, Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda, and the Red Bull RB17, driven by Adrian Newey himself, roared its 4.5‑litre Cosworth V10 in front of the public for the first time.

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The American Celebration in the Cathedral paid tribute to American car culture. The Ford GT Mk IIs that won Le Mans in 1966 reunited to re‑create that historic formation with Dario Franchitti, Tom Kristensen and Karun Chandhok on board. Right next to them, Lightning McQueen, the character from the film Cars, celebrated its 20th anniversary as one of the most visited attractions by families. In that context, the festival announced the arrival of the Goodwood Road Racing Club in the United States, with a new membership in California that will begin operating in 2027. The next edition of the festival will take place from July 15 to 18 of that same year, and tickets are already on sale for club members.

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Gallery of the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed