GOODWOOD MARKS F1’S 70TH
Goodwood was used for Formula 1 testing into the 1980s, where this reporter timed Nelson Piquet cutting 63-second laps in a Brabham-cosworth BT49. He probably went quicker. Seeing F1 missiles of subsequent eras unleashed in F1’s 70th Anniversary features bombarded the senses of those on campus, and gave a strong flavour of the hallowed place to racing fans watching online.
Esteban Gutierrez screaming a 2017 Mercedes round at unprecedented speeds opened eyes as the W08’s skid blocks threw sparks, with Marc Gene’s 2009 Ferrari chasing. Ayrton Senna’s 1991 Mclaren-honda MP4/6 generated fervour with Ben Barnicoat up, as did Jenson Button’s 2009 championshipwinning Brawn, Martin Brundle’s Sunday drive. Pedro Piquet’s flame-outs in father Nelson’s 1983 title-winning Brabham-bmw BT52 turbocar were spectacular too.
Emerson Fittipaldi was reunited with a Gold Leaf Team Lotus 72, while Marino Franchitti enjoyed a JPS 72. Jackie Stewart demoed a 1971 Tyrrell and a BRM P261, the model in which he shared Goodwood’s outright lap record with Jim Clark (Lotus 25) when the circuit closed. For Le Mans fans, Richard Attwood in the 1970-winning Porsche 917, Johnny Cecotto in the BMW V12 LMR and a fleet of Silk Cut Jaguars slaked thirst.
A Rally Super Special competition using the circuit and its environs saw Rhys Yates (Ford Focus R5) ace all seven tests to head Osian Pryce (VW Polo GTI R5) by 20s, with Ollie Mellors (Proton IRIZ R5) pipping George Lepley (Mitsubishi Evo X) for third. Yates then turned his hand to the weekend’s Driftkhana, won by James Deane in his Falken Tyres BMW E92 M3 Eurofighter.
The rolling start single-lap Shootout sprint entertained. Oliver Bryant in a fabulous 1995 tubeframe Roush Mustang Trans-am car almost matched Tom Kristensen in Audi R8 GT2 and his 1997 Lm-winning Porsche WSC95, although young stars Jake Hill (in Ric Wood’s Nissan Skyline GT-R R32) and Harry King (Porsche Carrera GT3 Cup) were fully committed and went quicker still for seventh and sixth.
Lukas Halusa (Mclaren M23), Marco Werner (Lotus 77) and James Cottingham – making the Dallara SP1 prototype’s Judd V10 sing – reduced the target to 1m11.573s. Finally, Historic lap record holder Nick Padmore rose to the occasion, cutting an awesome 1m09.973s (122.44mph) for victory in an ex-derek Warwick 3.5-litre Ford Dfr-engined Arrows A11.
“PADMORE CUT AN AWESOME 1m09.973s LAP FOR VICTORY”