Goodwood announces theme for 2015 Festival of Speed

Updated: 26 January 2015

Goodwood is presumably on the phone right now, ordering up a bumper crop of hay bales and other temporary crash structures, as the theme for the 2015 Festival of Speed is ‘Flat out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’.

As if the course up Lord March’s driveway wasn’t already tricky enough for some celebrity drivers – just ask Sir Chris Hay, sorry, Hoy – throwing that theme into the mix is surely asking for trouble?

What’s the 2015 Goodwood Festival Speed theme actually about?

‘Flat out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’ is in fact intended to reference those memorable moments in motorsport where drivers have really given it their all – and beyond. Perhaps flogging some underdog machinery to an unlikely victory, or simply fending off an equally worthy rival in an on-track dice that’s seen every single spectator biting their fists.

Goodwood’s examples include Gilles Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux at the 1979 French Grand Prix, Juan Manuel Fangio’s decision to race ‘at 100% for the only time in my life’ to overcome the Ferraris for victory in the 1957 German Grand Prix, and Colin McRae… well, just about anywhere.

We’d add Moss (and Jenkinson) at the 1955 Mille Miglia and Mansell versus Senna at the 1992 Monaco GP to that list – but we’re sure you can come up with plenty of your own examples.

How much are tickets for the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed?

Tickets for the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed are now on sale. Prices start at £30 for the Moving Motor Show on Thursday 25 June (hopefully there won’t be any Racing on the Edge there…), £51 for general admission for the Festival of Speed proper on Friday 26 June, and £63 for Saturday 27 June or Sunday 28 June.

Full weekend tickets start at £141, and various packages are available – see the official Goodwood site for more details.

By Rowan Atkinson

Actor, motoring fanatic, part-time racing driver - and former CAR columnist

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