My top 40 pictures from the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009

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Lewis Hamilton at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

I snapped over 3,600 photographs at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

I managed to get some close-ups of the drivers and lots of pictures of weird and wonderful cars in action and on display. Here are my 40 favourites from the weekend in high resolution:

I was fortunate enough to get into the preparation area on Sunday afternoon:

The scene in the preparation area when I arrived
Aston Martin and Ferrari sports cars wait to hit the track

Here I was able to get some pictures of the drivers at close quarters – including the world champion himself, Lewis Hamilton:

Lewis Hamilton meets his fans
Lewis Hamilton before his final run

Hamilton arrived in the preparation area shortly after his car got there. The fans were lined up several rows deep behind his car, and beginning in the middle, he worked his way down the entire line, signing autographs and having his picture taken with all of them. Then he went to the opposite end of the line and repeated the process until he was back at his car.

Lewis Hamilton gets into his McLaren
Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren
Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren
Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren

This picture (above) was the 3,613th and last one I took at the Festival. Here are some more of my favourites.

Ferrari F300 up on jacks

Also in the preparation area, a 1998-specification Ferrari F300.

Timo Glock's Toyota TF108 is wheeled into the paddock

I was actually sitting on the ground fiddling with the camera settings when I looked up and saw I was about to be run over by a Toyota…

Marc Gene before his final run
Marc Gene heads out for his final run

As you can see from the earlier picture, Marc Gene had his Ferrari moved into an earlier batch on Sunday so the team could get home earlier. This was probably because the event was running slightly behind schedule. I was able to get some pictures of Marc before he got in the car for his last run.

It's alive! The Life L190 manages its first run up the hill
Arturo Merzario squeezes into the Life

On its fourth attempt the Life L190 with its strange W12 engine was finally coaxed up the hill. At the wheel is Lorenzo Prandina, the man who restored the car. As you can plainly see, he was rather too large for the cramped cockpit.

Arturo Merzario drove the car on Sunday – I was there on Friday when he squeezed into the car for the first time, which you can see in the second picture. Merzario, a veteran of 84 Grands Prix, was one of the men who helped pull Niki Lauda from his burning Ferrari at the Nurburgring in 1976.

Kazuki Nakajima back in the first Williams he raced - the FW27
Adrian Newey drives his own creation - and gets two wheels on the grass

Red Bull designer Adrian Newey drove two of his earlier creations over the weekend – Damon Hill’s championship-winning Williams-Renault FW18 and this FW16 from two years earlier.

The 1971 Tyrrell-Cosworth 002 climbs the hill

On Saturday morning there was light rainfall and I’d gone a bit further up the hill to get pictures of the car as they came towards me.

Timo Glock got the Toyota properly sideways
Opposite Glock

Timo Glock was at the Festival on all three days and was still entertaining the crowd with power slides and burnouts on Sunday. You can see the heat haze behind the car in the first picture.

The Shadow-Cosworth DN5 heads towards the imposing flint wall

Not a very sharp picture of the ex-Tom Pryce Shadow-Cosworth DN5, but I like the splashes of colour on an otherwise dark car.

David Coulthard drives the Mercedes-Benz W154 on Friday

I really like the incongruity of Coulthard’s modern Red Bull overalls and crash helmet within the plain silver 71-year-old Mercedes.

Stirling Moss gets reacquainted with his Mercedes-Benz W196

Sir Stirling Moss, on the other hand, went for a period look when he drove his Mercedes-Benz W196, wearing his old overalls.

Lewis Hamilton on the hill

Lewis Hamilton’s first run up the hill on Sunday morning, driving the same chassis he won last year’s British Grand Prix in.

The McLaren-Honda MP4/4 grinds to a halt

Hamilton didn’t get to drive the other car he wanted to, however. The McLaren-Honda MP4/4’s gearbox failed while Bruno Senna was driving it – as this very photograph was being taken.

The Lotus-Cosworth running on Saturday

I was worried when the Lotus 79 failed to appear on Friday, but happily the car that dominated the 1978 championship was running on Saturday.

Audi's display in front of Goodwood House
The Audi Streamliner on the centre display

It was Audi’s turn to construct a display in front of the mansion house, and they suspended an Auto Union Streamliner and a modern R8 V10 35 feet above the ground.

Sir Stirling Moss in the car named after him

Mercedes has produced a variant of its SLR McLaren supercar named after Stirling Moss – and the man himself took the car up the hill.

Lewis Hamilton drives a fan up the hill

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, gave a passenger ride to a fan who’d won a competition run by the event organisers.

B188 and B192 Benettons in the pits

For me, this is what makes the Goodwood Festival unmissable – getting so close to the cars you’re practically tripping over them.

Adrian Newey's Leyton House from 1990

I spent a long time poring over this Leyton-House CG901B from 1990, one of Adrian Newey’s earliest F1 car designs. It has classic Newey hallmarks of being incredibly tightly sculpted, to the point of imposing serious constraints on the driver. But it worked – the car came within a couple of laps of winning the French Grand Prix that year.

In the paddock, the car was presented with its various body parts removed, allowing a full appreciation of just how radically tiny and tightly-packaged this creation was.

Old-fashioned gear knob in a 1968 Ferrari 312/68
Michele Alboreto and Rene Arnoux didn't get much leg protection
A saucy up-skirt photograph

The Renault RE30B proved troublesome to get running and was hardly seen outside of the paddock. But I managed to get in to get a close look at its ‘skirts’ – the ground-hugging trim down either side of the chassis which served to suck the car to the ground at speed. They were banned after the final year the car ran, in 1982.

Alain Prost's Toyota Auris

The same man who drove that Renault – Alain Prost – has more recently been driving this car. It’s a Toyota Auris ice racer designed to compete in the Trophee Andros which takes place in France every winter. Prost won the title in 2007 and 2008 – but lost to Jean-Philippe Dayraut’s Skoda Fabia this year.

The arrow-like Williams-Cosworth FW0 from 1978
Not an F1 car, but one of my all-times favourites: a Jaguar XJR12
This one's for Tommy B - Lola-Aston Martin LMP1 beneath the trees

I didn’t just snap the F1-related stuff, of course – here’s two of my favourite Le Mans racers to prove it. Let me know if you would like me to post some more of the non-F1 racing cars.

Marc Gene passes the Mercedes stand in his Ferrari F2008
The championshp-leading Brawn was a big draw, even as a static dsiplay

The only thing I failed to get from the Festival which I particularly wanted was a picture of Jenson Button. I did get a shot of his car though, which wasn’t allowed up the hill due to the 2009 testing restrictions.

The camera

Finally, a few people have asked me what camera I’ve been using at these events. I’m very fortunate that my girlfriend is into graphics and imaging and has recent bought a decent camera and some lenses, which I’m allowed to borrow (if I do my share of the housework, of course!)

I took my Goodwood pictures with a Canon EOS 450D. Most of the ones on this page were done using a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM lens. I also had a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS for wider angle pictures, but it didn’t get much use. Sorry I didn’t get around to answering your questions sooner!

Loads more pictures

I’m still updating the original galleries with more pictures of the cars – there’s over 400 pictures in there already:

More pictures from other people

Images © F1Fanatic.co.uk

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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70 comments on “My top 40 pictures from the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009”

  1. WOW…….thanks 4 the beautiful pics. I’m getting a bit emotional here.

    ;-)

  2. “This one’s for TommyB” Haha thanks Keith. I just love that LMP1 :-D Looks like you had a great time.

    Real shame Lewis didn’t get to drive Senna’s McLaren! Gutting!

  3. Wouldn’t say no to some non f1 car pics keith, especially if you have more of the lola aston martin :)

    1. I have this one. Not taken at Goodwood mind

      http://twitpic.com/86s90

      1. :O that looks fantastic i have to say, the lower angle close up (i don’t no photography)makes it look so gooood. I think one of the better images i’ve seen of the car.

        Thankyou TommyB, i think i will be stealing that photo :)

        1. No worries. Katy (my Girlfriend’s) dad works for Aston and the car came into his workstation and we got to see it. :)

          1. I’m literally so jealous right now that you have seen the car in the flesh, I need to find myself someone with such connections lol ;)

            Your picture has just ended the 6 month desktop reign of a 67′ mustang :)

            I thankyou again

  4. The SLR that lewis is driving looks amazing in that colour, wonder how much i got in the piggy bank..

  5. Where’s the 917???

  6. Gareth Jordan
    6th July 2009, 0:13

    If I had known, Keith, I would of got you good deal on that camera and lens. I work for Dixons Tax Free at Gatwick Airport!!

  7. God that Audi R8 LMS looks good…

    1. I know it looks amazing. Is it a concept car or something?

  8. Thanks for those pics, especially the Lewis ones. I presume the yellow/orange car is the one Lewis gets if he becomes champion 3 times?

  9. Good job Keith. And by the way…the Shadow is beautiful!!

  10. My pictures aren’t nearly as good. Did you have access into photographer/press-only areas?

    1. Thanks, Matt! Most of the moving ones are from the press areas, yes, and the ones from the preparation area.

      1. I did get one slightly blurry picture of Button driving up the hill actually. Not sure how I can post it though.

        And now I see why I missed the 2008 Ferrari, they wanted to get home early. I always go on a Sunday and always prefer looking around for the first half of the day before watching the batches repeating in the afternoon, and there are always some cars missing by then. Oh well.

  11. Marilia Compagnoni Martins
    6th July 2009, 2:48

    The Audi display was awesome!!!!

  12. Great shots! Really enjoyed looking at them. Thanks for posting.

  13. The Life has more sponsors than the Brawn.

    1. Apparently one of them is a Russian satellite deconstruction/salvage firm…

  14. Excellent shots, that gear knob is just great!

  15. Amazing! That’s why F1 is the best sport, it’s history you can touch.

  16. Keith, that Type C Streamliner may be at 35 feet but the R8 V10 is a helluva lot higher up than that! :)

  17. No pictures of Jenson? I will have to see what I can post later today for you – although it was a bit of scrum at the top of the hill when he was signing autographs……
    I will also find my pics of the ten or so 917s which were present for Safir, and all the McLaren SLR variants….

  18. No words for it all.
    If there was something similar in Italy I would have definitely trid to be there.

    Thanks a lot Keith.

  19. wow, that’s amazing, well done on all the pictures and work. you’ve covered a lot. I wish I had the chance to be there…

  20. +1 for a selection of your best non-F1 pics. : )

  21. Nice Photos Keith, keep up the great works.

    got the same camera, saving up for that lens….

  22. Fine choice of Camera, absolute bargain.

  23. You klnow what ? That’s superb !!!

  24. Bigbadderboom
    6th July 2009, 11:45

    Great job Keith, I would be another who’d love to see more non F1 Pics.

  25. why do so many of the F1 cars have wets on? it looks dry… :S

    1. I wondered that too. I think they had to have extra-hard tyres as they did lots and lots of donuts all day, so presumably were looking to preserve them.
      One of the Audi IMSA cars had a 50p shaped rear slick at the end of Sunday!

    2. With the short runs they do, i bet the slicks wouldnt get enough heat, therefore less grip.

    3. Yeah I think it’s just because they heat up quicker. The hill’s barely over a mile long.

      1. I thought it might be just because they have less grip and break traction more easily, therefore meaning easier burnouts/donuts.

  26. That Shadow DN5 – pic of the century!!

    Easily beats the pic on my office wall, I took of the low airbox (ie uglier) DN5B with Tom Pryce at the wheel Brands 1976.

  27. GooddayBruce
    6th July 2009, 13:15

    Let me know if you would like me to post some more of the non-F1 racing cars.

    Hells yeah!

    Especially if you have some Le Mans racers snapped.

    Great photos Keith, very jealous.

  28. Nice photos. I have a good pic of Jenson in the car he drove in the morning and doing his appearance in the Mercedes centre in the afternoon.

  29. 8 photos of Hamilton! did 20% of the “top” photos really have him in, £££’s from Mercedes maybe or have you have just picked up a nice new Mercedes with a decent discount?… might explain the additional pics of the Mercedes engined brawn, the picture of a Ferrari tagged “passes the Mercedes stand” or the other 4 Mercedes pictures.

    Goodwood Festival of Mercedes? :-)

    1. maybe or have you have just picked up a nice new Mercedes with a decent discount?

      I wish!

      Nope I just happened to get access to the prepration area in time for the last batch of F1 cars going up the hill. Hamilton was in that group, Button wasn’t. Unfortunately in committing myself to get a decent shot of Hamilton – and getting at the front of the scrum of photographers – meant I sacrificed being able to get a picture of Timo Glock, who’d been and gone before I could point a camera at him.

      I got some pictures of Mika Maki, who was driving the STR1, but they weren’t great. I did get some of Gene, one of which is above.

      With the combination of the light and colours and the rare (for me) close-quarters access to as big a star as Hamilton, these are easily my favourite pictures from the Festival.

      Well, that and the one of the Life actually moving.

      1. only being facetious :-) the other groups of photos streams are fantastic, very jealous been a few years since I have been to the Festival of Mercedes (sorry speed) :-)

  30. Fantastic pictures, amazing to see the Life car going (just). I would love it if you posted more non F1 pics please, particularly 60/70’s sports cars.

    1. Forgot to add, your pictures of the pre-1980 cars are stunning. How did you not decide to put the Matra MS80 into your top 40 list???

  31. Dear F1Fanatic,

    congratulations for these wonderful pics!

    Could you please provide us a downloadable archive containing all the shots you took at Goodwood?
    It’d be great!

    Thanks anyway! :-)

    1. Not a bad idea – I’ll try to put one together this week.

  32. One thing you really appreciate in these pictures is how much more protection the drivers have. In the earliest cars, you can just about see the waist. In the late 80s – early 90s cars, you can see the shoulders, and then in the modern iterations, you can’t even see the whole helmet.

    Amazing to think is the 50s the raced without seatbelts. Absolute madness!

  33. Sorry guys, the Lotus 79’s beauty is in my opinion, unsurpassed.. I’ll take it over the aarvarks and worthogs of toady and the days recently passed any time.
    Aero is one thing Beauty is another, and with the potential of ground effect to allow more passing potential, all other things being considered, I can only hope it’s in F1s future again, POST MOSLEY of course.
    Barry

  34. btw, that’s a nice shot of Hamilton.. :]

  35. Audi R8,Lotus 79,Jaguar XJR12,Shadow Cosworth……I am drooling!

    Thanks for sharing Keith!….and please,by all means, post the non-F1 pics too,I believe all of us here have an appreciation for works of art….especially the LeMans cars.(got any Ford F40 pics?)

    1. *typo….I mean Ford GT40 of course.

  36. OK I will do a gallery of non-F1 pics later this week, promise :-)

  37. Great set of pics Keith… :D

  38. Thanks for taking us there Keith – some of us couldn’t make it but your coverage has more than made up for it with fabulous shots and great ‘real’ write up (as in genuinely emotive, accessible and fun!)

    Very much appreciated, cheers!

    1. P.S. I’m glad you saw and mentioned Lewis in action, taking time to get closer to the fans like few other drivers superstars. Apart from his driving this is what impresses me most about him.

      1. He was the same when I saw him at Silverstone last year. Not that other drivers weren’t – Coulthard and Webber gave the fans a lot of time as well I remember.

        1. Agreed, I’m not saying this is unique. Just that Lewis always to get a lot of unwarranted & negative stick about his personality.

      2. He was same at the Istanbul Park, too. I’m the lucky one who talked to him and get my flag signed.

  39. Keith,, how did you get such close access , did you have to commit to publishing details of goodwood , and did they ask for your circulation and proof of this

  40. great pics keith :)

  41. Chris Yu Rhee
    7th July 2009, 6:35

    Keith, I have to commend you on such a wonderful job at Goodwood. NO other F1 site even comes close. I would really love to know if this is a full time venture for you, or if you have a ‘real’ job, too. I’ve seen the prices to F1 events, and they’ve made me give up my dream to ever go to a race. I’m wondering if the Korea race ever happens, will I be able to afford it, as I live in Incheon. At least I have you to keep me informed, but I wish that Bernie, et al, would just go away and have a couple of sane people replace them. Ain’t gonna happen, though. Way too much money…

  42. Great Pics! am i the only one who looks at the say 2002-2008 cars and thinks they look cluttered. I fear i have gotten so use to the 2009 streamlined cars that the older ones, particularly 2008, look very odd and cluttered. all this despite 7-8 months ago thinking they looked normal……Alas the mental changes the 2009 regulations have caused.

  43. Does anyone know where they kept the Le Mans Peugeot?

  44. Francesco from Italy
    7th July 2009, 21:43

    Beatiful pictures, and a very special surprise. the Life is still
    alive….and try to climb the hill….:-)

  45. don’t you have bruno senna in the car of his uncle??

    1. There have been several pics of Bruno in the MP4/4. And there is one above if you look.

      Unfortunately it seems the gearbox gave up when Bruno was (apparently) setting up for a burnout…

  46. I love the photo of Stirling Moss in the Merc, wonderful :)

  47. Very Good my friend!! Congratulations!! Magnific!
    Best regards!!
    SAVIOMACHADO – Brasil

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