Goodwood start this weekend

The Goodwood Festival of Speed starts this weekend. Goodwood is one of the world's biggest and most diverse celebrations of the history of motorsport. The festival is an unrivalled social and sporting occasion in the motor racing calendar.

In 1936 the 9th Duke of Richmond held a private hillclimb through Goodwood Park, bringing motor racing to Goodwood for the first time. The Goodwood Motor Circuit was opened in 1948 by the Duke, whose early events inspired his grandson (the present Earl of March) to bring motor sport back to Goodwood in Chichester with the first Festival of Speed, in 1993.

The Hillclimb competition is the principal attraction of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The competition takes place throughout the Festival weekend on a 1.16-mile course on parkland roads in the grounds of Goodwood House.

This year see the first apperance of Lewis Hamilton, who is currently leading the F1 Drivers Championship.