From Track to Road at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

03.07.17

FIA enjoys successful second year at the famous celebration of motor sport

FIA, Goodwood Festival of speed, 2017

For the second successive year, the FIA was proudly represented at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England. The event is one of the biggest celebrations of motor sport anywhere in the world, showcasing the entire spectrum of disciplines and eras from the first pioneering racing cars to the most modern technological marvels that take to the track today.

Following its first appearance 12 months ago, the Federation once again held a prominent position at the centre of the action, welcoming the many thousands of enthusiasts to see various displays and learn more about the work it does in world motor sport and its campaigns for road safety.

FIA President Jean Todt said: “It is a pleasure to be back at Goodwood this weekend celebrating the past, present and future of our sport. I would like to thank Charles March and his wife Janet once again for their kind hospitality and for the work they do to make this event so special. Being at the Festival of Speed makes sense for the FIA, as not only is so much of our history here, but also many of the latest innovations and ideas for the future.”

The central message to this year’s stand was ‘From Track to Road’, with four of the latest-generation cars from the FIA World Rally Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship and the FIA Formula E Championship all on display.

Porsche’s most recent Le Mans winner demonstrated its astonishing innovations in hybrid technology, and three Porsche LMP1 drivers, Brendon Hartley, Timo Bernhard and Nick Tandy, together with Ford LMGTE drivers Andy Priaulx, Harry Tincknell and Billy Johnson, all visited the stand to sign autographs, meet FIA President Jean Todt and show their support for the #3500Lives campaign.

Speaking about the ‘From Track to Road’ message, first-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Brendon Hartley, said, “It’s amazing what we are doing with these cars, and it’s important to put the message across and show how we are pushing technology to its absolute limits.”

Jaguar’s striking Formula E car sat alongside the Porsche LMP1 on the stand, and its two drivers Adam Carroll and Mitch Evans came to the stand on the opening day of the event, with Evans commenting, “It’s all about sending out the message here, and it’s amazing to have the car here on the FIA stand. It’s a great way for people to come and learn more about the technology and what we’re achieving in Formula E.”

The stand also presented an innovative way in which technology developed on the race track is used on the road, with the BabyPod20 transport incubator, developed and built on the Williams F1 production line, that has been crash tested up to 20G to offer unprecedented levels of safety in the event of an accident involving an ambulance transporting a baby.

As well as ‘From Track to Road’, the stand included the striking 2017 Hyundai i20 WRC and Ford GT LMGT, as well as a state-of-the-art simulator featuring the upcoming video game title Gran Turismo Sport.

With a large proportion of the Goodwood audience including families and younger people, the FIA took the opportunity to show its #3500Lives road safety campaign, offering advice and information to those visiting the stand.

Todt continued, “On our FIA stand we have been telling the ‘From Track to Road’ story with some incredible modern racing cars – from rally to endurance and Formula E – it is important for us to show how crucial motor sport is as a catalyst for innovation. As well as this we have our #3500Lives campaign on display, and looking around at how many young people and families are here, it is essential that we promote our road safety messages at this event as well as inspiring the next generation of passionate motor sport fans.”

The FIA President hosted a garden cocktail on Saturday afternoon, with members of the FIA family, from ASN Presidents to former and current drivers and championship promoters all enjoying the British summer afternoon. Founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lord Charles March, also stopped by with his family for a brief break in their busy schedule.

At the end of the weekend, President Todt concluded, “This event is as much about the people as it is the cars, and I would like to thank the many drivers who came to visit the stand, spend time with the fans and show their support for our road safety campaign. It was also a great pleasure to see so many friends and colleagues from around the world who attended our garden party on Saturday.”