WORDS BY: ROB HANSFORD IMAGES BY: GOODWOOD
The Goodwood Revival might be about showcasing some of the most glorious cars from the past, but nowhere on its ticket did it ever say that it can't also involve the future, and that's exactly what Goodwood is doing in 2024.
There won't be any major change to the cars taking to the historic Goodwood Circuit next year, but there will be one thing very different about those cars competing - the fact that all of them will be racing with sustainable fuels.
That's right, you did hear correctly. Every single car competing in the 2024 Goodwood Revival will do so using fuel that has a minimum of 70% advanced sustainable components, in accordance with the FIA’s current requirements for sustainable fuel.
Goodwood begun showcasing sustainable fuels more prominently this year, when Sebastian Vettel took to the famous hillclimb at Goodwood Festival of Speed to showcase his Race without Trace initiative.
Goodwood then continued the momentum of that to the Revival where it hosted its first sustainably-fuelled race, as a grid of pre-1966 Porsche 911s took to the track to compete in the Fordwater Trophy.
But now its going a few steps further, mandating that every race will contain sustainably-fuelled cars, showcasing that it is possible to still have the great engine tones of cars from years gone by, while doing a lot less harm to the environment.
“Goodwood has an illustrious motorsport history and one which we are delighted to continue with the announcement that at next year’s Revival, all of our races will run on sustainable fuel," said the Duke of Richmond about the announcement.
"I am proud that we are the first to be mandating the use of sustainable fuels at the event, and would like to thank all of the participating owners, drivers and preparers for their support.”
Speaking about Goodwood's announcement, four-time Formula 1 world champion Vettel said: "I enjoyed sharing my ‘Race Without Trace’ initiative with the fans at the Festival of Speed and having the opportunity to show that sustainable fuels are a fantastic way to ensure a possible future pathway for the sport that we love.
"It’s great that Goodwood is leading the way in promoting the use of sustainable fuels at historic racing events."
That was also a view echoed by Vettel's former rival and Goodwood regular Jenson Button.
“It was great to be a part of the Fordwater Trophy which brought together classic cars and the very latest in sustainable fuel technology.," explained Button.
"What’s so exciting about these fuels is that they can guarantee the future of historic racing, enabling us to enjoy combustion engine cars for years to come.”
Next year's Goodwood Revival takes place on 6-8 September, 2024.