Each year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a massive Gerry Judah “sculpture” takes center stage in honor of the featured marque. This year’s event, scheduled for the weekend of June 29 through July 2, will, however, celebrate a man rather than a marque, as former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is to be honored.
This year’s Festival will explore “The Five Ages of Ecclestone,” which represent the five distinct eras of his career. Each will be represented by a different car, fixed imposingly to Judah’s massive metal composition overlooking the site.
The five eras represented will be Driver, Manager, Team Owner, Impresario and Legend, recounting, respectively, his efforts in the cockpit during the ’50s, his guidance of the careers of drivers like Stuart Lewis-Evans and Jochen Rindt, his purchase and revitalization of the storied Brabham marque, his direction of the explosive growth of F1 from the late ’70s through to Y2K and his uniqueness as a force within the realm of motorsports.
“This is not so much a tribute,” said Festival of Speed founder Lord March, “but rather a Goodwood celebration of a racer who has had such a huge influence on the sport we all love. It’s wonderful that Bernie has agreed to spend the weekend at the Festival with many of the great names with whom he has worked during a life dedicated to racing. I’m also delighted that he will bring with him some great historic Grand Prix cars from his incredible collection.”
Joining Ecclestone will be a number of F1 World Champions, team owners, engineers, designers and mechanics with whom he worked over the years. At 3 p.m. on Festival Sunday, many of his friends, former employees and associates will gather in front of Goodwood House to acknowledge his enduring legacy. For complete information please visit www.goodwood.com
