It's every British petrolhead's favorite time of the year. No, we're not talking about receiving car parts for the holidays. The 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed has opened its gates to let thousands of automotive enthusiasts and motorsport fans from around the world pour in to fulfill their need for speed.
This year, rather than honoring one specific automaker, Goodwood decided to do something a little different. The 2017 Festival of Speed instead honors Bernie Ecclestone, a driving force within Formula One. With the honor comes this year's sculpture, also commemorating the controversial figure's legendary career.
The sculpture features "The Five Ages of Ecclestone"—five defining eras of Bernie’s career as a driver, manager, team owner, organizer, and legend of the motorsport. Each of these ages is portrayed with a car on the sculpture, which dashes far into the sky from a perfect white circle. Sculptor Gerry Judah said he's proud of the final design. “Coming up with a sculpture for Goodwood is always a challenge,” said Judah. “They have to be different, dynamic and dangerous, as motorsport itself. This year is no exception given we are celebrating an individual, a phenomenon, and what better way than producing a firecracker."
Ecclestone will be present during the Festival of Speed and will bring a host of world champion drivers, mechanics, team members, and designers to mark the occasion. Additionally, there will be a handful of iconic race cars in attendance from Ecclestone's career.
The 2017 Festival of Speed runs from June 29 through July 2, 2017. For more coverage, head to our dedicated hub.