These Are The Cars That Got Smashed Up At Goodwood Festival of Speed

Despite the best efforts of the weather, the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed was as tremendous as usual, and even a cancelled Saturday due to high winds couldn’t spoil the occasion.

However, some people had a better time than others. While most cars raced up the hill with no issues, a few failed to come out of the weekend unscathed. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt, although we suspect there were a few red faces, and not just from an allergic reaction to hay.

The early F1 cars designed by engineering icon Adrian Newey are regarded as some of the most beautiful ever to grace a Grand Prix grid. The 1990 Leyton House Judd CG901 is a fantastic example with its clean, smooth lines and that iconic aquamarine livery.

However, it’s going to need some attention after a bizarre accident at the Molecomb corner on Sunday. Driven by experienced vintage racer Richard Hope, the 901 locked up its rear wheels under braking and spun into the straw bales lining the side of the track. It sustained substantial rear-end damage, but everyone was pleased to see the driver emerge uninjured.

Perhaps the scariest incident of the weekend came on Friday, when a Jaguar Mk1 piloted by Grant Williams lost its left rear wheel, which bounced along the track and launched in the crowd.

Two people were hit by the tyre, and there was a worrying period while the event was stopped and medical personnel rushed to the scene. Thankfully, however, Goodwood confirmed that there were no serious injuries, and those on the receiving end of the wheel were able to carry on enjoying the day,

Also on Friday was a chance to see Hyundai’s one-off RN22e concept car, an all-electric racer that makes close to 600bhp and is based on the Ioniq 6. As it turns out, it might have been the final chance to see the car, because the RN22e spectacularly failed to take the left-hand bend at Molecomb, instead ploughing through the hay bales and scaring a cameraman.

Thankfully both driver and passenger emerged from the hay uninjured. The car, however, was a bit of a mess.

One of the most iconic racing Porsches? The 911 GT1-98 took the top two steps of the podium at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans, with both cars escaping the many perils of the Circuit de la Sarthe. Unfortunately, it couldn’t escape the hay bales of Goodwood, as during its run up the hill an unexpected wiggle led to its rear wing being torn off. That maaaay affect the downforce levels a bit.

The car belongs to the Porsche Museum, so we’re fairly confident they’ll be able to find some with the expertise to fix it.

This 1996 McLaren F1 ran in the All Japan GT Championship, and looks resplendent in its LARK-sponsored Team Goh livery. Right now, however, the McLaren needs a bit of a compound rub after getting rather too friendly with a hay bale. All it took was a lock up of the brakes and a few fistfuls of steering lock to lose trajectory and make a mulch of the right-hand side. The trouble with the Goodwood Hill Climb is that it doesn’t leave much room for error.