MotoGP™ touches down at Goodwood! Festival of Speed set for spectacular celebration of motorcycle Grand Prix racing
Champions past and present will descend on the legendary event in 2023, including much of the current MotoGP™ grid
Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Ladies and gentlemen, SAVE THE DATE! The Goodwood Festival of Speed will welcome its biggest ever celebration of MotoGP™ from the 13th to the 16th of July, with much of the current grid set to debut on the fabled hillclimb. They’ll be joined by an array of MotoGP™ Legends too, including the likes of Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Kevin Schwantz and Casey Stoner – with more riders and teams still set to be confirmed.
The first ever Festival of Speed began with The Duke of Richmond heading up the Hill on a Ducati, and the 30th anniversary is the perfect occasion to put two wheels centre stage once again. Grand Prix riders and machinery will comprise the entirety of the motorbike contingent in 2023, with one almighty line-up ready to head up the Hill.
The teams from the current grid already confirmed at the event include Ducati Lenovo Team, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, LCR Honda and GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3, as well as GASGAS Aspar Moto2™ with British rider Jake Dixon.
They’ll be joined by an incredible line-up of famous faces, with Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Jorge Lorenzo, Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner, Kenny Roberts Jr, Alex Crivillé and Randy Mamola already confirmed – between them holding an incredible 35 World Championships.
The MotoGP™ contingent will be located in the Ballroom Paddock, a stone’s throw from the Drivers’ Club – the perfect showcase to allow fans an awesome overview of the teams prepping the machines.
The Festival of Speed has always been the place to see motorsport megastars. In 2022, Giacomo Agostini celebrated his 80th birthday at the event, and last year the Festival celebrated a different landmark moment as Wayne Rainey rode his 1992-championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 for the first time since his career-ending accident in 1993, joined on the Hill by Kenny Roberts, Kevin Schwantz and Mick Doohan.
Motorcycles have always been an integral part of the Festival of Speed. Fittingly, the motorcycle entry at the very first Festival was organised by a legend who himself bridges two worlds: John Surtees, the only person to be crowned World Champion in two- and four-wheeled Grand Prix racing.
The Duke of Richmond: “I am absolutely thrilled that the Festival of Speed will host its biggest-ever MotoGP celebration this year. My thanks to Dorna Sports, the teams and riders for including us in their busy schedules – it means so much to everyone at Goodwood and all our fans that they will be here to celebrate with us.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We’re very proud to announce this celebration of MotoGP at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s an honour for us to play a key role in the 30th anniversary and be invited to showcase the best of our sport, sharing the stage with our fellow icons of speed. It will be something truly unique, and I want to thank our teams, riders and legends for showing such enthusiasm in attending. We hope we will be able to put on an incredible show for the fans – and for The Duke of Richmond! We are always honoured by his unwavering passion for our sport. Thank you for the invitation!
“We have recently celebrated the 1000th FIM Grand Prix, and next season will mark the 75th year since motorcycle racing became the first motorsport World Championship in 1949. At the same time, 2023 is a different kind of landmark year, with more MotoGP than ever as the Tissot Sprint debuts across the calendar. At this intersection of history and innovation, the 2023 Festival of Speed is the perfect opportunity to celebrate both the rich heritage of the sport and the heroes of the incredible spectacle we’re enjoying every weekend in this modern era.”
