The Goodwood Festival of Speed has long been one of motorsport’s most beloved celebrations, where legends of the sport and cutting-edge machinery converge on a 1.17-mile strip of English countryside. For 2024, Mercedes is bringing one of the most storied cars from its recent history to that famous hillclimb, with reserve driver Frederik Vesti set to pilot the W13 in front of tens of thousands of passionate fans.
A Special Car With a Special Story
The Mercedes W13 is not just any Formula 1 car. It is the machine in which George Russell claimed his maiden F1 victory at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, a breakthrough moment for one of the sport’s most highly regarded young talents. Seeing it run at full throttle up the Goodwood hillclimb carries genuine emotional weight, connecting festival-goers to a chapter of F1 history that remains fresh in the memory.
The W13 was a car defined by struggle and resilience. Mercedes endured a difficult 2022 season battling severe porpoising with their radical zero-sidepod concept, yet Russell’s win in Interlagos stood as a high point in a year of adversity. Bringing that car to Goodwood is as much a celebration of perseverance as it is a showcase of engineering excellence.
Vesti Steps Into the Spotlight
Frederik Vesti has been steadily building his reputation within the Mercedes junior programme, and his appearance at Goodwood represents another valuable opportunity to put himself in front of a global audience. The Danish driver currently serves as Mercedes’ reserve driver, and while an F1 race seat remains the ultimate goal, assignments like this one serve an important dual purpose: they keep a driver sharp and raise their public profile.
Vesti will be behind the wheel of the W13 across on-track running scheduled from Friday through Sunday, giving festival crowds multiple chances to witness the Silver Arrows machine in action. The hillclimb format, while far removed from a Grand Prix circuit, demands genuine precision and commitment from drivers. The narrow run up to Goodwood House leaves little margin for error, and the proximity of spectators makes every run feel intimate and electric.
For a reserve driver looking to demonstrate readiness for the highest level of the sport, performing confidently in a high-profile public setting matters. Vesti will be acutely aware that every run up that hill is a statement of intent.
Bringing F1 to the Fans
Beyond the hillclimb runs themselves, Mercedes is leaning into the fan engagement side of Goodwood with a dedicated pitstop challenge experience in the paddock. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to test their speed and coordination attempting an F1-style tyre change, getting a hands-on feel for one of the most technically demanding and adrenaline-fuelled routines in professional sport.
It is the kind of activation that reminds fans why motorsport captures the imagination. An F1 pitstop is a marvel of choreography and engineering, with the best teams consistently executing changes in under two and a half seconds. Letting the public step into that world, even in a simplified format, creates a lasting connection between the sport and its audience.
Mercedes has been a consistent presence at Goodwood over the years, understanding the value of the festival as a platform that reaches far beyond the traditional hardcore racing fan. With hundreds of thousands of visitors attending across the event’s run, it offers a reach that few other motorsport gatherings can match.
Why Goodwood Still Matters
The Festival of Speed, held annually at Goodwood House in West Sussex, has grown into one of the most prestigious automotive and motorsport events on the global calendar. What began as a relatively modest celebration of racing cars on a private estate has evolved into a sprawling multi-day event drawing manufacturers, racing teams, drivers, and fans from around the world.
For Formula 1 teams in particular, Goodwood serves as a rare opportunity to present themselves to an enthusiastic, broadly appealing audience outside of a race weekend environment. The combination of historic machinery, current-generation cars, and everything in between gives the festival a unique texture that no Grand Prix paddock can replicate.
Mercedes’ 2024 programme, headlined by Vesti in the W13, fits neatly into that tradition. It honours the team’s recent history while giving a rising talent the stage to make an impression.
As the 2024 Festival of Speed gets underway, Mercedes’ presence at Goodwood will be one of the weekend’s most compelling storylines. Frederik Vesti piloting the car that gave George Russell his first F1 win up one of motorsport’s most iconic settings is a genuinely captivating prospect. Combine that with a fan-facing pitstop challenge that brings people closer to the sport they love, and Mercedes arrives at Goodwood with a programme that ticks every box. For Vesti, each run up that hill is more than a demonstration. It is an audition played out in front of the world.