Williams Racing has announced it is coming to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with its F1 drivers Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant, Team Principal James Vowles, and F1 Academy starlet Lia Block all set to take on the famous Goodwood hill climb.

All four will get behind the wheel of the 1982 Drivers’ Championship-winning FW08 car as Williams contributes its own slice of history to the overall theme of the event which is 'Horseless to Hybrid – Revolutions in Power', a journey through the evolution of the motoring industry. The whole festival will cover a timeline of more than 130 years from the infancy of the car as a concept to the challenges now being presented in the modern day.

The FW08 - driven by Keke Rosberg to the title in 1982 - was a master of its era, using a combination of its Cosworth DFV engine, supreme aerodynamics and Rosberg’s skill to beat more powerful turbo car competitors. The 1982 title is one of 16 16 World Championships in Williams’ history.

While current Williams F1 driver Alex Albon has previous Festival of Speed experience having appeared in last year’s event, it will be a Goodwood debut for American driver Sargeant. James Vowles, who took over as team principal last year, will get his first drive in a Williams and has plenty of racing experience, most recently competing in the Asian Le Mans series in 2022. Williams F1 Academy entrant Lia Block made her series debut in Saudi Arabia earlier this month and previously won the 2023 American Rally Association Open Two-Wheel Drive class to become the youngest ARA champion in history.

James Vowles, Team Principal said: "We are looking forward to being at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed and sharing our passion for motorsport with fans from around the world. The Festival of Speed is such a beloved and unique event and gives us the opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage of Williams Racing and motorsport as a whole. It will be a dream come true for me to drive a title-winning heritage Williams F1 car. We can't wait to take on the hill climb and put on a show for the incredible crowds that gather at Goodwood each year."

The Duke of Richmond said: “I am delighted that Williams Racing are joining us at the Festival of Speed this year with such a stellar line-up of drivers and the FW08, which so brilliantly aligns with our theme, ‘Revolutions in Power’. Our fans are always hugely excited to see Formula 1 teams, cars and drivers in action and, like them, I’m very much looking forward to watching Alex, Logan, James and Lia take to the Hill.”

The Goodwood Festival of Speed will take place from 11-14 July 2024.

words: Mike Booth
pictures: Goodwood & IGNITION