The Goodwood Revival paddocks are usually packed with well-loved motorsport personalities, and this year’s event is set to welcome 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve to the grid for the first time this September. The Canadian is set to compete in the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration, in which Villeneuve will drive the well-loved 1963 AC Cobra known as ‘Hairy Canary’.
Villeneuve returns to Goodwood having appeared at this year’s Festival of Speed, where he drove Niki Lauda’s Ferrari 312 B3, but this will mark his competitive Revival debut.
One of only a handful of drivers to have won both the Formula 1 World Championship and Indianapolis 500, Villeneuve’s career has encompassed multiple disciplines at the highest level. Born in Quebec in 1971, the son of legendary Ferrari F1 driver Gilles Villeneuve rose rapidly through the ranks in Europe and North America. After success in the Toyota Atlantic Championship, he joined CART in 1994, winning both the series title and the Indianapolis 500 in 1995 with Team Green.
A move to Formula 1 with Williams in 1996 yielded four Grand Prix wins in his rookie season and a runner-up spot in the World Championship. The following year, Villeneuve took seven victories and claimed the title after a legendary, season-long battle with Michael Schumacher, becoming Canada’s first – and to date only – F1 World Champion. He remained in F1 until 2006 with Williams, BAR, Renault, Sauber before turning to endurance racing, NASCAR and touring cars.
Speaking ahead of his Goodwood return, Villeneuve said: ‘I am very excited to be participating in the RAC TT Celebration. It was very frustrating seeing all my pals having fun racing it out last year while I was sitting watching. Driving the Cobra on such a fun track will be an exceptional moment, can’t wait!’
The Duke of Richmond added: ‘Every year, we are privileged to welcome some of the world’s greatest drivers and riders to the Goodwood Revival. Drawing on experience from across the breadth of motorsport, these competitors turn their skill and passion to historic racing, often facing rivals they’d never otherwise meet on the track.’
Saturday tickets for the Revival are now sold out, with limited Friday and Sunday availability at goodwood.com
