Saturday running cancelled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

With the threat of thunderstorms for the majority of Saturday and wind speeds approaching 60mph, the gates at Goodwood will remain closed.

This comes after fans were forced under umbrellas and in gazebos as rain soaked the hillclimb event on Friday as the event celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Prior to the cancellation the weather had already caused a change to the schedule, with the Red Arrows display being called off due to the conditions.

With ticket holders wanting as much notice as possible of a cancellation, Goodwood organisers confirmed Saturday's event has been called off.

"It is with deep regret that we have taken the decision that the Goodwood Festival of Speed will not go ahead tomorrow (Saturday 15 July 2023)," a statement read.

"After consulting meteorologists, health and safety experts and other key stakeholders, we have taken the decision to close the event site due to a severe wind warning in the Goodwood area.

"On-site safety is our highest priority and the forecasted high winds will pose a serious risk to various temporary structures across the site. We politely ask that you do not travel to Goodwood or attempt to access the site.

"This decision has not been made lightly and His Grace, The Duke of Richmond, along with the whole Festival of Speed team, are deeply saddened that we will not run the event on Saturday for the first time in its 30 year history.

"The event will resume as planned on Sunday."

A Lotus stand

Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images

Across the two days of running so far fans have witnessed a variety of cars making their way up the hill, from classic road and track-going machinery to modern Formula 1, MotoGP, World Rally Championship and World Endurance Championship examples.

Lando Norris, Mika Hakkinen, and Sebastian Vettel were all scheduled to make appearances on Saturday. While the latter pair are expected to return on Sunday, Norris is due to make way for Oscar Piastri.

Mick Schumacher was slated to appear on both days, driving his father Michael’s Mercedes W02 F1 car while donning the iconic scarlet helmet.