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81st Members’ Meeting to celebrate three-time Formula 1 Champion Niki Lauda

Members Meeting | Press Article 17/04/24

  • Legendary driver Niki Lauda to be celebrated at Goodwood’s 81st Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport.
  • On-track demonstration to welcome Lauda’s 1985 winning McLaren MP4/2B.
  • The 81st Members’ Meeting takes place Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 April.
  • Tickets are on sale at goodwood.com and can be purchased by Members and Fellows of the Goodwood Road Racing Club.

Goodwood is proud to announce that three-time Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda will be celebrated with a special on-track demonstration at the 81st Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport.

2024 will mark several significant anniversaries for Lauda, including 50 years since his first Grand Prix victory in the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix, 40 years since his third and final World Championship, and 75 years since the Formula 1 Champion’s birth, this coming Thursday, 22 February.

Taking place across the weekend, the Goodwood Motor Circuit will welcome Lauda’s 1985 Dutch Grand Prix-winning McLaren MP4/2B for an on-track moment to honour the acclaimed driver. The demonstration will put the McLaren MP4/2B in the spotlight, in tribute to one of the greatest Formula 1 World Champions.

Niki Lauda is remembered as one of the true icons of motorsport, and one of the most intelligent and mentally resilient drivers ever to set foot in a racing car. In a Formula 1 career that ran from 1971-85, during which he won 25 Grands Prix and three World Championships, he recovered from a near-fatal accident at the Nurburgring in 1976, abruptly retired in 1979 saying he was “tired of driving round in circles”, and made a successful comeback three years later, culminating in his final World Championship in 1984.

After taking his final victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1985 (beating none other than Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna into second and third!), he retired from driving to focus on Lauda Air (the airline business he had founded after his first retirement in 1979), but later returned to Formula 1, first as an advisor for Ferrari, then as Jaguar’s team principal, and finally as Non-Executive Chairman of the Mercedes-AMG Formula One Team. It was in the latter role that he was instrumental in persuading Lewis Hamilton to switch from McLaren, heralding a period of unprecedented dominance for team and driver.

As part of a continued celebration for Lauda at Goodwood’s headline motorsport events this year, the legendary driver will also be honoured at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, with various cars from across his racing career taking to the Goodwood Hill.

The Duke of Richmond said: “It’s a privilege to be honouring Niki Lauda at this year’s Members’ Meeting and Festival of Speed. The word ‘Icon’ is overused, but Niki was certainly that. He achieved incredible success in everything he did, from driving to team management, and even running an airline, and always on his own terms. It was a pleasure to welcome him to Goodwood, including the final time in 2017, when he joined us for our tribute to his friend Bernie Ecclestone. He was straight talking and irreverent, but also intelligent, charming and funny, and is much-missed by all who knew him. This year’s special moments will pay tribute to his outstanding racing career and celebrate his influence and enduring legacy across the world of motorsport.”

Taking place across the weekend, the Niki Lauda celebration joins alongside the previously announced Can-Am demonstration, competitive sidecar Shoot-Out and full race schedule for the 81st Members’ Meeting.

Tickets for the 81st Members’ Meeting are exclusively available to Goodwood Road Racing Club Members and Fellows here. Further information about joining the Fellowship, including the host of benefits on offer, is available here.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

81st Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport will take place on Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 April 2024.

Tickets
 
Tickets can be purchased by Members and Fellows of the Goodwood Road Racing Club at goodwood.com or by calling the Ticket Office on 01243 755055.

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Contact
 
For more information about Goodwood’s motorsport events, please contact Katharine Morgan, PR Manager: Katharine.Morgan@goodwood.com

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About the 81st Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport
The Goodwood Members’ Meeting is an access-all-areas, epic weekend of motor racing, hosted by and exclusively for the Goodwood Road Racing Club.

As well as a full programme of racing, the Members’ Meeting features all kinds of cars from classic tin-tops and GTs, to motorcycles and open wheeled Formula 3 and F1 machines, offering visitors a friendly and intimate atmosphere. A winning formula of spectacular cars, high-speed track demonstrations, car launches, fun-packed festivities and great entertainment, along with the very best food and drink.

Founded by the Duke of Richmond, the annual event aims to recreate the atmosphere and camaraderie of the original BARC Members’ Meetings held at Goodwood throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

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About Audrain Motorsport
Audrain Motorsport is all about the chance to share extraordinary experiences centred around the way you want to engage with cars and motorcycles. No matter where your passion connects, on a tour, rally or back country drive; exploring the limits of your car and your talent against the clock on a track; as an insider at the world’s leading Concours d’Elegance and historic races; or sharing conversation with the movers, shakers and legends of the motoring world in an intimate setting, we are here to make it possible.

Audrain Motorsport promises “curated immersive automotive experiences” for all its members who are looking to take their passion to the next level, and to operate at the top of the automotive lifestyle chain.

For more information, please visit www.AudrainMotorsport.com and stay up-to-date with all news and information by following us on our YouTube Channel and social media platforms.

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About the Goodwood Road Racing Club
 
The Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC) is the community of motorsport enthusiasts at the core of Goodwood’s iconic events and motoring legacy. The club is a growing community of all ages who share The Duke of Richmond’s passion for motorsport.

With a host of benefits, entry fellowship status is open to all at £89 per year. Joining the GRRC Fellowship is the only way to become a full GRRC Member.