- 83rd Members’ Meeting will celebrate James Hunt with a collection of cars from the years the British legend competed in Formula 1 (1973-79).
- On-track demonstration to take place across the weekend.
- Tickets are now on sale at com and can be purchased by Members and Fellows of the Goodwood Road Racing Club.
- Further information about joining the Fellowship, including the host of year-round benefits on offer, can be found here.
- The 83rd Members Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport takes place Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April 2026.
Goodwood is delighted to announce that next year’s 83rd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport (18-19 April 2026) will celebrate one of Formula 1’s most charismatic figures, James Hunt, on the 50th anniversary of his 1976 World Championship.
Taking place on Saturday and Sunday, an on-track demonstration will look back on ‘The James Hunt Years’, with up to 20 of the greatest Formula 1 cars from one of the sport’s defining decades.
Arriving with a bang at the 1973 Monaco Grand Prix – where his Hesketh team made as many headlines for their flamboyant partying as for their on-track performance – James Hunt was F1's brightest star for six seasons, before he retired in 1979. It is that period – from 1973 to 1979 – that will be celebrated at the 83rd Members’ Meeting.
As well as cars Hunt raced himself, the celebration will feature those he competed against. The 1970s was one of Formula 1’s most competitive decades, and during his six seasons Hunt raced against World Champions Graham Hill, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti, Jody Scheckter, Alan Jones, Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg, as well as the likes of Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve and Carlos Reutemann. Along with Hunt, these all-time greats will all be remembered.
Hunt emerged as one of the most captivating drivers of his, or any other, generation. His film star good looks, anti-establishment attitude, casual (some would say slovenly!) appearance and ever-present cigarette, allied to his emotionally-charged performances in the cockpit, and plain speaking out of it, epitomised Formula 1 in the 1970s – a sport that was becoming bigger, brasher and more glamorous, yet struggling to balance its burgeoning popularity with the ever-present danger drivers faced on a daily basis. Indeed, Hunt’s devil-may-care demeanour masked deep concerns about safety – he retired abruptly in 1979 when, faced with an uncompetitive car, he no longer felt able to justify the risks if he had no chance of winning.
The dramatic 1976 season, when Hunt achieved his life’s ambition by winning the World Championship, has become the stuff of legend – a story so incredible they literally turned it into a Hollywood film. It had everything – fierce rivalry (although Hunt and Lauda were actually friends), political intrigue, accusations of cheating, disqualifications, reinstatements, Lauda’s superhuman recovery from a near-fatal accident, Hunt’s late-season charge, and the final-round denouement in the rain of Fuji, where Lauda withdrew after two laps stating that “my life is worth more than a second World Championship”, and Hunt took the crown with a third place finish despite a late puncture. The excitement of 1976, and the adrenaline-fuelled spirit of the 1970s, will be brought back to life in the demonstration, offering visitors a rare chance to experience the spectacle of that legendary decade.
Speaking ahead of this year's celebration, Freddie Hunt said "The 1970s were a transformative era for Formula 1, and my father was undoubtedly at the heart of it all. To see some of his greatest cars reunited in celebration of what many consider the greatest season in the sport's history truly means a great deal to us."
Tom Hunt said "Members' Meeting is the perfect place to celebrate our father's legacy amongst such a focused audience of motorsport fans. It will be incredibly special to see his career honoured in a powerful and meaningful way."
The Duke of Richmond CBE DL said: "I’m thrilled that the 83rd Members’ Meeting will celebrate the 50th anniversary of James Hunt’s World Championship. James was such a larger-than-life character, and he’ll form a central part of the narrative as we celebrate the whole era of Formula 1 from 1973 to 1979. To see those extraordinary ’70s Grand Prix cars on track at Goodwood, evoking such a thrilling and colourful period in the sport, will be a very special moment."
Further details of the demonstration, including confirmed cars and drivers, will be announced in the coming months, along with additional information about this year’s event.
Tickets for the 83rd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport are 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.
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