Sebastian Vettel Drives Championship Winning F1 Cars at Goodwood 2023

The last time Sebastian Vettel attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed was some 11 years ago, when he drove for Red Bull during his dominant run of form from 2010-2013, where he claimed four straight F1 drivers' titles. This year, Seb returns to the show as an advocate for his 'Race Without Trace' climate program, getting behind the wheel of two iconic Formula 1 cars running on 100% biofuels.

On Sunday morning, spectators were treated to the sights and sounds of the legendary Williams FW14B, the very car Nigel Mansell won the 1992 F1 World Championship in. Seb treated fans on the hill to some emission-free donuts to the ear-piercing sound of the Renault V10 engine spinning up to 11,000rpm.

As the afternoon rolled around, Sebastian got behind the wheel of his other car, Ayrton Senna's final McLaren - the 1993 MP4/8. Once again, Vettel powered off the line at Goodwood and treated fans to a donut outside of Goodwood House - this time powered by a 3.5-litre Ford Cosworth V8 engine.

There's a certain juxtaposition at play when a person who makes their living by driving fossil fuel-powered race cars comes out in full force in a show of climate activism. But that's all part of it for Sebastian - it gets people talking about it, which was all part of the plan for his Goodwood showing.

"I wanted to show people that you can literally race without leaving a trace. Obviously, we use synthetic fuels. It wasn't built for these types of fuels, but we can tweak a few things and make it work. It works in these Formula 1 cars, it works in modern F1 cars, and it even works in road cars. It just shows that we don't have to give up on these types of cars."

He's a traditionalist at heart, with a deep love and passion for the history of our sport. At the same time, Seb is fiercely obsessed with climate activism and dedicated to creating a better future for all. Seb's Race Without Trace program is an absolutely fantastic solution and campaign to prove that, hey, we can continue to enjoy our history in a responsible manner. It also comes at a fantastic time when Formula 1 itself is looking to move to 100% renewables by 2026. Ahem, Stefano - we'd like high-revving naturally aspirated engines back, please.

Photography by Pete Summers, InMotionImages. Motorsport Photography