The likes of Stoner and Schwantz join the fray as the unique event continues to showcase the best of motorsport
Rain on Friday didn’t dampen spirits at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as the unique event continued to provide plenty to celebrate, and MotoGP™ was in the thick of the action. As on Thursday, Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team), Mika Kallio (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) headed up The Hill on their 2023 machines fresh from the track, joined by Dakota Mamola riding the LCR Honda Castrol-liveried Honda, and even more famous faces joined the Legend contingent too.
One big draw on Friday was 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz, with the American cutting a legendary figure as he made his way up the hillclimb on his Championship-winning bike, joined by the likes of 1987 500cc World Champion Wayne Gardner and their fellow MotoGP™ Legends Randy Mamola and Kenny Roberts Jr. As well as, of course, the flotilla of 2023 machinery – and more!
The Legends corner also boasted another familiar face used to visiting the top step: Casey Stoner. The Australian is no stranger to Goodwood either and returns to the event in 2023 as part of the extra-special MotoGP™ contingent, riding his bike from 2008 sporting that number 1.
Still to come
Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and teammate Enea Bastianini are ready to roll over the weekend, as well as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder. Binder was already at the event on Friday soaking in the atmosphere, and he’ll be suited and booted to head up The Hill on Saturday and Sunday.
BRAD BINDER: “It looks awesome, it’s so cool to walk around here and see all the amazing machines of the present and the past. It’s been super cool so far, managed to see quite a lot already and I’m definitely looking forward to taking my KTM up The Hill. There are so may cool things around, I think it’s hard to choose one. But when I have a couple of hours off tomorrow or in between, I’m going to go and have a walk round and look, go incognito!”
At GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3, Pol Espargaro hands over to Augusto Fernandez, and CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team’s Miguel Oliveira joins the fray for Aprilia on Saturday. More Legends are yet to saddle up too, including Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan and Alex Crivillé.
