Racing drivers know better than most that life is fleeting, which is why one of the all-time greats managed to create one of the most memorable moments of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Sir Jackie Stewart, at the wheel of his 1969 title-winning Matra-Cosworth MS80, pulled over half way up the hill and beckoned over his wife Helen, who is suffering from dementia. From the cockpit he then produced a pink rose which he handed over to her amid applause from the crowd and in front of many photographers. The touching moment instantly became one of the defining images of this year’s Festival of Speed event.

Sir Jackie has often credited his wife, who was his childhood sweetheart before the pair married in 1962, with supporting him through his incredible career. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2016 and Sir Jackie has subsequently dedicated himself to finding a cure.

He founded the charity Race Against Dementia, which among other things has attempted to inject Formula 1 technical know-how and speed of thought into the medical and research world. One initiative has seen PhD researchers embedded with F1 teams including McLaren and Red Bull.

This year’s Festival of Speed featured a double celebration of the triple world championship-winning Scot’s career, marking both 50 years since his first world championship and his 80th birthday. As well as the Matra, crowds witnessed his two sons, Paul and Mark, in his championship-winning Tyrrells followed by Dario Franchitti in Jackie’s BRM P261.