The Lotus 97T: Senna's first race-winner set for Goodwood
On April 21 1985, a 25-year-old Ayrton Senna earned his grand prix wings: securing the first victory of his storied F1 career in the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril. His…
Last week I jumped in the car and fought through the ‘variable’ speed limit on the M25 to get to Brooklands by 6pm. As far as I can tell the new speed limit ideas are about as successful as a porn concession at the Vatican would be. The queues were horrendous and I just made it in time for the start of the Torchlight Ghost Tour around the famous circuit and buildings.
The tour is in fact more of an introduction to the history of the circuit. I say introduction because a full tour of the place would take over a day, our guide knew this as he had tried it, more than once.
If you have never been to Brooklands or even if you just want to jog your memory the hour and a half ‘wander’ is a brilliant taster. All the major historical features are covered such as the Napier Railton that was the fastest car ever to lap Brooklands at a speed of 143.44mph. A time that is unlikely ever to be broken considering only 3/4 of the track remains.
One of only two surviving Vickers Wellington bombers, the earliest Peugeot in existence, and numerous other fascinating artefacts make for a very enjoyable evening.
As for the ghosts… well I must admit that I didn’t see any but I am assured that they do exist. The stories were certainly chilling – the freezing cold weather and the shadows that my torch cast certainly made me walk briskly to my car afterwards.
This may well have been due to the fact that I had landed from Los Angeles that morning and was suffering from chronic jet lag. It certainly gave the tour that little extra edge.
The next couple of Torchlight tours are completely booked up but I would fully recommend getting in the queue, have a look at www.brooklandsmuseum.com for more information.
On April 21 1985, a 25-year-old Ayrton Senna earned his grand prix wings: securing the first victory of his storied F1 career in the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril. His…
Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, including how to get tickets and how to watch from home
The 2025 Goodwood Revival once again turns the clock back to the 1950s and 1960s with thrilling, evocative racing, a celebration of all things vintage, and parades that celebrate Alfa Romeo and the Volkswagen Type 2
A unique display of title-winning grand prix cars, each raced by one of the 34 F1 world champions, will be on show at this year’s Silverstone Festival to mark 75 years of the Formula 1 championship