Mario, who celebrates his 80th birthday today (Friday 28th February), is one of the greatest drivers of all time. He won the 1978 Formula 1 World Championship with Lotus, claimed the victory at the 1969 Indy 500, grabbed the IndyCar title four times, jumped onto the top step of the podium at NASCAR’s 1967 Daytona 500, and took a class win at Le Mans in 1995. Oh, and we can’t forget he won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Put simply, Mario was the original inspiration behind this year’s Festival theme: “The Maestros – Motorsport’s Great All-Rounders”.
“The invitation for Goodwood this year is very welcome,” said Mario. “Charles [the Duke of Richmond] has asked me many times over the years, but it’s always clashed with my commitment to the Toronto IndyCar race where I drive the two-seater. This year I am not going to go to Toronto because of the theme you are having and it will mean a great deal to me to be there. I’m really looking forward to it.”