FOS Fan Zone crowned an instant crowd-favourite at the 2026 Festival of Speed

09th July 2026

Annabel Heaton

Of all the attractions at the 2026 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, nothing has captured hearts quite like the all-new FOS Fan Zone presented by Pirelli, which has instantly been crowned a fan-favourite. Designed to smash down the barriers between petrolheads and motorsport royalty, this fresh destination spent its opening day making childhood dreams a reality.

The FOS Fan Zone kicked off on Thursday with a suitable bang, welcoming stars from an eclectic mix of racing disciplines. Setting a high-octane tempo were drift legends Mike Whiddett, Tyler Reddick, Elias Hountondji, and Steve “Baggsy” Biagioni, who gave the crowd a fascinating look into the tyre-slaying madness of professional drifting.

The stage then shifted gears to celebrate the Centenary of Ducati, where fans were wowed by stories from ever charming Carl Fogarty and many others from the Ducati hall of fame. Soon after, Alpine F1 star Pierre Gasly stepped up to a wall of cheers, offering rare insights into his Formula 1 season before sending the crowd into a frenzy by launching signed caps into the audience.

A panel of Le Mans legends took to the stage to dive into the grit of 24-hour endurance racing, and in a fantastic surprise twist, Formula 1 star Kimi Antonelli appeared on stage, commanding the microphone to talk through his current season and the art of modern tyre management.

For its very first day on the map, FOS Fan Zone completely rewrote the playbook — and this is only the beginning.