The video opens with a nod to last year’s crackdown, which saw marshals warning drivers against donuts and skids. This year, cones and stricter instructions were introduced, but the effectiveness was questionable. Many of the high-profile supercars—like the McLaren F1 GTR, Ferrari 499P, and various Bentleys—played it safe, opting for quiet exits or gentle maneuvers, often to the disappointment of the crowd. Even the typically dramatic Singer 911s and Maseratis kept things tame, while electric cars glided through almost silently, missing the tire-squealing theatrics fans love.
But not everyone followed the script. When the drift cars and rally legends hit the turnaround, the mood shifted. Marshals tried to guide the action with cones and “clipping points,” but the drivers—especially those in BMWs, Subarus, and muscle cars—couldn’t resist laying down rubber and entertaining the fans. The drifters, in particular, brought the energy back, warming their tires and delivering sideways action despite the obstacles.
The video is peppered with lighthearted commentary about the rules and the sometimes comical attempts to enforce them. There’s a sense of frustration that supercars are being reined in, while race cars and drifters are still allowed to let loose. The arrival of hypercars like the Pagani Huayra and Gordon Murray T.50 brought anticipation, but most kept things civil, perhaps wary of the new scrutiny.
In the end, the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed’s attempt to ban drifting and donuts was met with a mix of compliance and quiet rebellion. Some drivers played by the rules, while others couldn’t resist the urge to thrill the crowd. The result was a uniquely entertaining spectacle that captured the ongoing tug-of-war between regulation and the uncontainable joy of driving.
