JULY 7, 2001

Formula One past and present make their mark on Goodwood

SEVEN Formula One teams paraded their cars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England on Saturday.

British American Racing, Ferrari, McLaren, BMW-Williams, Jaguar and Benetton all brought their Formula One cars to the event and Minardi also gave another outing to their two-seater car as racing fans got a close-up look at some of the sport's top cars and drivers.

BAR test-driver Darren Manning was the first to successfully complete the Goodwood track and he admitted it was an exciting experience.

"It was good fun and a great experience to drive with the crowd so close to you," said Manning. "It's a once in a lifetime feeling and I'm looking forward to doing it again on Sunday."

McLaren test-driver Alexander Wurz, the quickest driver to complete the track, was second out with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya in his Williams also experiencing the Goodwood event, despite stalling at the start.

Pedro de la Rosa and Luca Badoer were also present for Jaguar and Ferrari respectively as the Formula One cars provided the highlight of the day.

Andrea Piccina again drove the Minardi two-seater as fortunate members of the media were given a spin around Goodwood's track.

Benetton, however, did not take to the track but their driver Jenson Button was present with the team and queues for his autograph stretched back hundreds of yards.

Earlier in the day former Formula One drivers Stirling Moss and Riccardo Patrese took to the track.

Moss, 71, drove a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR sportscar around the track, while Patrese, 47, returned to the cockpit of his old Williams Renault challenger.