Liam Lawson drives Bruce McLaren’s 1966 Le Mans Ford GT40 at Goodwood

Liam Lawson took the wheel of Bruce McLaren’s 1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 Mk.II at Goodwood on Sunday and admitted he’s still shaking from the experience.

The Ford GT40 is the same car that carried McLaren and Chris Amon to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 60 years ago. Lawson, who made his F1 debut at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, completed a hillclimb run in the iconic machine during the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 13 July 2026.

Lawson was among several F1 stars at the Sussex estate for the annual hillclimb showcase. He asked the owner on the spot for a chance to drive the GT40 and left the cockpit only after lingering long afterward.

“Yeah, that’s still shaking,” Lawson said, holding up his hand. “Very, very special. Obviously a lot of New Zealand history in this car.”

The event also saw 2025 world champion Lando Norris tackle the hill in McLaren’s new hypercar, but Lawson’s run carried extra weight tied to his nation’s motorsport legacy.

The GT40 links Lawson directly to Bruce McLaren, the New Zealand founder of the McLaren F1 team. McLaren won four grands prix across 13 seasons and died at Goodwood in 1970 aged 32.

Lawson became only the 10th Kiwi to race in an F1 grand prix when he replaced an injured Daniel Ricciardo at the 2023 Dutch GP. Since then he has become Racing Bulls’ lead driver and sits 10th in the 2026 drivers’ championship with 39 points.

“All I could think about was this car,” Lawson said. “I didn’t expect to come here and drive it.”

F1 heads to the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend after a rare summer break. Lawson will return to his Racing Bulls cockpit for the grid’s return rather than the Goodwood hill.

The Goodwood run capped a busy off-track weekend for Lawson, who also sampled a road-going GT40 last year. His latest outing underlines his growing profile beyond single-seaters in New Zealand motorsport circles.

“Everyone’s out of their cars and I’m still sitting in it,” he said. “I’ll probably stay in here for a little bit.”