GOODWOOD REVIVAL X MOTUL: WHERE RACING PASSION MEETS SUSTAINABILITY

Fans flocked to the English countryside for this year’s Goodwood Revival, the first time the event has run unrestricted since the Covid pandemic. Taking visitors back to a halcyon period of motoring, the Revival is unique among classic car events. Walk through the gates and you’re transported back to a bygone era with period dress, vintage racing and unprecedented access to cars and drivers. We caught up with Seth Wise, director of partnership management at the Goodwood Group, in the paddock to discuss why Motul and the Goodwood Revival are the perfect pairings.

It's been wonderful. Obviously, it has also been a slightly odd week with the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. But what this event really does is bring people together in celebration and give people the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company in a really relaxed and creative way.  

This is year four of working with Motul. We’re very aligned on core values. But the reason this partnership works so well is the heritage that Motul has. And the authenticity of the brand enables it to really understand what we’re about. We celebrate the period of time between 1949 and 1966. The Motul brand was developing, growing, and functioning during that time. So, there are core alignments between what we do here and the brand that Motul is.

It just aligns perfectly, it really does. And the reality is these cars couldn't run without the support of brands like Motul. We see many of the cars racing this weekend using Motul products, and things like the oil testing lab gives us a really great opportunity to show Motul in its natural environment. That really is at the heart of classic car racing.

I see it as a true partnership because there is value to both sides. We get to showcase the incredible products and contribution that Motul makes to classic car racing to a super engaged audience. And we get a brand that really understand us and contributes with creative activation and thinking to this wonderful event.

For me, it's the shift towards a focus on sustainability. And understanding or moving away from this disposal generation we’ve become. One of the most sustainable parts of this, ironically, is the cars, because they're all originals. They're all classics that have been worked on and maintained over a prolonged period of time. Motul products enable these cars to run and their engines to continue to function in the way they do. Motul is a key contributor towards the sustainability narrative.

Absolutely. I think Motul is one of the biggest contributors to this event, creatively and commercially. We're delighted to be continuing to work with it for 2023. And hopefully beyond.

I think it's a fantastic thing. It's been proven in recent years how valuable that testing process is in terms of understanding the health of the engines of these cars, and actually protecting them. I know there was a great story a few years ago, where the Motul testing lab identified a challenge with one of those engines that prevented it from having significant problems while it was out on track. I think it's a great value add piece to this event, and something that all of our competitors and car owners should be aware of, and really should take the opportunity to try out.

No, we never rest on our laurels. These events are continuing to evolve, and they have to, to stay relevant in today's world. We've taken our first steps towards shifting the narrative and focusing on sustainability and revive and thrive. We’re taking the best from the time period that we celebrate, and I think that story and those core pieces will continue to grow over the coming years.