Hands shaking, Liam Lawson did not want to get out after driving the legendary #2 Ford GT40 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.<\/p>\n
Lawson<\/a> was not even scheduled to drive this car, but approached the owner and got the green light to tick off a bucket list experience. This is a car steeped in New Zealand racing history, having been raced to Le Mans victory by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon.<\/p>\n Liam Lawson enjoys \u2018very special\u2019 Ford GT40 drive<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Racing Bulls driver Lawson was in attendance for the 2026 running of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. He got behind the wheel of the Gunther Werks F26 Porsche and Ford Supervan 4, but it did not end there.<\/p>\n Lawson locked eyes on the #2 Ford GT40 in attendance. His fellow New Zealanders Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of this machine, heading a Ford 1-2-3.<\/p>\n A car so iconic in his country\u2019s racing culture, Lawson could not resist putting in a request to drive it. That request was granted.<\/p>\n Liam drove Bruce McLaren + Chris Amon\u2019s 1966 Le Mans winning Ford GT40 Mk II \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc99 pic.twitter.com\/kr5HQow1kF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 bee\u00b3\u2070 (@yapperlawson) July 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Interviewed, still in the car, after taking the GT40 up the Goodwood hill, Lawson said that his hands were \u201cstill shaking.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cSo very, very special. Obviously, a lot of New Zealand history in this car.<\/p>\n \u201cI got to drive something similar. I got to drive a road going GT40 last year, and the whole time all I could think about was this car.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t expect to come here and drive it. I saw it today, and I asked, \u2018Can I please? That\u2019d be really, really special.\u2019 And the owner was kind enough to let me drive it. So very, very special.\u201d<\/p>\n Put to him that this was a bucket list item ticked off, Lawson agreed: \u201c100 per cent. That\u2019s why everyone\u2019s out of their cars, and I\u2019m still sitting in there. So I\u2019m probably going to stay in here for a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Liam Lawson from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Liam Lawson reveals public response to hard-hitting Red Bull demotion comments<\/a><\/p>\n Liam Lawson quizzed on F1 future as new Red Bull talent emerges<\/a><\/p>\n Lawson almost stayed within the RPM limit that he was given. It was impossible not to be all-consumed by the magic of the experience.<\/p>\n \u201cThe feeling you get when driving a car like this is completely indescribable,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like anything that we drive currently. The vibration, sort of the frequency, the noise.<\/p>\n \u201cI was given an RPM limit not to go over, but you just can\u2019t help yourself. I didn\u2019t go over it too much! You just can\u2019t help yourself. When it starts coming up in the RPM and the car just starts singing, it\u2019s incredible. It was very, very enjoyable for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawson has been on his best form yet in Formula 1 during 2026. He has failed to score points only twice.<\/p>\n With 39 on the board, Lawson sits P10 in the Drivers\u2019 standings<\/a>.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n Read next: Lawson hailed for response to \u2018borderline embarrassing\u2019 Red Bull demotion<\/a><\/p>\n