What it’s like at the Goodwood Members’ Meet with IWC

Russell Sheldrake

The old trope of car lovers and watch lovers being the same people can get dragged out time and time again in this profession. But nowhere was it more refreshingly clear that this is in fact the case than earlier this year at the 82nd Goodwood Members’ Meet where the truly passionate about motor racing come together at the historic circuit to witness the great and good of the automotive world being pushed to their limits around the track. And thanks to IWC’s generous sponsorship of the event, there are plenty of horological delights to spot along the way.

I was lucky enough to get an invite from the Schaffhausen brand to attend this year in the bright, British sunshine, as we not only check out some finely tuned racing machines, but few recognisable faces trackside too. As many of you may know, this is a big year for IWC in motor sport. Not only do they continue their long-standing relationship with the Mercedes AMG F1 team, but they are a key player in the upcoming Brad Pitt film F1. And we had a few stars of the film on hand to add about of that star power to rising levels of horsepower on display.

We had Damson Idris, who will be portraying Pitt’s teammate, Joshua Pearce, as well as Kerry Condon, the race director of the fictional APXGP team, out in the IWC paddock alongside the race car Damson will be driving on screen, bringing a bit of the movie magic to the event. But it wasn’t all about the movie stars on the day – there was plenty of racing action taking place out on track, and a true plethora of cars on display. Form 1950s E-Types to finely tuned modern racers, there was something for everyone, and the great part of this event is that you are able to get up close and personal with all the cars as you walk around the paddock.

As you’ll see in the video above, this led to us getting to speak with Bruno Senna, nephew of Ayrton Senna, and check out the car in which his uncle won his first-ever Grand Prix. This felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity, and you could tell just how much it meant to Bruno Senna by how long he spent with every person who came over to talk to him, a truly generous and enthusiastic person.

For the full insight on what it was like on the day, head up to the video at the top of this article and watch to see what I got up to and who I spoke with – including IWC’s CEO Chris Grainger-Herr. There was plenty to see and do, and not a lot of time to fit it all in. Turn your volume up to hear those lovely engines roar, and enjoy.