This is what it feels like to drive a Ferrari 750 Monza in the pouring rain at Goodwood

Nothing in life is certain. The seasons change, temperatures drop and the sun can come as quickly as a downpour but there is one thing we have all come to expect and admire: a moment at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. For a number of years now, the golden sun has usually appeared around 6.30pm when the famous Freddie March Memorial Trophy race begins as the event's finale, making for one of the most beautiful spectacles in motorsport. Priceless Ferraris and Jaguars reflect the piercing sunlight, marking not only the end of the event but often the end of summer and, for the UK, the end of another incredibly busy event season.

Instead of sunshine, 2024 brought rain, and lots of it, at least on Friday. The rain came down like a high-pressure shower, and drivers, teams and thousands of spectators had to pack up their period outfits and protect themselves from the heavy downpours, but it took a lot more than just a little precipitation to dampen Goodwood's famous spirit. Tazio Ottis and his magnificent Ferrari 750 Monza, which we followed as the team prepared for the race weekend, are not a pair that have ever experienced rain of this magnitude, having spent much of the year on the West Side of the USA. “This is definitely a change from California and only my first rain races of the year! Most locals probably wouldn't say that, but even so, I'm very happy to come here for a change for this special event.”

After Friday's practice, the mood at Team Ottis was high. The car performed well, had plenty of low-end torque and ideal balance to negotiate Goodwood's tricky corners, but the competition was tough. A bevy of Jaguar C- and D-Types, as well as a Maserati and Aston Martin DB3S, fought keenly for pole position on Saturday, and some dry patches developed on the track towards the end of the session. The fastest laps were set by two HWMs, one a Jaguar and the other a Cadillac, who swapped sector times throughout the session. Tazio and the 750 Monza were defiant, securing a solid 8th place on the grid in a crowded field, just four rows behind the leading trio.

Sunday saw the best weather of the event and despite some heavy downpours, Goodwood's famous sunshine made an appearance as the Freddie March Memorial Trophy began. As the flag fell, Tazio's karting instincts took over and he hit the gas at lightning speed and was immediately able to claim at least a podium place, while Bill Sheppard's futuristic Ford Thunderbird 'Battle Bird' also stormed into the lead group. Tazio recalls the start: “It was epic! The Ferrari has a lot of torque and gets off the line great. I've had quite a lot of practice in standing starts from the karting I do and everything seemed to come together well out there. I'm also glad it dried out a bit at the start!”

The Revival always sees a wild scramble at the first corner but the whole field got away cleanly and Tazio quickly settled into 6th place as the clock counted down from 25 minutes. The Ferrari is a mighty racer but the local big cats seemed to be the cars to race and so Tazio had to chase down the sleek C and D Jaguars to stay in the top 10. At the front there was some of the best racing of the whole event with Richard Woolmer's HWM Cadillac fighting for its life against another HWM Jaguar driven by weekend hero and British Touring Car Championship driver Jake Hill. The two battled it out for almost the entire rest of the race with Woolmer, like a duke seldom comes alone, retaking the lead and overtaking the stragglers on the grass in a truly stunning move. As we all stared open-mouthed at the replay, I was fascinated to hear how difficult it is to control the slower cars on such a difficult track: “Fortunately, the people who turn up on the other side of the field at Goodwood seem to be very respectful and know where within that field they are driving, so it has never been a problem here, which I really appreciate!”

As the chequered flag ended the race and the entire Revival event, it was an opportunity to look back on this event for the ages. The dedication of the fans, drivers, marshals, teams and organisers to put on the best show possible despite the oh-so-British weather was a sight to behold and made for some incredible images and memories to take home. As Tazio and the Ottis team finished the race in 10th place with their racing legend intact, we wondered where we would see the car next. “I’ll probably drive the Monza again at the LeMans Classic next year. I’m heading back to compete in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Series in Indianapolis in a week and then it’s off to the SCCA RunOffs at Road America at the end of the year, so I’m still pretty busy!”

To see more from the 2024 Goodwood Revival, be sure to check out our gallery of 75 images here.

Photos by Kevin Arechiga for Classic Driver 2024