THE Earl of March today confirmed the theme of the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which is 'Hawthorn to Hamilton - Britain's Love Affair with World Motorsport.

Britain has always played a key role in the global motor racing industry, forging successful relationships with the rest of the motorsport world. From Mike Hawthorn - who used a Ferrari to become Britain's first Formula 1 World Champion 50 years ago - to current F1 star Lewis Hamilton, driving a British engineered car with German power, British drivers and engineers have utilised global resources to achieve success. The 2008 Festival honours these winning combinations.

In recognising Britain's role in shaping motor sport worldwide, the festival will acknowledge the influence and achievements of iconic British figures, including Jim Clark, John Surtees, Colin McRae, Barry Sheene, Jackie Stewart, Derek Bell, Colin Chapman, Gordon Murray and Adrian Newey. In addition, home-grown stars from the past and modern day heroes are expected to line up alongside their friends and adversaries from around the world at the celebrated 1.16-mile hillclimb, in a tribute to global motorsport.

The Festival will also feature the world's finest competition cars and motorcycles, many of which have been influenced by British engineering or built in partnership with British expertise. In action will be everything from the pure-bred Vanwall of the 1950s, to the ground-breaking products of manufacturers such as Cosworth, Williams, Lola and Prodrive.

And with significant anniversaries in 2008 for two of Britain's most important race series - namely 50 years of the BTCC and 20 years of the British Superbike Championship - Goodwood will recognise the UK's role in providing a high-profile, competitive environment for some of the world's great manufacturers and racing stars.

Complementing the overall festival theme will be a host of other attractions at the world's greatest celebration of motoring. Away from the action-packed hillclimb and paddocks, festival-goers will be able to relish some of the most stylish vehicles ever made at the Cartier 'Style et Luxe' concours d'elegance, glimpse into the future of personal transportation at the FoS-TECH technology pavilion, see many of motorsport's famous faces up close, swoon at the mouth-watering display of supercars, and become a part of the action at the activity fields and Junior Festival of Speed.

Goodwood Festival of Speed founder, Lord March said: "It will be just fantastic to have so many great cars and drivers here at Goodwood to celebrate our theme for 2008. I look forward with much anticipation to seeing some of the great British drivers and UK-inspired machines in action."