Star drivers steal the show on day two of the 2025 Adelaide Motorsport Festival

Patrick Jackson •9 March, 2025

This Cosworth V10-powered Jaguar R2 Formula 1 car was unmissable on track thanks to its unmissable exhaust note (Image: Adelaide Motorsport Festival)

The second and final day of the 2025 Adelaide Motorsport Festival didn't disappoint, with attendees treated to on-track drama and plenty of celebrity signing sessions.

Current Mercedes Formula 1 reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, a regular all around Adelaide at this time of year, was one of the day's unique highlights. He took to the track in a Mercedes 190E from the Touring Car Legends category, along with speaking in the grand marquee.

Others to also speak on stage, all followed by signing sessions, included Adelaide Grand Prix winners Damon Hill and Thierry Boutsen; reigning British Touring Car Championship winner Jake Hill; Bathurst legends Craig Lowndes, Steven Richards, and Greg Murphy; and former Haas F1 Team principal Guenther Steiner.

Valtteri Bottas with a Mercedes 190E touring car

Valtteri Bottas took to the track in this Mercedes 190E touring car before appearing on-stage ahead of a signing session (Image: Adelaide Motorsport Festival)

On track, ears were left ringing with the sound of a Cosworth V10-powered Jaguar R2 Formula 1 car from one of the sport's most loved eras. Another V10 on show was HardTuned's Nissan GT-R drift car which features a twin-turbocharged Dodge Viper engine.

There was some drama, however, for the much-loved Mazda 767B. Adelaide's intense heat claimed the Le Mans car's four-rotor engine due to a water-seal issue. Also suffering in the head were an Arrows A10B which suffered a blown head gasket and a Shadow MK1 Mosport which dropped a valve.

Damon Hill and Thierry Boutsen on stage at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival

Adelaide Grand Prix winners Damon Hill and Thierry Boutsen were among the many names to appear on-stage in the grand marquee (Image: Adelaide Motorsport Festival)

However, there were still plenty of cars that managed to make it around, from extreme hypercars to the 767B's contemporaries in the new Le Mans category, including the Nissan R88C and two Porsche 962Cs.

Although the event itself may be over, there's still plenty more content to come out of the event across Retro Rides' social channels, including interviews with the likes of Damon Hill and Guenther Steiner. Watch this space.

HardTuned's Nissan GT-R drift car, powered by a twin-turbocharged Dodge Viper V10, was one of the wildest cars on show (Image: Adelaide Motorsport Festival)

Patrick Jackson

Writer & Sub Editor

Patrick is an automotive journalist with more than eight years of experience across a range of online, print, and broadcast media. His focus is primarily on automotive content, having launched the car review website Drive Section in 2019 and the automotive adventure site Essential Drives in 2024. He is a passionate car enthusiast with a particular interest in classic cars. His past credits include DriveTribe, Vehicle History, Finder, ForceGT, The Weekender Herald, Supercar Blondie, Exhaust Notes, and WhichCar.

The legendary Renault 5 Turbo returns as an electric ‘mini-supercar’

Renault is billing its new, electric R5 Turbo as “a beast of a car built for rallying, drift and track performance, adapted for the road”.

February 2025 Auction Report: It’s Still a Buyer’s Market

Retro Rides’ own Market Analyst Cliff Chambers believes buyers are the big winners based off the bargains obtained during 2025’s shortest month.

John French and Dick Johnson with the 1981 Bathurst 1000 trophy

Australian motorsport world mourns the loss of Bathurst winner John French

The world of Australian motorsport is mourning the loss of 1981 Bathurst 1000 winner John French, who died on 11 March 2025 aged 94.

More inRetro Rides Originals

All VW Bus generations from 1950 to today

Celebrating 75 years of the Volkswagen Bus

The iconic Volkswagen Bus has been moving people and goods worldwide since 1950. The success of the VW Bus is unique in automotive history, standing as a symbol of the ‘economic miracle’ that was post-WWII Germany, of the hippie movement, and to this day of reliability, freedom and adventure.

How the Modern Classic Cars Foundation is addressing the classic car skills shortage

As the automotive industry looks to include more technology and computer-controlled systems in cars than ever before, the nature of mechanics’ jobs is changing. As a result, the skills required to work on old cars are at risk of dying out, although one Sydney-based charity is looking to change that.

Top Tips for Buying a Used Datsun 1600 (1968-72)

When it arrived in the late ’60s, the Datsun 1600 boasted strong levels of standard equipment, a grunty four-pot engine, front disc brakes and independent rear suspension, positioning it closer to a BMW on paper than any of its Japanese contemporaries.