Legendary drivers

Hans-Joachim “Strietzel” Stuck, former Formula 1 driver, two-time Le Mans winner (1986/87 in a Porsche 962) and 1990 DTM champion, is coming to the Grand Meeting Festival 2026. The German racing star set new standards with his Le Mans lap record in 1985 and is considered one of the great legends of motorsport.

German GT champion, two-time class winner at the Nürburgring 24-hour race – and son of ‘Strietzel’ Stuck: Ferdinand Stuck will be attending the Grand Meeting 2026 from 31 July to 2 August as part of the ‘Next Generation – Daughters & Sons of Speed’. Now he is coming to Rittergut Birkhof. The Stuck story continues.

Freddie Hunt is coming to the Grand Meeting 2026 at Rittergut Birkhof. The British motorsport driver started out in Formula Ford and is now active as a driver of historic racing cars – as well as competing in modern cars in the LMP1 and Prototype classes. At the festival, he will present his father’s Hesketh 308 in an emotional demonstration run with the Racing Legends to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1976 F1 World Championship.

Derek Bell, a five-time Le Mans winner, is one of the great legends of motorsport. His career began in 1964 in a Lotus Seven, followed by British Formula 3 in 1965. He will be at the Grand Meeting 2026 to sign autographs, take part in talks and meet fans. Here he meets Strietzel and Jacky, his Le Mans team-mates.

Jacky Ickx, born in Brussels in 1945, will be attending the Grand Meeting Festival in 2026. The Belgian made his mark on motorsport for three decades – winning the 1983 Paris-Dakar Rally in a Mercedes G-Class and the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times in total. He remains active in the Mille Miglia to this day. Visitors will be able to meet him up close during demonstration drives, autograph sessions and talks.

Vanina Ickx, daughter of Jacky Ickx, is joining Rittergut Birkhof. After her early races in the BMW Compact Cup, she competed in 24-hour races at Spa, the Nürburgring and Le Mans, gaining experience in touring car racing and finishing on the podium on several occasions. Today, she races for the Iron Dames team on the world’s legendary circuits.

Lance David Arnold will be a guest at the festival on Saturday and Sunday 2026. The former Porsche Carrera Cup and endurance racing driver has competed at venues including Daytona and the Nürburgring 24-hour race, enjoyed success in GT racing and now works as a motoring journalist for “auto mobil” (VOX). At the Grand Meeting, he will also be showcasing his Porsche 356 at the Racing Legends event and will be appearing at talks and autograph sessions.

Eckhard Schimpf – journalist, racing driver, author and founder of the Jägermeister Racing Team – has left his mark on motorsport for decades, having competed in over 200 races and won the Nürburgring 1000 km race twice. Today he is regarded as a walking encyclopaedia of motorsport, curates the Jägermeister collection, is an author and will be attending the Grand Meeting 2026 at Rittergut Birkhof.

Kurt Ahrens, three-time German champion and Porsche works driver, is coming to Rittergut Birkhof. As an amateur driver, he competed against the world’s best and secured the first victory for a Porsche 917. He was a real force to be reckoned with in that brutal machine, whilst others were still waiting in fear. A true racing legend will be attending the Grand Meeting 2026.

Klaus Ludwig, three-time Le Mans winner, three-time DTM champion and FIA GT World Champion. ‘King Ludwig’ is one of Germany’s most successful racing drivers and will be at the 2026 Grand Meeting at Rittergut Birkhof to meet fans in person. Klaus Ludwig has been a huge fan of our festival since it began in 2006.

Luca Ludwig, ADAC GT Masters and German GT Champion, is part of the “Next Generation – Daughters & Sons of Speed” line-up at the 2026 Grand Meeting at Rittergut Birkhof. He started late, at the age of 19, but has since enjoyed a consistently successful rise through the ranks of GT racing – and is part of a new generation carrying on his father’s legacy. Luca competed in the 2026 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in an HWA.

Katrin Becker, the 2022 German Rally Champion and five-time Austrian National Champion, is coming to the Grand Meeting Festival 2026. The successful co-driver has been driving exclusively historic cars since 2026 and impressed with, among other achievements, a class victory and fourth place at the 2026 Tour Auto in a 1970 Porsche 911 S/R 2.3. A strong personality in historic motorsport who serves as a role model.

Gianfranco Bonera, 500cc World Championship runner-up and Grand Prix winner on an MV Agusta, is coming to the Grand Meeting Festival 2026. The Italian succeeded Giacomo Agostini, won the 1974 Grand Prix des Nations and is regarded as one of the defining figures of the golden age of motorbike racing.

Giacomo “Ago” Agostini, a 15-time motorcycle world champion and the most successful rider in World Championship history with 122 Grand Prix victories, is coming to the Grand Meeting Festival 2026. Together with the MV Agusta Club Deutschland e.V., “Ago” and his racing bikes will be one of the major highlights of the festival weekend.

He is, of course, Germany’s most successful and best-known television personality: Horst Lichter. But classic car and motorbike enthusiasts also know that he has petrol running through his veins and loves British classics and Italian motorbikes. That is why Horst Lichter will also be taking part in the MV Augusta special race … riding in the slipstream of his hero, ‘Ago’.