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February 7thLONDON: Formula One stars Max Verstappen and Lando Norris sweep top honors at 36th Autosport Awards in London Sunday night, at a dinner celebrating the achievements of the dramatic 2021 racing season. More than 700 guests attended the prestigious Blue Riband event, welcoming their return after Covid forced the 2020 edition to be held virtually.
Max Verstappen was voted International Racing Driver of the Year by Autosport readers with Lando Norris sweeping the British Competition Driver award.
Norris is a former winner, along with Mercedes F1 star George Russell, of the BRDC Aston Martin Autosport Young Driver Award, contested every year in tough test sessions at Silverstone. Sunday night, Zak O’Sullivan joined the two current stars of this prestigious award, alongside legendary former winners such as David Coulthard and Jenson Button. O’Sullivan won £200,000 on a 2022 racing budget and test in an Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 car.
Awards are held in their traditional location at the Grosvenor House Hotel, entertaining some of the most famous figures in motorsports.
The awards and winners are as follows:
- British Competition Driver of the Year – Lando Norris
- International Driver of the Year – Max Verstappen
- Rookie of the Year – Oscar Piastri
- Race Car of the Year – Red Bull Racing RB16B
- Rally Driver of the Year – Sebastien Ogier
- Rally Car of the Year – Toyota Yaris WRC
- National Driver of the Year – Ash Sutton
- Aston Martin Autosport BDRC Awards – Zak O’Sullivan
- Esports Driver of the Year – Frederik Rasmussen
- Esports Team of the Year – Coanda Simsport
This year’s Pioneer and Innovation Award went to Alejandro Agag for his decades of work launching and developing electric motorsport. Agag founded Extreme E and Formula E which is now in its eighth season and has achieved FIA World Championship status. Both championships promote electric vehicles and encourage the development of battery technology and electric motors. Extreme E highlights the realities of climate change, racing in remote places at risk from global warming.
New for this year’s Autosport Awards, is the Autosport Gold Medal, which is presented to a lifetime of service to motorsport and a lasting legacy. The inaugural award was given to FIA President Jean Todt for his service in three important chapters in the history of motorsport; success in rallying and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot, domination of the Formula 1 world championship in the 2000s with Ferrari and Michael Schumacher, and his recent 12 years as FIA President, drive a transformative agenda in motorsport governance and road safety.
The 2021 Autosport Awards will be broadcast on Sky Sports F1 on Wednesday, February 9 7-30 p.m.
The 2022 Autosport Awards will take place on Sunday 4 December.
Max Verstappen, 2021 Formula One World Champion says: “A big thank you to all the fans who voted for me as International Racing Driver of the Year. It was a very intense year, but the support I got throughout the year was great. I also want to thank Red Bull Racing and Honda for giving me a winning car. The main goal was to win the World Championship, now that we have achieved that is something extraordinary.”
Oliver Ciesla, CEO of Motorsport Network, Autosport’s parent company, said: “Congratulations to Max, Lando, Jean, Alejandro and all the other winners. What a night we had at the Autosport Awards. It’s great to see so many of the best in the industry come together to celebrate a strong year for the sport. It’s been a tremendous effort to bring this event to life, with constant uncertainty in light of the pandemic. Thanks to everyone who made this event a reality. At the Motorsport Network, our vision is to be the leading independent voice in the world of motorsport and this prestigious evening once again demonstrates the power of our unique encounter across the industry.”
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