Stars come out on a special night at the Autosport Awards

Simply studying down the record of names who have been on stage in the course of the Autosport Awards on Wednesday night presents a flavour of the illustrious historical past and ongoing significance the occasion holds inside motorsport.

Method 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, group principals Christian Horner, Zak Brown and James Vowles, 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill, 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard, F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff and new Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli all introduced or collected awards on the evening.

Add to that different group bosses, F1 drivers and sequence administrators dotted across the room at London’s Roundhouse, and it felt like a who’s-who of motorsport – as did the roll name of winners.

Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Bernie Ecclestone, McLaren, the Las Vegas Grand Prix and Andrea Stella have been amongst these to gather accolades.

F1 Academy topped its 2024 champion, Abbi Pulling, whereas the longer term seems in protected palms as British Method 4 champion Deagan Fairclough was named Silverstone Autosport BRDC Younger Driver of the 12 months.

Offered by Qiddiya and hosted by Dermot O’Leary and Lee McKenzie, the night was rounded off by a DJ set from former Spice Lady, Melanie C.

The celebrations have been much more heightened than typical for the ‘largest evening in motorsport’ as each Autosport and Method 1 toast their seventy fifth anniversaries this 12 months.

“One in every of my favorite sayings is: ‘custom is an experiment that labored’,” James Allen, president of Motorsport Enterprise and F1 liaison stated in the course of the ceremony.  

“Seventy-five years in the past, Autosport was launched only a few weeks after the primary ever Method 1 grand prix at Silverstone. In each instances, it was the beginning of one thing that has thrived and has turn into a convention over 75 years.

“There has by no means ever been a greater time to be a motorsport fan than right this moment. Why? Due to the standard of the competitors and the various totally different ways in which followers now have to have interaction with our sport.

“One other considered one of my favorite sayings that I hear continuously, each from the trade but in addition from the followers, is: ‘I by no means imagine it till I learn it in Autosport’.

“Now, that carries an immense accountability, however it’s one which we all know that’s valued and we definitely worth it too. So, Method 1 and Autosport have been born in that very same summer season of 1950, and we’re very, very proud to share this seventy fifth anniversary with Method 1.”

Deagan Fairclough, wins the Silverstone Autosport BRDC Younger Driver of the 12 months Award

Photograph by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Pictures

Full record of award winners:

seventy fifth Anniversary honouree – Bernie Ecclestone
Worldwide Driver of the 12 months – Max Verstappen
British Competitors Driver – Lando Norris
Individual of the 12 months – Andrea Stella
Worldwide Rally Driver of the 12 months – Sebastien Ogier
Nationwide Driver of the 12 months – Jake Hill
Worldwide Competitors Automobile – MCL38
Promoter of the 12 months – Las Vegas Grand Prix
Second of the 12 months – Verstappen Masterclass in Brazil
Model Partnership of the 12 months – Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% x Scuderia Ferrari
Pioneering & Innovation – Pirelli – Forest Stewardship Council-certified tyres
F1 ACADEMY champion – Abbi Pulling
Younger Driver of the 12 months – Deagen Fairclough