2019 Autosport Awards

2019 Winners

Rider of the Year presented by Tata Communications

Open to riders competing in any of MotoGP’s three racing categories or equivalent

Peter Hickman

Three Isle of Man TT victories, a North West 200 triumph and a record Ulster Grand Prix clean sweep – most of it achieved on the unproven and largely standard new BMW Superbike – made Hickman the absolute king of road racing in 2019.road racing in 2019.

Marc Márquez

The Honda rider defied the limitations of a stubborn RC213V to ease to his sixth MotoGP world title and eighth overall. He did so with four races to spare by way of top-two finishes in all bar one race and an astonishing nine victories.

Fabio Quartararo

The surprise package of 2019, rookie Quartararo took poles and podium finishes from the outset in an impressive debut year in which he also offered champion Marquez some of the stiffest opposition in races that he has ever faced.

Jonathan Rea

Turned around an early 61-point deficit to dominant Ducati man Alvaro Bautista to win a record fifth World Superbike title with two rounds to spare, cementing his status as arguably the series’ greatest rider ever with another crushing performance.

International Racing Driver of the Year presented by Pirelli

Open to professional racing drivers competing at an international level

Lewis Hamilton

In the face of the strongest challenge yet from Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and latterly increasingly rapid Ferrari and Red Bull opposition, Hamilton still set himself on course for a sixth F1 title in commanding style by mid-season.

Josef Newgarden

With IndyCar more and more tightly contested, winning a second title in three years was a fantastic achievement for Newgarden – especially given the strength of the in-house opposition at Penske and the threat from rival giants Andretti and Ganassi.

Rene Rast

Audi driver Rast was the undisputed class-leader in the DTM. He has scored two titles in just three years in the category. Very few errors and prodigious one-lap pace put him at an advantage that his title rivals could simply not overcome.

Jean-Eric Vergne

After eight different drivers won the first eight races of the 2018-19 Formula E season, it was impossible to pick a title favourite. But then Vergne comprehensively changed that and took command of the epic championship fight.

British Competition Driver of the Year

Open to British drivers competing in categories at international level

Alex Albon

Having spent 2018 fighting just to keep his career afloat, Albon found himself with a shock Formula 1 chance but scant preparation – and quickly turned it into the extraordinary opportunity of a Red Bull Racing seat alongside Max Verstappen.

Mike Conway

Fernando Alonso inevitably stole the headlines in Toyota’s 2018-19 World Endurance line-up, but Conway starred in the sister car – a stunning first stint at Le Mans typifying his emergence as the standout driver in a two-car effort that oozed quality.

Lando Norris

The rookie McLaren signing was an instrumental part of the team’s Formula 1 resurgence in 2019, with Norris belying his inexperience and youth to match Carlos Sainz Jr – even in what many regard as the relative-veteran team-mate’s strongest grand prix season.

George Russell

Going from winning the Formula 2 title to life at the back in Formula 1 with Williams would’ve broken many, but Russell earned huge respect for his efforts in adversity, getting absolutely everything out of a difficult car.

Rally Car of the Year

Open to professional racing drivers in their first season in their respective categories

Citroen C3 WRC

After too many years in the doldrums, the team that had commanded the WRC with Sebastien Loeb stormed back into the title hunt with Sebastien Ogier. It was a remarkable turnaround, aided by dramatic car improvements.

Hyundai i20 WRC

As it has been since the start of the WRC’s current rules era, Hyundai was a regular pacesetter with its i20. It’s been the team the rest have to beat to have any hope of the championship – and finally won the manufacturers’ crown.

Ford Fiesta WRC

M-Sport’s Ford Fiesta WRC remained a potential frontrunner on every round of the 2019 season – only a final-stage puncture robbed Elfyn Evans of victory in Corsica and his pace in Wales showed the car’s ability on the loose.

Toyota Yaris WRC

Just three years into its World Rally return, the Tommi Makinen-led Toyota project was the benchmark for raw pace in 2019 as Ott Tanak stormed to win after win. Following the near-miss of 2018, this time that speed was rewarded.

Richard Mille Rookie of the Year

Open to professional racing drivers in their first season in their respective categories

Alex Albon

In an era when most F1 rookies have long been groomed by manufacturers and teams, Albon was thrown in at the deep end with Toro Rosso but acquitted himself superbly – and earned an even bigger challenge alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

Colton Herta

The son of CART star Bryan lit up IndyCar as a rookie in 2019, becoming the series’ youngest ever race winner in just his third start having only turned 19. Three poles and seventh in the championship underlined how big a future the latest Herta driver has.

Lando Norris

Despite only being 19 years old, Norris justified his ultra-rapid rise through the ranks into F1 by holding his own against much more experienced opposition in the upper midfield and demonstrating excellent racecraft in the improving 2019 McLaren challenger.

George Russell

Almost every hint of light at the end of the tunnel in Williams’s worst F1 season has been down to the tireless efforts of Russell, who wouldn’t have been blamed for losing motivation with such a difficult car but has been an underdog sensation.

International Rally Driver

Open to professional or semi-professional rally drivers in international events

Thierry Neuville

Hyundai did not have as consistently quick a package in 2019 as it has enjoyed in previous seasons, so it was down to Neuville to keep it in the title hunt even as his team-mates often struggled to get the best out of the car.

Sebastien Ogier

Though Ogier came to the end of his run of titles, he arguably drove better than ever in 2019 as he reunited with Citroen and instantly transformed it into a championship contender again. Winning in Monte Carlo was a sublime starting statement.

Kalle Rovanpera

With a Toyota WRC contract in his pocket, teenage sensation Rovanpera potentially had his last year on the support package in 2019 and didn’t waste it – proving it’s time to step up to the big league with a WRC 2 Pro crown.

Ott Tanak

Despite this being one of the WRC’s most competitive eras, Tanak went into almost every 2019 round as the driver to beat – producing relentlessly crushing pace and seeing off two very rapid team-mates at Toyota on his way to a maiden title.

National Driver of the Year

Open to drivers racing in the BTCC, British GT or at FIA F3 level

Dan Harper

There was absolutely no stopping Dan Harper in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2019. He won six of the eight non-reversed-grid races and bagged six of the eight pole positions on his way to becoming the category’s youngest-ever champion.

Andrew Jordan

The 2013 BTCC title winner went toe-to-toe with reigning champion Turkington from within the same WSR team. He scored more wins than any other driver and came up just two points short despite missing two races through injury.

Phil Keen

Keen once again missed out on the British GT title, but moulded rookie team-mate Adam Balon into a surprise title contender and took two classy wins at Snetterton. Four fastest laps to boot meant he was the series’ benchmark driver once more.

Colin Turkington

After taking five wins and claiming a last-gasp title victory, Turkington now stands shoulder to shoulder with Andy Rouse as the most successful BTCC driver of all time in terms of titles won, with four. He’s secured his place among the legends.

Racing Car of the Year presented by Pirelli

Open to cars competing in any class of circuit racing

Audi RS5 DTM

The DTM’s switch to Class One came with considerable reliability concerns. Audi used its Le Mans and road car experience to resolve those swiftly and crushed BMW by scoring almost twice as many points and sealing all titles on offer.

BMW 330i M Sport

The BTCC is an extremely hard championship to dominate given the nature of its rules, but WSR’s new BMW did just that with the way it hit the ground running – reeling off win after win and setting up the title fight between its lead drivers.

DS E-Tense FE19

DS joined forces with Techeetah for the fifth FE season and the car looked fast and efficient from the start. Although it took until the sixth race to win, it ultimately enabled both drivers to fight for the crown and for Vergne to retain his title.

Mercedes F1 W10

Mercedes looked to be up against it at the first winter test, then pulled off an outstanding turnaround when its test-two upgrades unlocked the new car’s pace. An unbeatable start to the season followed, then another title double.

Moment of the Year presented by Marelli

Leclerc wins at Monza

A week after his first F1 triumph during the tragic Spa weekend, Charles Leclerc took a win he could enjoy at the greatest venue of them all for a Ferrari driver: Monza. And he cemented his status as the Tifosi’s new hero in the process.

Rins takes victory at Silverstone

Already a winner at Austin, Alex Rins’s Silverstone triumph marked him out as a true MotoGP frontrunner as he held his nerve in a thrilling battle with world champion Marc Marquez to win by 0.013s with an audacious last-corner overtake.

Verstappen passes Leclerc

Max Verstappen’s uncompromising pass on Charles Leclerc in Austria was a key flashpoint in the battle between F1’s brightest young stars. It gave Honda its first win of the modern era and ended Mercedes’ victorious streak.

Vergne secures second Formula E title

Heading to the Formula E season finale, it seemed certain that Jean-Eric Vergne would waltz to a second title. Then all hell broke loose in race one, before he turned the tables the next day and made history as FE’s first double champion.