The Award
The Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award aims to boost the prospects of young British racing talent and find the next Formula 1 star.
The 2023 process included simulator tests at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, fitness assessments by Athletic Thinking and a two-day test at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in MotorSport Vision Formula 2, United Autosports Ligier LMP3 and Beechdean Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 machinery.
Prizes for the winner, who will be announced at the Autosport Awards on 3 December, include a test with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team, £200,000, full British Racing Drivers’ Club membership, an Arai helmet and a personalised helmet bag courtesy of Jordan Bespoke.
BRDC vice-president Derek Warwick is the chairman of the judging panel, which includes Award winners Dario Franchitti, Darren Turner, Andrew Kirkaldy and Alexander Sims, successful Lola and McLaren designer Mark Williams, Le Mans-winning engineer Leena Gade, leading commentator Ian Titchmarsh and Autosport chief editor Kevin Turner. The guest judge in 2023 is Johnny Herbert.
Other previous winners of the Award include 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button, 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard, current F1 drivers George Russell and Lando Norris, 2014 World Endurance champion Anthony Davidson and 2023 Formula E world champion Jake Dennis.
2023 Finalists
Age: 19
2023: 10th in Formula 3 with Jenzer Motorsport
This protege of German team PHM Racing did a fantastic job on his step from F4 to Formula Regional Middle East to finish as runner-up. With the unfancied Jenzer team in F3, the 19-year-old qualified on the front row at Barcelona and won at Spa on his way to 10th in the championship.
Age: 16
2023: Third in Italian F4 and fourth in Euro 4 with Prema Racing
Of Swedish descent but based in Surrey, Red Bull Junior Lindblad only turned 16 in August but won six races in Italian F4 with Prema before finishing third in the points. He was also a race winner in Euro 4 and took fourth place in the final standings.
Age: 18
2023: Third in GB3 with JHR Developments
Two inconsistent British F4 seasons didn’t suggest Loake would be a title contender upon progressing to GB3 in 2023. But four wins against more fancied opposition put the 18-year-old in championship contention and he ended up third with JHR Developments.
Age: 17
2023: GB3 champion with Rodin Carlin
After narrowly missing out on third in last year’s GB3 standings, Voisin was the highest-ranked driver to continue for another campaign. It was therefore perhaps not a surprise to see the 17-year-old Rodin Carlin driver become champion with a consistent season that featured two victories.
2021 Presentation video
Previous Winners
2022 Luke Browning
Five wins and eight other podium finishes helped Hitech Grand Prix driver Browning to the 2022 GB3 crown. He remained with Hitech for his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign in 2023 and scored a podium on his way to 15th overall.
2021 Zak O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan was a dominant champion in GB3 in 2021, taking seven victories with Carlin. He stayed with the team for his graduation to FIA Formula 3 the following year and finished 11th standings. He will race for Prema in FIA F3 in 2023.
2019 Johnathan Hoggard
Hoggard was arguably the fastest driver of the 2019 BRDC Formula 3 championship, despite missing out on the crown. Hoggard shone in all three test cars at Silverstone before looking at sportscar and single-seater options to further his career.
2018 Tom Gamble
Gamble’s race-winning performances in BRDC Formula 3 with Fortec earned him a place in the final four. He showed impressive progress and pace over the two days, with his speed in the Ligier LMP3 car being particularly outstanding.
2017 Dan Ticktum
Picked the Eurocup category for his return to racing after a year out due to a ban, and won a race despite struggling with the new-to-the-series Arden team. Returned to Formula 3's Macau Grand Prix after the Award evaluation days and took a stunning victory.
2016 Lando Norris
Norris capped his rookie, title-winning Formula Renault Eurocup season with the Award, then followed that by winning the 2017 European F3 title as McLaren's next big thing in F1.
2015 Will Palmer
Palmer won the Award after dominating the 2015 BRDC Formula 4 Championship and then graduated to Formula Renault 2.0.
2014 George Russell
Another karting star stepping into cars for the first time, taking the BRDC F4 crown in 2014 before going on to clinch the Award.
2013 Matt Parry
After an impressive karting career, which included the Super 1 National Rotax Max Junior title, Parry stepped up to the British Formula Ford Championship in 2011 and won the Award in 2013.
2012 Jake Dennis
Became the 24th recipient of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 2012 and the youngest yet at 17 years, five months and 16 days old.
2011 Oliver Rowland
Graduated to car racing with an impressive karting CV. Despite being hit by personal tragedy 'the death of his father and of mentor Martin Hines' Rowland became an exciting performer in his first year of Formula Renault UK.
2010 Lewis Williamson
Started car racing in 2008 and was Formula Renault UK runner-up in 2010, scoring more wins than anyone else. Won a race in GP3 in 2011, and tried Formula Renault 3.5 for 2012.
2009 Dean Smith
After winning Formula BMW in 2005, and being Formula Renault UK runner-up (and Award finalist) in 2007, Smith almost gave up on single-seaters, but instead won the FR UK crown in 2009. Has raced in GP3 for the last two years.
2008 Alexander Sims
Finished second in Formula Renault UK in his second season and was then a frontrunner in the F3 Euro Series for the next two years. Was a race winner in GP3 in 2011 on his way to sixth in the standings, and took a British F3 win on a one-off appearance.
2007 Stefan Wilson
Was second in Formula Palmer Audi in his first year of car racing. After a year in British F3, Wilson moved to Indy Lights in 2009 and finished third in the series in 2011.
2006 Oliver Turvey
Funding issues hampered Turvey's early career, but he was runner-up in Formula BMW UK in his part-campaign in 2006. Moved to the Formula Renault Eurocup after winnning the Award and then picked up Racing Steps Foundation backing for British F3. Narrowly missed out on crown, then won races in Formula Renault 3.5 and GP2, and became a McLaren test and reserve driver.
2005 Oliver Jarvis
Formula Renault UK champion moved to F3 after taking the Award and won the F3 Macau GP in 2007. Impressed in A1GP before joining the DTM with Audi in 2008.
2004 Paul di Resta
Another winner in Formula Renault UK, di Resta moved to F3 in 2005 and took the Euro Series crown the following year. He then moved into the DTM with Mercedes and became a star, taking the title in 2010. Graduated to F1 with Force India in 2011 and put in an impressive rookie campaign.
2003 Alex Lloyd
Current IndyCar racer won the Award after his second year of Formula Renault UK. Dabbled in F3000, then switched to America in 2006. Won the Indy Lights title the following season and first raced in IndyCar in 2008.
2002 Jamie Green
Took the Award after finishing as runner-up in his first season of Formula Renault UK. Was second in British F3 in 2003 before taking the F3 Euro Series title the following year. Graduated to the DTM in 2005 and has become an established frontrunner with Mercedes.
2001 Steven Kane
Stepped up from Formula Ford to F3, via a brief appearance in Formula Renault. After racing in Formula Renault 3.5 he switched to tin-tops, first in the Porsche Carrera Cup and then the British Touring Car Championship. He won races in both. Kane was also an LMP1 winner in the ALMS in 2011 with Dyson Racing.
2000 Anthony Davidson
Formula Ford Festival winner was a British F3 frontrunner in his rookie year. Became a BAR Honda test driver and made it into an F1 race seat for two races in 2002 with Minardi. Was also part of the Super Aguri team in 2007-08 before moving to GTs and sportscars. Now an LMP1 ace with works Toyota squad.
1999 Gary Paffett
Formula Vauxhall Lotus champion starred in Formula 3 before moving into the DTM, while also becoming test driver for McLaren in F1. Took the DTM crown in 2005 and has also been runner-up in the series four times.
1998 Jenson Button
Karting ace exploded into car racing in 1998, winning the British Formula Ford Championship and the Award. Button was a British F3 race winner the following season and was in F1 by 2000. Went on to win the F1 world championship with Brawn in 2009 and is still a race winner for McLaren.
1997 Andrew Kirkaldy
Another Formula Vauxhall graduate, Kirkaldy made it to Formula 3 before switching to GTs. Took the British GT2 title in 2005 and was a race winner in FIA GT2. Now runs CRS Racing's GT programme and is helping develop McLaren's MP4-12C GT3 contender.
1996 Darren Turner
Formula Renault racer moved into F3 after winning the Award and was then a winner in the inaugural Formula Palmer Audi season. A long-term F1 test driver, Turner also raced in DTM, ASCAR, and the BTCC, but has established a sportscar career with Aston Martin, winning GT1 at Le Mans twice and racing for the companys LMP squad.
1995 Jonny Kane
Started in Formula Ford and raced in Formula Vauxhall Lotus before winning the British F3 title in 1997. Had a spell in Indy Lights, then moved into sportscars and GTs. Has been an LMP2 ace with Strakka Racing in recent years.
1994 Jamie Davies
Used Formula Vauxhall Lotus success to graduate into F3 and then F3000. Moved successfully into sports-prototypes and GTs, which he raced until 2008.
1993 Ralph Firman
Won the Award after a fine season in Formula Vauxhall Junior. Took the British F3 title in 1996 before a long spell in Japan, winning in Formula Nippon and the domestic GT series. Got to F1 with Jordan in 2003 before heading back to GTs.
1992 Dario Franchitti
Franchitti went from Formula Opel Lotus and British F3 to the DTM, where he proved rapid. He then made a successful switch to American single-seaters, becoming an IndyCar legend. Franchitti has won the Indy 500 twice and in 2011 took his fourth IndyCar crown.
1991 Oliver Gavin
Formula First champion in 1991, Gavin went on to take the 1995 British F3 crown. There were spells in the DTM and F3000 before Gavin found his niche in GT racing, where he has become a star with the crack works Chevrolet squad.
1990 Gareth Rees
Another Formula Ford star, Rees successfully graduated to Formula Opel Lotus and then British F3 before making it as far as F3000.
1989 David Coulthard
Awarded the prize based on his Formula Ford performances, Coulthard then starred in F3 before making it to F1 in 1994. He went on to score 13 grand prix wins for Williams and McLaren. Currently races for Mercedes in the DTM.