2013 AUTOSPORT Awards
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Congratulations to all our Award winners tonight. They are sure to provide motorsport fans with more great moments in the next year.
This was the 32nd AUTOSPORT Awards. Thanks for celebrating a marvellous season with us this evening. Stick with AUTOSPORT for more of the world's best motorsport coverage in 2014.
This was the 32nd AUTOSPORT Awards. Thanks for celebrating a marvellous season with us this evening. Stick with AUTOSPORT for more of the world's best motorsport coverage in 2014.
So Matt Parry joins an impressive list of McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winners over the last two decades.
As the guests mingle and chat in the Great Room, we look forward to monitoring his progress next season.
As the guests mingle and chat in the Great Room, we look forward to monitoring his progress next season.
"It's fantastic, it's absolutely amazing," are Parry's first words on the stage.
The Parry table erupts with delight as the winner walks up to collect his array of prizes.
Matt Parry is the winner of the McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award for 2013!
There is anticipation across the Great Room as one of six young drivers is moments away from a major career boost.
The Silverstone test highlights are played out on the big screen.
The winner will receive:
• An Arai GP-6 RC carbon helmet
• Membership of the BRDC
• A McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 test
• £100,000
The Silverstone test highlights are played out on the big screen.
The winner will receive:
• An Arai GP-6 RC carbon helmet
• Membership of the BRDC
• A McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 test
• £100,000
The McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award tests took place in late October at Silverstone – the home of British motorsport and the British Racing Drivers' Club.
The six finalists chosen by the panel took part in two days of running on the Grand Prix circuit with Formula 2, DTM and McLaren GT cars. Work with Base Performance Simulators and the Porsche Human Performance Centre was also used to evaluate the candidates.
The judges then interviewed the half-dozen at the McLaren Technology Centre, before settling on the outstanding candidate from the best of this year’s British driving talent.
The six finalists chosen by the panel took part in two days of running on the Grand Prix circuit with Formula 2, DTM and McLaren GT cars. Work with Base Performance Simulators and the Porsche Human Performance Centre was also used to evaluate the candidates.
The judges then interviewed the half-dozen at the McLaren Technology Centre, before settling on the outstanding candidate from the best of this year’s British driving talent.
McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale, AUTOSPORT publishing director Peter Higham and BRDC president Derek Warwick are invited up to present tonight's big Award.
To remind you, these are the six candidates:
• Jack Aitken, 18, Formula Renault NEC runner-up
• Jake Hughes, 19, BRDC Formula 4 champion
• Chris Middlehurst, 18, Formula Renault BARC champion
• Seb Morris, 17, BRDC Formula 4 runner-up
• Matt Parry, 19, Formula Renault NEC champion
• Charlie Robertson, 16, third in BRDC Formula 4
• Jack Aitken, 18, Formula Renault NEC runner-up
• Jake Hughes, 19, BRDC Formula 4 champion
• Chris Middlehurst, 18, Formula Renault BARC champion
• Seb Morris, 17, BRDC Formula 4 runner-up
• Matt Parry, 19, Formula Renault NEC champion
• Charlie Robertson, 16, third in BRDC Formula 4
Next up, it's the moment that six young men have been waiting for as we reveal the 2013 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner.
Another classic appearance on the AUTOSPORT Awards stage for Vettel, who walks off as the International Racing Driver of the Year.
"I just hope we are not going down from a power point of view," he continues. "The rest is a new direction to go into...sorry, I'm talking too much – you're on a tight schedule!"
After he ribs Rider a bit, he continues.
"Just to hear the sound and feel it in the ground...that's the first memory I have [in F1]. I hope we don't lose that. It needs to give you something you won't forget."
After he ribs Rider a bit, he continues.
"Just to hear the sound and feel it in the ground...that's the first memory I have [in F1]. I hope we don't lose that. It needs to give you something you won't forget."
Looking ahead to 2014, Vettel gets serious: "It's very difficult to know. Every team and engine manufacturer has an idea but it's a surprise at this stage so we wait."
Then it gets a bit less serious.
"Getting the cars on track for the first time will be very interesting...so we see how many engines blow up or not!"
Then it gets a bit less serious.
"Getting the cars on track for the first time will be very interesting...so we see how many engines blow up or not!"
The audience is eating out of the palm of Vettel's hands right now. Plenty of banter directed at everyone you can think of!
Plenty of laughter and applause. He's a very, very popular man.
Plenty of laughter and applause. He's a very, very popular man.
Vettel in great form!
"I spoke to the president of the world...FIA...after we got penalised and he said you know Sebastian (in a mock Jean Todt voice!) It's a stupid thing to do. It's not good because it was good for the show but..."
That trails off into rapturous applause and whistling.
"I spoke to the president of the world...FIA...after we got penalised and he said you know Sebastian (in a mock Jean Todt voice!) It's a stupid thing to do. It's not good because it was good for the show but..."
That trails off into rapturous applause and whistling.
Praise from Stirling Moss for Red Bull's record world champion: "I spent 15 years trying and got nowhere near it, he's already for four – it's not very fair!"
Vettel counters: "He conquered many women's hearts!"
Vettel counters: "He conquered many women's hearts!"
A humbled Vettel praises those who applauded him.
"I think tonight I was second walking down the stairs [to Ogier]. The room is full of people knowing motorsport very well and to get the respect from all of you is fantastic.
"It's been four years walking down those stairs and I wouldn't mind another couple of years – but I know how much work is needed to achieve that."
"I think tonight I was second walking down the stairs [to Ogier]. The room is full of people knowing motorsport very well and to get the respect from all of you is fantastic.
"It's been four years walking down those stairs and I wouldn't mind another couple of years – but I know how much work is needed to achieve that."
The German has been irrepressible in 2013, breaking numerous records en route to a fourth F1 crown.
He started 2013 as the heavy title favourite and lived up to the billing early on, capturing pole for the first two grands prix and triumphing in Malaysia to take an early lead in the championship.
Further victories in Bahrain, Canada, on home soil in Germany and in Belgium helped him extend that advantage, and by F1's summer break he was 48 points clear of the field.
While that early form was impressive, his 2013 run-in was breathtaking: six poles, two further front-row starts, and eight victories constituted an unprecedented run in F1 and helped him to a fourth straight crown.
Another standing ovation as the runaway 2013 world champion walks up to collect his Award from Moss.
Nominees include Fernando Alonso, Scott Dixon, Lewis Hamilton, Jimmie Johnson and Kimi Raikkonen.
But the readers' vote goes to four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel.
But the readers' vote goes to four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Now the final Award voted for by the readers and it's the big one - International Racing Driver of the Year.
Here to present is motorsport legend Sir Stirling Moss.
Here to present is motorsport legend Sir Stirling Moss.
Former team coordinator Jo Ramirez and Patty McLaren-Brickett, widow of McLaren founder Bruce, are interviewed by Henry Hope-Frost.
Neale passes on the best wishes of McLaren CEO Ron Dennis, who is currently travelling with a trade delegation to China.
Collecting the John Bolster Award, for McLaren, is managing director Jonathan Neale.
The marque, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, has won 182 of its 742 grands prix started since founder Bruce McLaren first entered the world championship in 1966.
McLaren was a dominant force in Can-Am between 1967 and 1971, winning 43 races and five straight constructors' titles, and claimed three Indy 500 victories in the '70s, while in 1995 its F1 GTR sportscar model won the Le Mans 24 Hours on its first attempt.
Alongside its contemporary F1 and GT3 racing commitments, the McLaren Group has expanded massively during its half century, and now incorporates dedicated automotive, electronics and catering departments, as well as an Applied Technologies arm which works in sport, medicine and biomechanics.
Emmo speaks of his pride of "being part of this huge history of McLaren" and draws a rousing round of applause from the crowd.
Two-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi is on hand to present the John Bolster Award.
2014 F1 rookie Kevin Magnussen, the FR3.5 champion, is next to be interviewed. "Now being a McLaren driver is quite amazing," he says.
The raffle has raised over £13,000 for charity tonight.
TT legend John McGuinness is here at the Awards for the first time and is drawing the raffle. "My testicles are miles bigger than you lot with four wheels," he jokes.
"The engine regulation changes are a challenge for everyone," continues Newey. "We are about six months off being prepared for the start of the season."
From AUTOSPORT's vantage point we can't spot a particularly outlandish outfit from Newey, but it looks like a bit of a spotty bow-tie.
"Somewhere between mild panic and crisis management," says Newey as he discusses the regulation changes for 2014.
Heading a team of Red Bull personnel accepting the award is chief technical officer Adrian Newey.
The design guru oversaw yet another all-conquering model in the form of the RB9, which his its stride after the summer break, winning every race in the hands of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
One of four other technical staff members joining Newey on stage is outgoing head of aerodynamics Peter Prodromou, who is leaving to join McLaren. A wonderful gesture from team boss Christian Horner to acknowledge the key role Prodromou played in his team's success this season.
Following a dominant second half of the Formula 1 season, AUTOSPORT readers have voted the Red Bull RB9 as Racing Car of the Year.
Racing Car of the Year is the next Award and Patrick Head is invited on stage to make the presentation.
Hamilton cannot be here this evening to accept his award.
The 2008 world champion switched from McLaren to Mercedes for his 2013 Formula 1 campaign, captured pole position for the third race in China and went on to take a streak of four further poles between the British and Belgian Grands Prix.
He also triumphed in Hungary and came home fourth in the world championship, with five podiums to his credit.
The British Competition Driver of the Year is Lewis Hamilton.
Moving quickly on to British Competition Driver, which is open to British drivers in any class at international level, from F1 to F3.
Bianchi tells of his delight of his efforts in his debut season, and says he is looking forward to next year having re-signed for the team for 2014.
You can read AUTOSPORT's evaluation of Bianchi here.
You can read AUTOSPORT's evaluation of Bianchi here.
By: Geoff Creighton, Scott Mitchell
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