Jarvis is McLaren Autosport winner
Oliver Jarvis is the 2005 McLaren Autosport BRDC award winner
Autosport Awards
The Autosport Awards are a series of awards presented by motor racing magazine Autosport to drivers that have achieved significant milestones each season. Some of the presentations are selected by the general public via a reader's poll.
The 21 year-old was the 2005 Formula Renault UK champion with Manor Motorsport, winning five times and scoring top five finishes in 14 of the 20 races.
He spent two years each in Formula Ford and Formula Renault after a successful karting career when he was JICA champion in 1999.
He receives £50,000 for the award and a test in a McLaren Formula One car and membership of the British Racing Drivers' Club.
Jarvis beat frontrunner James Jakes, Formula BMW UK runner-up Sam Bird, Formula Ford Festival winner Duncan Tappy, Formula Palmer Audi champion Joe Tandy and US Formula Ford 2000 runner-up Joey Foster to the prestigious award.
"It was a nerve-wracking wait for the announcement," Jarvis said. "How long did that video go on for? I'll get the thanks you out the way. Mum and Dad are the people who realised how hard it has been and they have been there to help me.
"And to win the championship, part of that reason is John Booth of Manor Motorsport. And a big thanks to Jonathan Palmer for being part of it. I could go on!
"The £50,000 is a big prize and not many people get a chance to drive a McLaren F1 car. I'm not sure what I'm doing next year yet, maybe Formula Three or the World Series by Renault."
The finalists were selected from a short list voted for by Autosport readers and an expert panel of judges, comprising British Racing Drivers' Club secretary Roger Lane-Nott, Motorsport Vision's Jonathan Palmer and Giles Butterfield, West Surrey Racing's Dick Bennetts, former award winner Andrew Kirkaldy, veteran commentator Ian Titchmarsh and Autosport's Marcus Pye.
The drivers were evaluated over two days at Snetterton, where they tested four different racing cars - a Caterham, a Team Dynamics BTCC Honda Integra, a Mercedes DTM touring car and a World Series by Renault single-seater.
Former winners of the award include Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Gary Paffett, Ralph Firman and last year's victor Paul di Resta.
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