AUTOSPORT Awards John Bolster Award: Gian Paolo Dallara

The 2011 season was hugely successful for Dallara and confirmed its status as one of the world's premier single-seater manufacturers. On top of supplying every chassis on this year's IndyCar grid, Dallara won the tender process to build the new IndyCar chassis from 2012.

In addition Dallara supplied every car on the grid for GP2, GP3 and Formula Renault 3.5 in 2011. Dallara drivers won every major Formula 3 title going this year - including the British, Euro Series and Japanese crowns plus the inaugural FIA Formula 3 International Trophy.

Dallara was presented with his award by Williams F1's legendary co-founder and former engineering director Patrick Head. He also paid tribute to Dan Wheldon, whom the new IndyCar chassis is named after, as part of his acceptance.

"We had the opportunity to work with Dan in the simulator, the opportunity to know him better - because in the past we were staying outside from the racing track," he explained.

"We realised how fantastic a person he was - not only very fast, but a person with a precise understanding of how to develop the car. It was unbelievable how nice staying with him after a day of work was."

After graduating from Politecnico di Milano with an aeronautical engineering degree, Dallara joined the Ferrari racing department in 1959, before moving to Maserati and then in 1961 to Lamborghini as its chief designer.

After being lured into designing in the racing world by Alessandro de Tomaso, in 1972 Dallara established his own design company and worked as a consultant engineer for Lancia on the Stratos project, as well as building sports and GT cars.

In 1974 Frank Williams asked him to assist with the design of his Formula 1 cars, the first of which was the Williams FW01 piloted by Jacques Laffite and Arturo Merzario in 1975.

In 1977 Williams' partner Walter Wolf asked Dallara to build an F3 car, which proved to be the start of the company's enormous success in the category. It has been the dominant force in the category for the past 20 years.

In 1997 Dallara expanded into IndyCar racing and, with the current Dallara IR4 being retired at the end of this season, ensured its continued presence in the championship when selected by series officials to design the next generation chassis, dubbed the Dallara DW12 in honour of the late Wheldon.

The company has also enjoyed success in sportscars, winning the Daytona 24 Hours and the Grand-Am title, and had a stint in F1 with the Scuderia Italia team from 1988 to 1992.