Joseph Loake has been confirmed the winner of the 2023 Aston Martin AUTOSPORT BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.
Aston Martin officially announced Joseph Loake as the 34th winner of the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. The 18-year-old British GB3 Championship race winner hailing from Macclesfield received the most distinguished honor in junior motorsport at the Autosport Awards gala in London.
What does such a prestigious win mean for the young champion? Loake will be rewarded with a test in an Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One® Team car on the iconic Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone. Additionally, he will be presented with a check for £200,000, gain a full membership to the BRDC, receive an Arai crash helmet, and a Jordan Bespoke helmet bag.
Joseph Loake beat fellow contenders Taylor Barnard (19), Arvid Lindblad (16), and Callum Voisin (17) and became the fourth champion since Aston Martin joined the Autosport BRDC Award. “I honestly can’t believe I’ve won the Award,” gushed Loake. “Winning this has given me a lot of self belief and confidence that I can do this,” he adds.
According to Aston Martin, the judging panel for the award was chaired by motorsport icons, led by Derek Warwick, the 1992 World Sportscar champion and BRDC vice-president. Among the judges were Dario Franchitti, a four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Leena Gade, a 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning engineer, and Alexander Sims, an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar champion. The panel also included Ian Titchmarsh, a commentator, Andrew Kirkaldy, the team principal of Garage 59, Kevin Turner, the editor of Autosport, and engineer Mark Williams. Additionally, Johnny Herbert, a winner of the 1995 Grand Prix, served as a guest judge.
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Who is Joseph Loake?
Loake is a multiple F4 champion who began his motorsport career in 2016, achieving his first significant milestone as a NatSKA Class 11 champion. He is known for his accomplishments in junior motorsport categories and gained recognition in the racing community for his performances in competitions such as the F4 British Championship and the Fiesta Junior Championship.
According to GB3 Championship, during his debut season in single-seater racing, he achieved three overall victories and secured two additional podium finishes in the F4 British Championship. In 2022, he outdid his previous performance, securing four victories and five more podium placements and he took part in the F4 UAE Championship.
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What is the Aston Martin AUTOSPORT BRDC?
The Aston Martin AUTOSPORT BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award is a prestigious accolade in the world of British motorsport. It’s a collaborative effort between Aston Martin, a renowned luxury sports car manufacturer, AUTOSPORT, a prominent motorsport magazine, and the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), one of the most respected names in British racing.
This award is specifically designed to recognize and support young, talented drivers from the United Kingdom. The candidates are typically emerging stars in the lower tiers of motorsport, such as karting, single-seater racing, or other junior categories. The award process involves a rigorous assessment of driving skills, often including tests in various types of racing vehicles and evaluations by a panel of experts.
The winner of the award is usually provided with invaluable opportunities for career advancement. This may include exposure, and potentially, test drives in higher levels of motorsport, including Formula 1, if affiliated with a team. The award has a history of identifying and boosting the careers of some of the most promising young drivers in British motorsport.
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Recent Aston Martin AUTOSPORT BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award Winners:
- 2014 George Russell
- 2015 Will Palmer
- 2016 Lando Norris
- 2017 Dan Ticktum
- 2018 Tom Gamble
- 2019 Johnathan Hoggard
- 2020 Not awarded
- 2021 Zak O’Sullivan
- 2022 Luke Browning
- 2023 Joseph Loake
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