Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography/Racing Steps Foundation
Formula Renault NEC champion sees off competition to win prestigious award and with it a McLaren Formula 1 test…
Jake Dennis has won the 2012 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award at the Autosport Awards evening in London on Sunday. The 17-year-old had won this year’s Formula Renault NEC title, adding to his Intersteps success from 2011.
Dennis saw off competition from the two men he beat to the NEC title Jordan King and Josh Hill as well as Eurocup racer Melville McKee, twice BARC runner-up Josh Webster and Star Mazda champion Jack Hawksworth. He joins the likes of David Coulthard and Jenson Button as winners of the prestigious award given annually to a young British driver.
He was selected by the judging panel following a series of tests at Silverstone last month and follows in the direct footsteps of Oliver Rowland, who like Dennis is financially supported by the Racing Steps Foundation.
“It’s very hard to put your emotions across in a situation like this,” said Dennis. “It’s such a relief to win this. For me it’s incredible but also for Oliver Rowland to have won it last year means it’s two straight wins for drivers supported by the Racing Steps Foundation and I want to thank them for their support.”
Like Rowland did this year, Dennis is likely to step up to the Eurocup for a second season of Renaults in 2013, having already made selected guest appearances this year including a second place at a rain-soaked Spa-Francorchamps on his championship debut.