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The Silverstone Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, which rewards a rising British racing driver with a Formula 1 test, will not run in 2025.
Autosport announced the hiatus this morning “ahead of a re-evaluation” of the award which has taken place annually every year since 1989 with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic-interrupted 2020.
Silverstone has hosted the on-track element of the four-driver final shootout, and the F1 test itself, since the award’s inception.
For 30 years it was McLaren which offered the test in one of its old cars, before Aston Martin (which is based across the road from Silverstone) took over in 2019. The other elements of the prize were £200,000 and full British Racing Drivers’ Club membership. Last year’s winner Deagen Fairclough will complete his test run in an Aston Martin F1 car later this year.
Most recently the shootout has involved simulator and fitness tests, and driving a MotorSport Vision Formula 2 car, a Ligier LMP3 prototype sportscar and an Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
1992 World Sportscar champion Derek Warwick, who has been chairman of the award’s judges since 2020, explained why this year has been chosen as the point to pause what it now an institution of British motorsport:
“All F1 teams now have their own young driver programmes, which I like to think came from being aware and being involved with our very own young driver programme over the years. I feel now is a good time to stop and re-evaluate the Award.
“We would not have been able to achieve what we achieved without the amazing support from the BRDC, Silverstone and Autosport who really have been the backbone for this award for so many years. Not forgetting McLaren and Aston Martin, who also supported us with an F1 car for the winner to test and gave us the financial means and loyalty over the years.”
BRDC chairman Peter Digby said the club “fully support that [the award] should reflect the changes taking place in young driver development, especially with the imminent opening of the new Silverstone International karting track”.