Photo: BRDC F4
BRDC Formula 4 champion Will Palmer has won the 2015 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award.
The 18-year-old driver beat Formula Renault 2.0 stars Jack Aitken, Ben Barnicoat and Jake Hughes as well as MSA Formula duo Ricky Collard and Toby Sowery to win the award, which is given annually to a promising British single-seater racer competing below European Formula 3 level.
Named as the winner at the Autosport Awards in London on Sunday night, Palmer was chosen after a series of assessments including two days on track at Silverstone.
His prize includes the chance to test a McLaren Formula 1 car next year, as well as ?100,000.
The son of former Formula 1 driver and series chief Jonathan and younger brother of 2016 Renault F1 driver Jolyon, Palmer began his single-seater career last year in BRDC F4.
He dominated the series in 2015, winning 12 races. He also scored a pair of top-10 finishes in a one-off in Eurocup FR2.0 at Silverstone in September.
Earlier in the evening, Palmer beat double FR2.0 champion Aitken and MSA Formula winner Lando Norris among others to the British Club Driver of the Year award for his dominant BRDC F4 campaign.
Palmer is expected to move onto GP3 next year, having auditioned with ART, Arden and DAMS at the post-season test earlier this week.
Previous winners of the main award include F1 drivers Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Anthony Davidson and Paul di Resta, while Formula Renault 3.5 champion Oliver Rowland, F3 frontrunner Jake Dennis, GP3 driver Matt Parry and F3 rookie George Russell were the last four winners.