The year 2022 will go down as when the motorsport world got two for the price of one: scarcely 10 months after the staging of the 2021 Autosport Awards, delayed until February in the wake of COVID, the latest edition was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane in its normal early-December slot.
Sky Sports F1 duo Natalie Pinkham and Naomi Schiff were on hosting duties as the hordes gathered in the Great Room to celebrate an unforgettable year of motorsport. Red Bull luminaries Christian Horner and Adrian Newey, the team principal and technical director respectively, were on hand as the team’s RB18 won Racing Car of the Year, while their world champion Max Verstappen sent a video message to thank Autosport readers for electing him as International Racing Driver of the Year.
Two of the stars who were hailed with special awards were retiring four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and American racing legend Roger Penske. Vettel was presented with the long-standing Gregor Grant Award, but sadly shied away from one of his famed impressions – credit to the comedian on the floor who called out for a Frank Spencer attempt.
It was a moving ceremony when Sir Jackie Stewart presented his old friend Penske with the Gold Medal, flanked by Gil de Ferran and Josef Newgarden. It was one of those great Awards moments.
“For us in Europe he’s the perfect example of what we should be doing in the future”
Sir Jackie Stewart on Roger Penske
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PRESENTED BY PIRELLI
INTERNATIONAL RACING DRIVER
OF THE YEAR
Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen’s dominant 2022 Formula 1 campaign resulted in yet another gong to go with his second world title and record-setting 15 grand
