The Autosport Awards are back next month for the 36th time, with the ceremony taking place at its usual venue of the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane on Sunday 3 December.
But we can’t do it without our readers. By now you’ll know our opinions on the stars of 2023, but this time we’re listening to you. So we need you to vote, and here you will see the nominees for International Racing Driver of the Year, British Competition Driver of the Year, UK National Driver of the Year, Rookie of the Year, International Competition Car of the Year, and Rally Driver of the Year.
You can vote for the candidate you think performed best in each category during the season. The winners will be announced across multiple digital platforms including autosport.com, as well as in the magazine.
It’s a huge extravaganza that is attended by key figures from the sport, including Formula 1 champions and World Rally stars. And it’s about far more than the reader votes. The Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious and coveted in all of motorsport. And the awards also include the Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award, the Autosport Gold Medal incorporating the Gregor Grant Award for lifetime achievement, the John Bolster Trophy for technical achievement, the Pioneering and Innovation Award and Promoter of the Year. A new award for 2023 is Sponsor of the Year, which is awarded by a panel of industry judges.
How does it work?
Autosport users can vote by simply clicking on your choice(s) from the nominees below. You have one vote per category and then can submit your vote at the bottom of the page.
Not a subscriber yet? Join like-minded enthusiasts with access to the world's best motorsport journalism today and have your say!
International Racing Driver of the Year
Presented by PirelliOpen to professional racing drivers competing at an international level
Fernando Alonso
The oldest driver on the Formula 1 grid – he made his debut a month before Oscar Piastri was born! – has still got it. The 42-year-old has been stunning for Aston Martin, four times starting from the front row, and taking seven podium finishes. Sits fifth in points, with 78% of Aston’s total.
Fernando Alonso
nominated for
International Racing Driver of the Year
Jake Dennis
The lanky Brit had already excelled in his first two seasons of Formula E with the Andretti team, but this year he cracked it and became electric world champion. With customer Porsche powertrains, he outdid the factory squad, with two race wins and no fewer than 11 podiums.
Jake Dennis
nominated for
International Racing Driver of the Year
Alex Palou
No wonder everybody wants to sign him! The Spaniard’s maiden title as an IndyCar sophomore had rather taken people aback in 2021. This year, he matured into a driver who was almost unbeatable mid-season with Chip Ganassi Racing. Five wins went his way in total.
Alex Palou
nominated for
International Racing Driver of the Year
Max Verstappen
The Red Bull superstar has been breaking almost every record in the books on his way to a dominant third F1 crown. His tally of 16 wins from 19 grands prix is extraordinary. The Dutchman’s solo points score is over 100 clear of Mercedes, Red Bull’s closest rival in the constructors’ table!
Max Verstappen
nominated for
International Racing Driver of the Year
International Competition Car of the Year
Open to cars competing in any class of international circuit racing or rallying
Ferrari 499P
Ferrari has claimed only one win from the six World Endurance Championship rounds held to date in 2023, but it was the big one: the Le Mans 24 Hours. On its debut season in the Hypercar ranks, the Prancing Horse came out on top in a thrilling battle against Toyota with the beautiful 499P.
Ferrari 499P
nominated for
International Competition Car of the Year
Jaguar I-Type 6
Jake Dennis may have won the title with customer Porsche power, but the car to beat in the first season of the Gen3 Formula E era was the Jaguar. Nick Cassidy, with the customer Envision team, pipped works driver Mitch Evans to runner-up; between them they won eight of the 16 races.
Jaguar I-Type 6
nominated for
International Competition Car of the Year
Red Bull RB19
Only at the Singapore GP – round 15 – did the wheels fall off the wagon of Red Bull’s quest to win every single race in an F1 season. The RB19, again using Honda-derived power, has to date won 18 of the 19 GPs, and claimed 12 poles. It hasn’t always been out-and-out quickest but is the best all-round.
Red Bull RB19
nominated for
International Competition Car of the Year
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
However hard Hyundai and the M-Sport Ford squad push, Toyota always seems a step ahead in the World Rally Championship. From the 12 rallies to have taken place so far, the Yaris has been taken to victory in eight of them by three different drivers. Another drivers’/manufacturers’ title double.
Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
nominated for
International Competition Car of the Year
International Rally Driver of the Year
Open to professional or semi-professional rally drivers in international events
Elfyn Evans
The Welshman is on course for his third WRC runner-up spot in four years. He’s been closer than he was in 2022 to Toyota team-mate Kalle Rovanpera, and two victories – in Croatia and Finland – have gone his way. Has finished all but two rallies in the top five this season to stay in the mix.
Elfyn Evans
nominated for
International Rally Driver of the Year
Sebastien Ogier
Another part-time campaign for the French eight-time world champion, who pops in from time to time to remind everyone how brilliant he is. This season he’s contested seven WRC rounds with Toyota, and has won three of them, including the Monte Carlo and Safari.
Sebastien Ogier
nominated for
International Rally Driver of the Year
Kalle Rovanpera
The Finnish sensation followed up becoming rallying’s youngest ever world champion by becoming its most youthful two-time title winner last month. The 23-year-old has won three times this season for Toyota, and has had another fantastic campaign to take his career wins tally to 11.
Kalle Rovanpera
nominated for
International Rally Driver of the Year
Ott Tanak
The 2019 world champion landed at the M-Sport Ford team for his one-year ‘sabbatical’ from Hyundai, and has absolutely starred. Two wins have gone his way – on the snow of Sweden and gravel of Chile – and he still has a chance to finish in the top three of the points with one rally to go.
Ott Tanak
nominated for
International Rally Driver of the Year
British Competition Driver of the Year
Open to British drivers competing in categories at international level
James Calado
With three GTE Pro crowns under his belt for Ferrari in the World Endurance Championship, he was justly rewarded with a seat in the marque’s AF Corse-run factory squad for its Hypercar bow. Victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours is the season’s standout moment, and he is part of the trio that lies third in the points.
James Calado
nominated for
British Competition Driver of the Year
Lewis Hamilton
The 2022 F1 season was a difficult one for the seven-time world champion, but he has bounced back this year with Mercedes. Pole position for the Hungarian GP was a highlight, and he has finished second four times – although he only got to keep three of them. Still got the fire.
Lewis Hamilton
nominated for
British Competition Driver of the Year
Lando Norris
The remarkable turnaround in fortunes for McLaren since the early stages of 2023 has allowed the popular Bristolian to rise to the fore. A remarkable run of six podiums in nine GPs propelled Norris to sixth in the points, with a top-four spot very much within sight.
Lando Norris
nominated for
British Competition Driver of the Year
George Russell
His maiden season with Mercedes in 2022 coincided with a downturn in the team’s form, but he still became a GP winner. This year he hasn’t come close to matching that, but is still neck-and-neck with team-mate Hamilton on qualifying stats and was third in Spain.
George Russell
nominated for
British Competition Driver of the Year
Rookie of the Year
Open to professional racing drivers in their first season in their respective categories
Gabriel Bortoleto
The Brazilian was sixth in Formula Regional European last year, and for 2023 graduated to FIA F3 along with the series’ top three. He leapfrogged them all with a stunning campaign with Trident, two wins and consistent form elsewhere giving him the title.
Gabriel Bortoleto
nominated for
Rookie of the Year
Liam Lawson
His form as a Super Formula rookie is fabulous in itself. His title fight with superstar team-mate Tomoki Nojiri and Toyota talent Ritomo Miyata means the Japanese cognoscenti will not have been surprised by his eye-opening F1 form on his five-race AlphaTauri shift.
Liam Lawson
nominated for
Rookie of the Year
Oscar Piastri
Who would have guessed that the Aussie would become an F1 race winner in his rookie season? OK, so the Qatar sprint, which he won from pole, wasn’t a full-fat GP, but he has been a sensation with McLaren. He’s also taken two GP podiums, with third at Suzuka and then second in Qatar.
Oscar Piastri
nominated for
Rookie of the Year
Logan Sargeant
The American took the fight to Piastri for the 2020 F3 title, and was pipped by one point by team-mate Lawson in F2 last year. It’s therefore a case of ‘what might be’ for him. Rookie F1 campaign with Williams, earned on merit, has been tough but he scored a maiden point at home.
Logan Sargeant
nominated for
Rookie of the Year
National Driver of the Year
Open to drivers racing in the BTCC, British GT or at FIA F3 level
Dan Harper
The BMW factory driver returned for his first full season of UK racing – in between his international commitments – since his Porsche Carrera Cup GB crown of 2019. With Century Motorsport’s M4 GT3, he snatched the British GT title at the last gasp with a brilliant comeback drive in the Donington Park finale.
Dan Harper
nominated for
National Driver of the Year
Tom Ingram
He had to hand over his British Touring Car crown to Ash Sutton, but was on top form throughout the season with his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai. Ingram scored just two race wins, but his consistent, ‘pointsy’ weekends kept the title fight against 12-time winner Sutton alive to the Brands Hatch finale.
Tom Ingram
nominated for
National Driver of the Year
Freddie Slater
Absolutely dominated the Ginetta Junior series in his first full season of car racing. Took 16 wins from 21 races before his 15th birthday, then upgraded his licence to compete in F4. Finished the year with strong showings in Britain and abroad, including a pole in the Euro 4 series.
Freddie Slater
nominated for
National Driver of the Year
Ash Sutton
Sledgehammered his way to his fourth BTCC title at the wheel of the much-improved Ford Focus from the Motorbase/Alliance squad. Many of his 12 race wins came via dominating from the front, but he also had his racecraft on display, with a 23rd-to-first charge at Silverstone.
Ash Sutton
nominated for
National Driver of the Year
