Annual Awards
Each year, the BRDC celebrates the considerable success achieved by drivers and teams with the BRDC Awards. The most coveted of these is the Gold Star, Silver Star and Gold Medal, but there are also 23 other awards to be won and are decided upon by the results of BRDC Full Members, BRDC SuperStars, BRDC Rising Stars, and in some cases non-members, throughout the season as you will see in their descriptions below.
Gold Star
The BRDC Gold Star dates back to 1929. It is a unique award that is presented annually to the winner of the Gold Star Points Table made up from results in International races. The Gold Star points scoring system pits the very best against each other, regardless of what they are driving or where they are racing. The BRDC Gold Star roll of honour is a Who’s Who of the BRDC and, therefore, of course international motor sport.Qualifying races are only those which qualify towards Membership of the BRDC and are listed in a matrix of qualifying championships agreed annually by the Club Board.
2023 winner: Harry King
Silver Star
Although the Gold Star is regarded as the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s pre-eminent award for success in International races, the Silver Star, first introduced in 1977 and awarded to the BRDC Member who has been the most successful at the highest level in National racing, is much sought after by Touring Car and GT 3 drivers. Silver Star points are scored in British national championship motor races, whether they take place in the UK or overseas.
2023 winner: Ash Sutton
Special Gold Star
Awarded at the discretion of the Board for an outstanding achievement in motor sport by a BRDC Member, in this case for winning the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Championship.
2023: Jake Dennis (ABB FIA Formula E Championship) and Brendon Hartley (FIA World Endurance Championship)
BRDC President's Award
Awarded at the discretion of the President of the BRDC in recognition of an outstanding achievement.
2023: Christian Horner OBE
The Bruce McLaren Trophy
Awarded to the BRDC Member from the Commonwealth who has established the most meritorious performances in international racing. Named after Bruce McLaren (1937-1970), engineer and racing driver contesting 101 Grand Prix, winning four times – and founder of the McLaren Racing team.
2023 winner: Oscar Piastri
The Chris Bristow Trophy
Awarded to the winner of the BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award. Chris Bristow was a natural talent whose potential was tragically not realised when he lost his life in an accident during the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in 1960.
2023 winner: Joseph Loake
The Colin Chapman Trophy
A special BRDC Award presented to an individual who has shown great team spirit – a driver, engineer, team owner etc. Engineer, designer and racing driver, Colin Chapman was the founder of Lotus cars and Team Lotus – a team that won seven Constructors’ titles, six Drivers’ championships and scored 73 Grand Prix victories.
2023 winner: Richard Dutton
The John Cooper Trophy
Awarded to the highest placed British or Commonwealth driver in the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
2023 winner: Zak O'Sullivan
The Earl Howe Trophy
Awarded to a BRDC Member for the most outstanding performance of the year in Historic racing. Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, officer, MP, driver, Le Mans winner and co-founder of the BRDC was the Club’s President from 1928-1964.
2023 winner: Andy Priaulx MBE
The ERA Club Trophy
Awarded to the British driver who, driving a British car, established the most meritorious performance of the year outside the UK. English Racing Automobiles (ERA) were an iconic British marque which led the British challenge on the international scene during the immediate pre- and post-war period.
2023 winner: Ian James
The Fairfield Trophy
Awarded for an outstanding performance by a BRDC Member. Pat Fairfield was a highly-regarded driver of the pre-war era, scoring many victories at home and abroad – notably in an ERA. Fairfield lost his life in an accident during the 1937 Le Mans 24-Hour Race.
2023 winner: Ash Sutton
The Graham Hill Trophy
Awarded to the British driver with the most meritorious performance in single-seater racing. Graham Hill is the only driver to win the ‘triple crown’ that includes the F1 World Championship, the Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24-Hour Race. He retired from racing in 1975 to run his own F1 team, only to lose his life in an air accident in November that year.
2023 winner: Jake Dennis
The Innes Ireland Trophy
Awarded to the individual(s) who best displayed the qualities of courage and sportsmanship epitomised by the late Innes Ireland. A former President of the BRDC, Innes was a Grand Prix and Sportscar driver. He notably scored the first Grand Prix success for Team Lotus at the US Grand Prix in 1961, and contested fifty Grand Prix races.
2023 winner: Jonathan Lewis
The John Cobb Memorial Trophy
Awarded to a British driver, driving a British car, who has achieved outstanding success. John Rhodes Cobb was a land speed record holder – reaching a speed of 394 mph – and the fastest man to lap the Brooklands Outer Circuit in the legendary Napier-Railton. He lost his life in an attempt on the world water speed record in 1952 on the waters of Loch Ness.
2023 winner: Lando Norris
The Johnny Wakefield Trophy
Awarded to the driver setting the fastest race lap of the season on the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit. Johnny Wakefield was hugely successful during the pre-war period at tracks such as Brooklands and Donington Park, winning the BRDC Gold Star for his performances during the 1939 season. He lost his life, at the controls of a Spitfire, during World War II.
2023 winner: Max Verstappen
The Nigel Moores Trophy
Awarded to the private entrant who has established the most meritorious performance(s) in international motor racing. Nigel Moores was a Jaguar enthusiast and gentleman racer of much repute. Moores’ collection of Jaguar cars were hugely successful on race tracks around Britain and in Europe.
2023 winner: Not Awarded
The Silverstone - Le Mans Challenge
Awarded to the driver(s) who achieved the highest combined finishing record in combined results of the Silverstone Le Mans Series race and the Le Mans 24-Hours.
2023 winner: Not Awarded
The Sir Jackie Stewart Award
Awarded to a motor sport engineer who has shown brilliance during the course of the season. Three-time F1 World Champion and a former BRDC President, Sir Jackie is now a true ambassador for British motor sport – and as a 27-time Grand Prix winner his record speaks for itself.
2023 winner: Ben Waterhouse
The Woolf Barnato Trophy
Awarded to the highest-placed finishing British and/or Commonwealth driver, in a British car, in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race. Three times winner at Le Mans, Joel Woolf Barnato was one of the original BRDC-founding Bentley Boys. He was also the driver who famously beat ‘Le Train Bleu’ in the car-versus-train race from Cannes to London.
2023 winner: Charlie Eastwood
The ACO Plate
Presented on behalf of our friends at the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the Award is presented to the highest-placed British driver finishing the Le Mans 24-Hour Race. The ACO are famously known as the organisers of this legendary endurance challenge.
2023 winner: James Calado
The Henry Surtees Award
Awarded annually for the most outstanding performance by a BRDC Rising Star.
2023 winner: Louis Sharp
The Jim Clark Trophy
Awarded to the winner of the GB3 Championship partnered by the BRDC.
2023 winner: Callum Voisin
The Richard Seaman Trophy
Awarded to the best placed BRDC Member in the Gold Star points table who competes in racing outside of Formula One.
2023 winner: Harry King
The Special Achievement Award
Awarded at the discretion of the BRDC Board in recognition of a special achievement in motor sport.
2023: Nick Adams
Gold Medal
The BRDC Gold Medal has only been awarded on fourteen occasions since it was instigated in 1996 and, for the first time, 2008 saw one of its previous winners awarded with an unprecedented second accolade. Ron Dennis CBE was awarded the Club’s Gold Medal thirteen years ago in recognition of his outstanding commitment to motor sport and its future. Amongst other significant achievements, the Club wished to recognise the foresight shown to seek out and nurture the outstanding talent of the then new British World Champion, arguably one of the finest drivers ever to have graced the sport. The very same driver supported by Ron all those years ago, Sir Lewis Hamilton MBE, is the most recent recipient of the BRDC Gold Medal to recognise his remarkable achievement of surpassing 100 Grand Prix victories.
2023: Not Awarded
The Spencer Charrington Trophy
Awarded to the highest-placed British driver in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. Spencer Charrington was an MP at the turn of the twentieth century, whose family later had links to motor racing and the BRDC.
2023 winner: Not Awarded
