Members of the public are invited to nominate drivers for the award and a shortlist of six finalists is decided upon by the award's judging panel. The finalists then spend two or three days at a British circuit in mid-November driving different types of car to evaluate their performance as well as interview sessions with the panel. The winner is announced at the annual Autosport Awards in early December.
Year |
Winner |
Career highlights |
Current status |
Losing Finalists |
1989 |
David Coulthard |
British FFord champion (1989)
British F3 2nd place (1991)
F3000 3rd place (1993)
F1 (1994–2008), 13 wins
DTM (2010–2012) |
Television pundit with the BBC
Consultant to Red Bull Racing |
no shootout
chosen by Autosport |
1990 |
Gareth Rees |
Marlboro Masters F3 winner (1994)
British F2 winner (1996) |
Commentator with Eurosport |
Philip Bate
Steve Brogan
David Cuff
Shaun Nicholson
James Rhodes |
1991 |
Oliver Gavin |
British F3 champion (1995)
F1 test driver (Pacific, Benetton)
Four-time class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans |
ALMS with Chevrolet |
Dario Franchitti
Jonathan McGall
Dino Morelli
Guy Smith
Jamie Spence |
1992 |
Dario Franchitti |
British FVauxhall champion (1993)
CART runner-up (1999)
Indianapolis 500 Winner (2007, 2010, 2012)
IndyCar Series champion (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) |
Consultant with Chip Ganassi Racing
Formula E commentator |
Paul Evans
Ralph Firman
Jonny Kane
Martin O'Connell
Brian Saunders |
1993 |
Ralph Firman |
British F3 champion (1996)
Formula Nippon champion (2002)
Jordan F1 driver (2003) |
Super GT with ARTA |
Darren Malkin
Darren Manning
James Matthews
Guy Smith
Jamie Spence |
1994 |
Jamie Davies |
F3000 4th place (1997)
British GT champion (2002)
GTS class winner at 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans Series champion (2004)
2nd place at 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans |
|
Alex Deighton
Peter Dumbreck
Jonny Kane
James Matthews
Richard Westbrook |
1995 |
Jonny Kane |
British FVauxhall champion (1996)
British F3 champion (1997)
LMP2 class-winner at 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans |
Le Mans Series with Strakka Racing |
Wayne Douglas
Marc Hynes
Kevin McGarrity
Guy Smith
Justin Wilson |
1996 |
Darren Turner |
Formula Renault UK runner-up (1996)
DTM (2000–2001)
BTCC (2006–2008) |
FIA World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin Racing |
David Cook
Peter Dumbreck
Darren Malkin
Tim Mullen
Dan Wheldon |
1997 |
Andrew Kirkaldy |
British FVauxhall runner-up (1997)
British GT champion (2005) |
Team manager of CRS Racing |
Matt Davies
Marc Hynes
Leighton Walker
Dan Wheldon
Adam Wilcox |
1998 |
Jenson Button |
British FFord champion (1998)
F1 (2000–present), World Champion (2009) |
Formula One with McLaren |
Doug Bell
Matt Davies
Robbie Kerr
James Pickford
Justin Wilson |
1999 |
Gary Paffett |
British FVauxhall champion (1999)
German F3 champion (2002)
DTM champion (2005) |
DTM with HWA Team |
Westley Barber
Ryan Dalziel
Richard Lyons
Craig Murray
Leighton Walker |
2000 |
Anthony Davidson |
British FFord champion (2000)
British F3 runner-up (2001)
BAR/Honda F1 test driver (2001–2006)
F1 with Super Aguri-Honda (2007–2008)
World Endurance Champion (2014) |
Commentator for Sky Sports F1
FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota |
Ryan Dalziel
Matt Gilmore
Derek Hayes
Robbie Kerr
Mark Taylor |
2001 |
Steven Kane |
Northern Irish FFord champion (2000)
British F3 Scholarship class runner-up (2002)
Spanish F3 3rd place (2004) |
American Le Mans Series with Dyson Racing |
Carl Breeze
Matt Gilmore
Robbie Kerr
Simon Pullan
Danny Watts |
2002 |
Jamie Green |
British F3 runner-up (2003)
Formula 3 Euro Series champion (2004)
DTM (8 wins, 3rd in 2012) |
DTM with Team Rosberg |
Westley Barber
Adam Carroll
Dan Eagling
Christian England
Danny Watts |
2003 |
Alex Lloyd |
Formula Renault UK runner-up (2003)
12 overall IPS wins
Indy Pro Series champion (2007)
4th in 2010 Indianapolis 500
|
|
Ben Clucas
Tom Kimber-Smith
James Rossiter
Ryan Sharp
Susie Stoddart |
2004 |
Paul di Resta |
Formula Renault UK, 3rd place (2004)
Formula 3 Euro Series champion (2006)
DTM runner-up (2008)
DTM champion (2010) |
DTM with HWA Team |
Tim Bridgman
Mike Conway
Jonathan Kennard
Scott Mansell
Susie Stoddart |
2005 |
Oliver Jarvis |
Formula Renault UK champion (2005)
Macau Grand Prix winner (2007)
DTM (3 podiums)
2013 12 Hours of Sebring overall winner
2013 24 Hours of Daytona GT class winner
3rd overall in 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans |
FIA World Endurance Championship with Audi |
Sam Bird
Joey Foster
James Jakes
Joe Tandy
Duncan Tappy |
2006 |
Oliver Turvey |
British Formula BMW runner-up (2006)
British F3 runner-up (2008)
McLaren Formula One test driver
LMP2 class winner - Le Mans 24hr (2014) |
Blancpain Endurance Series with McLaren GT |
Jon Barnes
Sam Bird
Nathan Freke
Jeremy Metcalfe
Oliver Oakes |
2007 |
Stefan Wilson |
Formula Palmer Audi runner-up (2007)
3rd in 2011 Indy Lights |
- |
Henry Arundel
Callum MacLeod
Dean Smith
Nick Tandy
Duncan Tappy |
2008 |
Alexander Sims |
Formula Renault UK runner-up (2008) |
|
Wayne Boyd
Adam Christodoulou
Jason Moore
Aaron Steele
Dean Stoneman |
2009 |
Dean Smith |
Formula BMW UK champion (2005)
Formula Renault UK champion (2009) |
|
James Calado
Adam Christodoulou
James Cole
Callum MacLeod
Chrissy Palmer |
2010 |
Lewis Williamson |
Formula Renault UK runner-up (2010) |
|
Luciano Bacheta
Tom Blomqvist
Jack Harvey
Scott Malvern
Nigel Moore |
2011 |
Oliver Rowland |
Formula Renault UK runner-up (2011)
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 runner-up (2013) |
Formula Renault 3.5 with Fortec Motorsport |
Emil Bernstorff
Tom Blomqvist
Alex Lynn
Scott Malvern
Dino Zamparelli |
2012 |
Jake Dennis |
Intersteps champion (2011)
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC champion (2012) |
FIA European Formula Three Championship with Prema Powerteam |
Jack Hawksworth
Josh Hill
Jordan King
Melville McKee
Josh Webster |
2013 |
Matt Parry |
Intersteps champion (2012)
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC champion (2013) |
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 with Fortec Motorsport |
Jack Aitken
Jake Hughes
Chris Middlehurst
Seb Morris
Charlie Robertson |
2014 |
George Russell |
BRDC Formula 4 champion (2014) |
FIA European Formula Three Championship with Carlin Motorsport |
Alexander Albon
Ben Barnicoat
Sennan Fielding
Seb Morris
Harrison Scott |
2015 |
Will Palmer |
BRDC Formula 4 champion (2015) |
BRDC Formula 4 with HHC Motorsport |
Jack Aitken
Ben Barnicoat
Ricky Collard
Jake Hughes
Toby Sowery |