Joseph Loake’s run of awards continued yesterday (Monday), as he was presented with the Chris Bristow Trophy at the British Racing Drivers’ Club Awards.
The prize is presented each year to the winner of the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, with Loake being the 34th recipient and following in the footsteps of drivers including David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Lando Norris and George Russell.
The GB3 race-winner was presented with the prize by BRDC vice-president and head of the Award judging panel Derek Warwick.
Afterwards, he reflected on his glittering 24 hours in London, and said: “I’m a little more calm now I would say! It’s not quite sunk in yet, it’s so incredible what has happened over the last month with everything that’s been going on with this incredible award.
“It felt like a dream almost yesterday, winning the Young Driver of the Year Award is just incredible.”
The 18-year-old from Macclesfield credited his family’s support as a massive part of his success.
“It’s the commitment, not only me but all my family have made. It’s been so tricky, we’ve come from quite a low background, I’ve never been pushed into anything and I just wanted to start racing.
“I started go karting and it was £100 a race weekend when I first started, I wish it was like that now! To come from where I’ve come from, the amount of commitment, time and sacrifice that my family have had to make for me, I guess times like this make it all worth it.
“It’s very important to me that they’re all part of the journey with me, I’m not doing it on my own, if it wasn’t for all of them, every single one of them, and not all of them are here today, so I can’t thank them all, but it’s all thanks to them.”
Loake will drive an Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 car as part of his prize package, which also includes £200,000, full BRDC membership, an Arai helmet and Jordan Bespoke personalised helmet bag.
Reflecting on the prize F1 test opportunity, Loake said: “It’s going to be an incredible experience, a boyhood dream. I look up to so many people that are in this room. It’s just incredible to think that I’m going to get that opportunity. I’m still trying to process it in my head.”
