JOSEPH LOAKE NAMED 2023 ASTON MARTIN AUTOSPORT BRDC YOUNG DRIVER OF THE YEAR

Joseph Loake was named this year’s Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award (AMABA) winner, at the magazine’s awards ceremony at JW Marriott Grosvenor House, on London’s Park Lane.

The 18-year-old had been in the GB3 Championship title fight right down to the final weekend of the season, having achieved four race victories.  By winning AMABA, his prize includes £200,000, a test drive in an Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 car, an Arai helmet, a Jordan Bespoke personalised helmet bag, and Full Membership of the British Racing Drivers’ Club.

He managed to withstand strong opposition from fellow Finalists Taylor Barnard, Arvid Lindblad and Callum Voisin, in a variety of tasks which formulated the assessment.  These consisted of a simulator assessment with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, driving a MotorSport Vision Formula 2 car, a Beechdean Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT3, and a United Autosports Ligier JS-P320 LMP3 car on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, and completing fitness tests with Athletic Thinking.

The four drivers were judged by ex-F1 driver and BRDC Vice President Derek Warwick, Dario Franchitti MBE, Mark Williams, Leena Gade, Darren Turner, Andrew Kirkaldy, Alexander Sims, Ian Titchmarsh, Kevin Turner, and Johnny Herbert.

Joseph joins an illustrious list of previous winners, which includes BRDC President David Coulthard MBE, Jenson Button MBE, George Russell, Lando Norris, and Anthony Davidson, amongst others, to become the 34th recipient of the Award.

Joseph Loake

“I am speechless, I honestly cannot believe it.  This is the best thing I’ve received in my life.  Thank you to everyone for helping me and sticking by me.  I cannot believe it.  I cannot put it into words, the whole way through the event, the fitness test, the simulator test, and the full track test, it was so rugged.  I am so thankful for this.

“It has been an incredible season for me, I wasn’t expecting it, and hopefully next year I can make a step towards Formula 3.  My family have been there from start to finish; they are the ones who took this chubby kid from karting to win this.  I cannot believe it.”

*Quote courtesy of Autosport / Kevin Turner