Oscar Piastri named Autosport’s Rookie of the Year Award

The 22-year-old Australian, who finished ninth in the championship after taking a sprint win in Qatar, also took the accolade in 2020 (for his F3 season) and 2021 (F2), making him the first three-time winner of the Award.

Autosport readers voted Piastri the best rookie of 2023, ahead of fellow F1 driver Logan Sargeant, Super Formula runner-up and AlphaTauri stand-in Liam Lawson, and F3 champion Gabriel Bortoleto.

Piastri’s success was announced on 3 December at the Autosport Awards at Grosvenor House on Park Lane.

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen appeared on stage to present the award, with Piastri accepting via a pre-recorded video message. 

"Thank you very much to everyone who voted for me," said Piastri. "It's been a remarkable year after such a great turnaround for the team after a tough start, culminating in the sprint victory in Qatar."

Previous winners of the award, which is open to professional racing drivers in their first season in their respective categories, include Jenson Button, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

Other categories decided by fan voting include International Racing Driver of the Year presented by Pirelli, British Competition Driver of the Year, Rally Driver of the Year, International Competition Car of the Year and National Driver of the Year.

Further awards, decided by expert judging panels, include the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, the Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award, the Autosport Gold Medal incorporating the Gregor Grant Award for lifetime legacy, the John Bolster Trophy for technical achievement, the Pioneering and Innovation Award, Moment of the Year, and Promoter of the Year. A new award for 2023 is Brand Partnership of the Year.

To find out who our other Award winners are, go to autosport.com/awards