SECOND SUCCESSIVE McLAREN AUTOSPORT BRDC AWARD
SHOOT-OUT FOR MORRIS
Multiple
motor racing champion
Seb Morris has been
named one of the six finalists for the 2014 McLaren
Autosport BRDC Award – the
Welsh racing
driver’s second consecutive appearance in the annual
shoot-out for the prestigious accolade.
Renowned as the most admired and respected award of its
kind, the yearly contest brings together six of Britain’s
most highly-rated young single-seater racers to battle it
out for a sensational prize package which includes a
£100,000 cash purse and a test drive in a McLaren Formula
One car.
18-year-old Seb, who finished third overall in his first
season in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup
(NEC) this year and who last week confirmed he will make his
GP3 Series test debut at the end of November with Status
Grand Prix, is thrilled to have been selected as a finalist
for the second time in as many years.
“It really is fantastic to be nominated as a finalist
again”, he commented, “We've had a strong second half of the
year in [Formula Renault] NEC and it's nice my raw speed has
been noticed, I always said a strong second half of the
season would be important and that’s what we achieved.
"Last year's Award tests were fantastic, I really enjoyed
all of the different challenges and it showed me how hard
I’ll need to push this time around. I know what to expect
now and I think I am better prepared for faster cars, such
as the DTM Mercedes. It’s going to be an amazing experience
again and I intend to make the absolute most of it.”
Previously won by some of the biggest names from British
motor racing, including 2009 FIA Formula One World Champion
Jenson Button, former Grand Prix racer David Coulthard and
four-time IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti, the McLaren
Autosport BRDC Award was established in 1989.
As during the 2013 staging of the final shoot-out, the six
finalists will again be put through their paces at
Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit in Northamptonshire. Each
driver will be assessed at the wheel of a Formula 2
single-seater, a DTM Mercedes touring car and a McLaren GT3
sportscar.
Aside from the on-track assessments, the competitors will
also be interviewed by a judging panel which will include
British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) President Derek Warwick,
double British Touring Car Champion Jason Plato, former GT
racer Andrew Kirkaldy, McLaren head of vehicle engineering
Mark Williams, commentator Ian Titchmarsh and Motorsport
News editor Kevin Turner.
The winner of this year’s McLaren Autosport BRDC Award will
be announced at the annual Autosport Awards evening in
central London in early December. In addition to his role
with the Caterham Racing Academy, Seb is a Jack Wills ‘Young
Briton’, TAG Heuer ambassador, Oxford Vaughan ambassador and
is also supported by the Elite Cymru programme.
