Lewis Hamilton has been presented with the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy for the 11th time.
The trophy is named after Mike Hawthorn, Britain’s first world champion, who claimed the title for Ferrari in 1958.
Hawthorn lost his life in January of the following year in a traffic accident at the age of 29.
Since its inception, the trophy has been awarded annually to the most successful British or Commonwealth driver in Formula 1.
“It is a great pleasure for Motorsport UK to present the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy to Lewis for an eleventh time, an extension of his already record-breaking run in its prestigious history,” said Hugh Chambers, Motorsport UK’s CEO.
“2021 was another standout year in Lewis’ story. On track, Lewis and Max [Verstappen] thrilled audiences worldwide with one of the standout rivalries in Formula 1 history, and a championship battle that went right down to the wire.
“Either would have been a very deserving world champion on the night.
“Off track, Lewis continues to be a fantastic ambassador for the sport, and the United Kingdom.
“He continues to be a passionate ambassador for societal issues, using his platform to enact positive change in the world around him.
“It was only fitting that, last year, he was recognised by Her Majesty the Queen with a knighthood for his achievements.
“Motorsport UK is proud to recognise those achievements further still with this award, and we wish him all the best for the remainder of the 2022 season.”
Hamilton was named the 2021 award winner at Motorsport UK’s Night of Champions in Pall Mall earlier this year, but was only presented the trophy this weekend.
Across the 61 years of the trophy’s history, 19 different drivers have won the honour and on 24 of those occasions the recipient was also world champion in the same year.
Previous winners of the award include Sir Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Jim Clark, Sir Jackie Stewart, Alan Jones, Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve, and Jenson Button.
After Hamilton, Mansell is the next most successful recipient, receiving the trophy on seven occasions.