Opinion: Kevin Turner
Our Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award judge explains how the 2019 contest was won
“He demonstrated adaptability in all circumstances, which should stand him in good stead”
Speed. There are many attributes that a successful modern racing driver needs, but it’s clear that they won’t get far if they’re not fast. That’s why pace remains the single most important factor in the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. Plenty of elements are assessed, from fitness to simulator work via the finalists’ ability to work within a team.
They are useful for feedback and to separate really close contests, but can’t overcome a lap time advantage.
Judging that isn’t always as clear-cut as you might think, particularly when assessing four finalists across three different cars, but there’s normally enough running around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit for a clear pattern to emerge. Having four identical Motorsport Vision Formula 2 cars on track at the same time also makes comparisons easier – before 2010 the finalists normally had to share a pair of F3 machines.
Johnathan Hoggard won more races, set more poles and scored more fastest laps than anyone else during the 2019 BRDC British F3 campaign, so the signs of raw speed were already there when this year’s testing process began. Hoggard – who was up against fellow BRDC British F3 frontrunner Ayrton Simmons, Japanese F3 race winner Enaam Ahmed and W Series champion Jamie Chadwick – immediately impressed in both the simulator and fitness tests at Red Bull before the on-track work at Silverstone in October.
His attitude and preparation indicated he had several of the attributes the judges want to see and he carried that on driving the F2, Garage 59-run Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and Ligier LMP3 cars. Whether it was on old tyres, new tyres, with or without F2 overboost, in the dry or in the wet, he was consistently fast. He gave both benchmark drivers, 1996 Award winner Darren Turner (in the Aston Martin) and 2008 Award winner Alexander Sims (in the Ligier), something to think about, actually beating the target time in one of the sessions. Given the relatively limited running the finalists had in the Aston and Ligier, that’s seriously impressive.
Part of the reason Hoggard managed that was his willingness to push for answers. At one point, Sims was called back from his viewing point at Brooklands because Hoggard wanted to find out more before going out in the Ligier. It’s a proactive approach that is reminiscent of George Russell’s pursuit of Williams when he was trying to break into F1. “The person that did the best was the person who asked the most questions beforehand, ”confirms judge and Aston Martin factory driver Turner. “johnathan showed very, very strong consistency. The ambient temperature was quite cold for the Aston Martin runs. The tyres came out of the oven and then dropped away and then plateaued, so the best lap was generally at the beginning of the run. He understood that and managed it. Once the tyres plateaued he didn’t overdrive it.”
With most modern series having severely restricted running, being able to get on the pace quickly in any given car has also become a key strength. Hoggard demonstrated his adaptability in all circumstances, which should stand him in good stead for the future. It continues an Award trend: the fastest driver in the F2 is usually the driver who impresses in the roofed machinery, which takes the finalists outside of their comfort zones.
Although not necessary for Award success, it’s also nice to see a standout run during the two days. Jenson Button in the Nissan Super Tourer in 1998, Sims in the DTM Mercedes in 2008 and
Dan Ticktum in a drying F2 session in 2017 are among the best examples, and Hoggard provided another. His relentless speed in wet conditions in the F2 pursuit was very impressive, and provided the icing on the cake to an all-round performance that made him the 2019 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year.
Finding that young British talent is one of the key reasons
Aston Martin became involved in the Award this year. “what’s the all-important part of racing?” said Aston Martin president and group CEO Andy Palmer recently. “the hero is the driver, so we have a responsibility in developing our own drivers.”
The big question is: can Hoggard make it to F1? Most Award winners have become professional racing drivers, but reaching the pinnacle is influenced by so many different factors beyond a driver’s basic ability. Some Award winners should have made it but didn’t, such as 2011 winner Oliver Rowland, while others, including Russell (2014) and Lando Norris (2016), rightly got to F1 and immediately made an impact. There’s also the amount of experience winners had at the time they scooped the Award. Norris, for example, had many more miles under his belt when he won than Hoggard has now.
Hoggard’s 2020 programme has yet to be decided – as he said, “you never know what opportunities can open up” after winning the Award – but he should remain on the single-seater ladder. The next year or two will be crucial in how far he can go, but he deserves the chance to find out, and earned his £200,000, Red Bull F1 test and Aston Martin GTE run in impressive style.