GREGOR GRANT AWARD
Six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx was one of the stars of the show at the Autosport Awards as he collected a Gregor Grant trophy to celebrate a lifetime of achievement in motorsport.
The eight-time grand prix winner was handed the award by Tom Kristensen, the man who finally eclipsed Ickx’s win record at La Sarthe.
The Belgian said. “It was nice to drive for John Surtees, Bruce Mclaren and Jackie Stewart, who gave me my first lesson. Safety in those years... you could not leave home on Friday and be sure that you would be back the next Monday.”
Two-time F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen was also honoured with a Gregor Grant trophy on the 20th anniversary of his first title with the Mclaren team. He retired from racing after competing in the DTM from 2005 through to 2007.
GT sportscar racing guru Stephane Ratel was recognised for his contribution to long-distance motorsport with a Gregor Grant accolade.
His Stephane Ratel Organisation runs the Blancpain GT Series, the Intercontinental GT Challenge and the British GT Championship among many other series.
He began his career with the BPR Endurance Series before branching out on his own in the mid-1990s.