Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri win awards for stunning F1 2023 success with McLaren

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were among the winners at an awards ceremony on Sunday night in light of the team’s impressive F1 2023 season.

McLaren recovered from a slow start to 2023 to emerge as the closest threat to Max Verstappen’s dominant Red Bull team from the halfway stage of the campaign, with Norris and Piastri claiming nine podiums between them in the MCL60 car.

While Norris equalled his best F1 result of second on six occasions, debutant Piastri claimed two podium finishes in Japan and Qatar and registered a maiden F1 win in the Lusail sprint race.

McLaren drivers recognised for F1 2023 achievements

Both drivers were recognised at the Autosport Awards in London on Sunday night, with Norris named the British Competition of the Year award – seeing off Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as well as Le Mans-winning Ferrari star James Calado.

Several British F1 World Champions including Hamilton, Jenson Button, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill count among the previous winners of the award.

In a pre-recorded message, Norris – who also scooped the prize during his breakthrough F1 season in 2020 – said: “I want to say a big thank you to all the fans for voting for me.

“This has been my second time being able to accept this beautiful trophy. The first was during COVID in 2020, but I don’t really count that so this feels like my first.

“We’ve had a lot of trophies this year, with Silverstone feeling like the highlight, and that’s credit to the team for the turnaround they managed to perform.”

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Piastri was crowned the Rookie of the Year, previously won by Hamilton, Button, Verstappen, four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari star Charles Leclerc.

The Australian beat fellow F1 2023 debutants Logan Sargeant and Liam Lawson – as well as F3 title winner Gabriel Bortoleto – to the award.

In a separate message, he said: “Thank you very much to everyone who voted for me.

“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.”

The ceremony – much like the F1 2023 season itself – was largely dominated by Red Bull with Verstappen, team principal Christian Horner and the RB19 car all winning awards.

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