Autosport Awards: Leclerc named Rookie of the year
New Sauber Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc was presented with the Richard Mille Rookie of the Year award at the 2017 Autosport Awards after his dominant run to the F2 title.
Photo by: FIA Formula 2
Monegasque Leclerc was the class of the F2 field in his debut season in the F1 feeder category and racked up seven wins across the year.
He also achieved eight qualifying pole positions - no other driver managed more than one - and four fastest laps with the Prema Racing team in its second year in the category, and wrapped up the drivers’ crown at the standalone F2/GP3 event at Jerez in early October.
His impressive form earned him first practice outings for Sauber at four grands prix towards the end of the year, and Leclerc was announced as one of the squad's drivers for the 2018 F1 season alongside Marcus Ericsson on Saturday.
The award was presented to Leclerc by F1 CEO Chase Carey.
"Coming into 2017 I didn't expect a season like that," said Leclerc. "Formula 2 is a very competitive series and for rookies its very hard because the Pirelli tyre is a hard one to learn.
"It's a hard rookie season and to top it off with F1 [graduation] is amazing."
McLaren's two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso was among the other nominees for the award, after making his debut at the Indianapolis 500 in May.
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Hamilton secures BTCC return with Team Hard
Ekstrom joins Cupra for first Pure ETCR season
The driver who gained most from F1's famous farce
Leclerc: Sainz simply doing a better job in recent F1 races
What's been going wrong for Leclerc in F1's tiny margins qualifying game
Red Bull’s F1 advantage may be wiped away by Ferrari upgrades, says Sainz
Surging Chase Briscoe says a win "is right around the corner"
How MotoGP brakes work: Secrets of stopping a 220mph bike
Hyundai enacts contingency plan after WRC Kenya fuel issue
2024 NASCAR Talladega schedule, entry list, and how to watch
How motorsport is embracing the opportunities of AI
Our writers' most memorable moments of 2023
How a lost Lotus that could have revolutionised Can-Am finally came to life
The contrasts that unite the brilliance of racing in Macau and Las Vegas
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments