Our “old boy” Daniil Kvyat picked up two end-of-season prizes, both carrying the same title, namely Rookie of the Year. The Russian who switches to Infiniti Red Bull Racing next season first went to Qatar for Friday’s FIA Prize Giving Ceremony and from there, he headed to London and the Autosport Awards, organised by the eponymous magazine. It was a star studded night, with all the champions, from Formula 1, World Rally and World Endurance taking part, as well as the legendary NASCAR driver, Richard Petty who was given a special award. While the season was still active, Kvyat got similar rookie awards, in Brazil from the British F1 Racing magazine and in Abu Dhabi from Italy’s BlogF1.it.

Max Verstappen also attended both events: in Doha he was the recipient of a special award voted for on the FIA’s website by race fans, for the “FIA Action of the Year” which celebrated the most exciting bit of action from any form of motorsport. Our Dutch rookie took the trophy for his passing move on Antonio Giovanizzi in Race 2 at the Imola round of the European Formula 3 Championship (Photo from fiaf3europe.com).

Max arrived in Qatar after a trip here in Italy, with a short programme on-track at Imola in one of our 2012 cars, and a very long session at the simulator in Milton Keynes, England. It was a hectic time, as he too headed for London from Qatar, where, along with his 2015 team-mate, Carlos Sainz, he was asked up on stage as the two boys presented the awards in the rallying category.