Ross Brawn to Receive Autosport Gold Medal at 2026 Awards

Legendary F1 figure Ross Brawn will be honored with the prestigious Autosport Gold Medal at the 2026 Autosport Awards this January, recognizing his unparalleled four-decade career that fundamentally shaped modern Formula 1. The award celebrates his journey from championship-winning engineer to mastermind team principal and influential architect of the sport's current regulations.

Why it matters:

The Autosport Gold Medal, previously awarded to icons like Jean Todt and Sir Jackie Stewart, honors enduring legacy. Brawn's career is a unique tapestry of technical genius, strategic leadership, and historic against-the-odds success, making him one of the most influential non-drivers in F1 history. His recognition underscores the profound impact individuals behind the scenes have on the sport's competitive and cultural evolution.

The details:

• Brawn's influence spans defining eras: he engineered Michael Schumacher's first titles at Benetton, masterminded Ferrari's dominant early-2000s reign, and then achieved the ultimate sporting fairytale by winning both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships with his own Brawn GP team in its only season in 2009.
• Beyond team success, he played a pivotal role in shaping F1's current regulatory framework and future direction, influencing the sport's competitive balance and technical philosophy long after his active team management ended.
• The award incorporates the Gregor Grant Award, honoring the founder of Autosport magazine and the publication's core values.

The big picture:

Brawn's award is part of a broader celebration of motorsport's ecosystem at the Autosport Awards. The event also revealed nominees for business-focused categories, highlighting the commercial and promotional engine driving the sport forward.

• Brand Partnership of the Year nominees include high-profile alliances like Elemis with Aston Martin, Marriott Bonvoy with Mercedes, and the landmark Ford and Red Bull Racing technical partnership.
• Promoter of the Year contenders, such as the Miami, Las Vegas, and British Grands Prix, reflect the global push to enhance live fan experiences, with 41% of surveyed non-attendee fans expressing intent to attend a race in the future.
• Pioneering & Innovation nominees spotlight initiatives like the female driver development program More than Equal and the autonomous racing series A2RL, pointing to the technological and social frontiers of motorsport.

What's next:

Ross Brawn will receive the Gold Medal at the 38th Autosport Awards ceremony at London's Roundhouse on January 21, 2026. The event, which also features fan-voted categories, continues to serve as a key annual barometer of achievement and a gathering point for the industry's leading figures.