Jason Somerville, Head of Aerodynamics at Formula 1 is this year’s winner of the Dino Toso Racecar Aerodynamicist of the Year. The honour was conferred yesterday in London at the World Motorsport Symposium, for the work done by Jason, in conjunction with the Formula 1 and FIA Technical Departments, in establishing the Formula 1 Regulations due to be introduced for the start of the 2021 season and approved on 31^st October by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

 “We are very pleased that Jason has received this prestigious recognition, which is a well deserved reward for all the work he and his colleagues have done over the past two years,” commented Ross Brawn, Managing Director, Motorsport. “The award not only recognises Jason’s undoubted talent but also the effectiveness of the work carried out here at Formula 1 and at the FIA, working together on this new project to define the regulations that will apply to the pinnacle of motorsport in the future. For the first time in the history of Formula 1, the regulations have been drawn up not just based on theoretical work. They have also been subjected to a precise and scientific test programme, using the most advanced computational fluid dynamics analytical tools, as well as undergoing a lengthy wind tunnel evaluation. Apart from confirming the merit of Jason’s work, I believe this award also shows that motorsport’s scientific community, as well as the fans, appreciate what we are doing to make Formula 1 ever more spectacular and exciting.”

The World Motorsport Symposium awards were first introduced in 2005 when Ulrich Baretzky and the late Dino Toso walked away from the inaugural Symposium as winners of the two prestigious awards that recognised their talent in the motorsport world. Baretzky won the race engine designer of the year trophy for his work on the Audi V8 engine that took its sixth successive victory in the Le Mans 24 hour race that year as well as its sixth American Le Mans Series manufactures title. Toso won the Racecar Aerodynamicist prize for leading his team at Renault in a year that saw the R24 score eight race victories and secure for the team the Formula One Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships. 

 The following year the Most Innovative New Motorsport Product award was introduced and awarded to Deutsch UK for its groundbreaking double density connectors.  Since then these three awards have continued to grow in their importance and prestige having been awarded to the likes of Adrian Newey, former Chief Technology Officer of Red Bull Racing, Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrain and companies such Performance Friction, Millers Oils, Bosch Motorsport and Flybrid Systems for their Most Innovative products, who have all felt honoured to receive them.