Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and 2015 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race winner Juan Pablo Montoya are among the nominees in the International Racing Driver of the Year category of the Autosport Awards.
The awards in 12 categories – eight voted on by Autosport subscribers online and four selected by magazine staff and competition judges -- will be presented Dec. 6 during an international motorsports gala in London. The Autosport Awards have been presented since 1982.
Dixon, who earned his fourth Verizon IndyCar Series title, also was nominated for International Racing Driver of the Year following his 2013 championship season.
The driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and Montoya tied on points through 16 rounds of the season on the most diverse set of racetracks in auto racing. Dixon prevailed on the first tiebreaker – three victories to Montoya’s two.
Montoya opened the season with a victory in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and also prevailed by 0.1046 of a second over Team Penske teammate Will Power in a thrilling Indianapolis 500 finish.
Montoya, the 1999 Indy car champion and 2000 Indy 500 winner, returned to Indy car racing in 2014 with Team Penske after six seasons competing in F1 and seven seasons in NASCAR. Montoya was the 2003 recipient of the International Racing Driver of the Year award (victories in the Monaco Grand Prix and German Grand Prix for Williams-BMW; third place in driver championship).
“It really is an honor to be nominated for International Racing Driver of the Year by Autosport, along with Scott Dixon,” said Montoya, whose bas relief image on the Borg-Warner Trophy will be unveiled Dec. 9. “I think it continues to show that this No. 2 Verizon/PPG/Hawk Performance Chevrolet team had an amazing year in 2015. Unfortunately, we could not close it out with the Verizon IndyCar Series title, but we gave Roger Penske his 16th Indianapolis 500 trophy and that means a lot to me.
“This team continues to get better and I am confident that our best racing is ahead of us.”
Lewis Hamilton, who has wrapped up his third Formula One title, and Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg join F1 veteran Sebastian Vettel (a four-time winner in the category) and 2015 GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne as the other nominees. Hamilton won the 2014 award in the category, in which Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power was a nominee.
“It’s obviously a prestigious award. You always want to win those, but there’s such great competition,” said Dixon, who fifth on the all-time Indy car win list with 42. “To be recognized in any award format is nice, and maybe one day we can win it.”