Winner: Xtrac – Instantaneous Gearchange System (IGS)

IGS is a purely mechanical system located inside the mainshaft in the gearbox. On up- and downshifts it allows the next gear to be engaged before the current gear is disengaged. As there is no loss of tractive effort during gear changes, the performance of the vehicle can be measurably improved.

“The system was developed in motorsport and has been raced for a number of years,” noted Cliff Hawkins, development director at Xtrac. “But IGS may be particularly apt to the development of multispeed transmissions for a new era of electric vehicles, where, because of the high inertial loads of electric motors, it’s not possible to use traditional synchronizer gearboxes.”

Winner: Buddh International Circuit

On October 30, 2011, F1’s newest showpiece event took world championship motorsport to India for the first time. The venue was the spectacular new Buddh International Circuit, part of a multi-sports complex being built on the outskirts of New Delhi. Regular F1 architects, Tilke designed the track for owner Jaypee Sports, with high speeds, close racing and good spectating in mind. The organisers were rewarded with an impressive raceday crowd of 95,000 and praise from the F1 community.

“Many new Formula 1 circuits created around the world are to an excellent standard as far as the overall facility is concerned, but lack imagination when it comes to the actual circuit design,” commented jury member Gary Anderson of Status Grand Prix. “Buddh International has gone the other way and created an excellent circuit layout, which the drivers, engineers and spectators love. With adequate facilities to put on a great event, it will mature into one of the best.”

Winner: Racelogic – Predictive Lap-timing

“We’re delighted that the PMW panel has selected our Predictive Lap-timer for the Technology of the Year Award,” said Julian Thomas, managing director of Racelogic. “When we first experimented with Predictive Lap-timing using GPS position, we quickly realized we were onto something big. We have never seen such a positive reaction from drivers to a new technology such as this. Racing drivers love an edge, and this system appears to give them an advantage not only in finding raw pace, but also in maintaining consistency.”

“This technology represents innovation through cross-fertilization from other fields,” agreed Awards judge, Andrea Toso, technical director at Dallara. “Racelogic has been able to combine proven technology (GPS) to produce innovation to satisfy an existing need. Too often we see potentially great innovations to satisfy non-existing requirements.”

Winner: Porsche

Porsche edged out fellow nominee Chevrolet to become the first winner of the Awards’ new Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year category. Porsche continues to produce customer race cars at a rate unmatched anywhere, and its one-make championships around the world are booming. Its products are still more than a match for new contenders, too, with the Manthey-run GT3 RSR taking victory in the 2011 Nürburgring 24 Hours, and the GT3 R Hybrid, a PMW Expo Award winner last year, scoring its first outright win in the VLN. A new version of the 911 for GTE competition in 2012 has just been launched, while Porsche’s long-awaited return to LMP1 competition is promised for 2014.

Winner: Sarah Fisher – Sarah Fisher Racing

Sarah Fisher’s IndyCar team doesn’t enjoy the same level of financial backing as some of the category’s bigger outfits. In fact, it only ran a limited, oval-focused schedule in 2011. But its strong performances belied its budget. Driver Ed Carpenter led laps in the Indy 500 in May before securing the team’s first IndyCar win in the 300-mile event at Kentucky Speedway in October, just a couple of weeks after the team’s principal sponsor revealed it would be withdrawing its backing for 2012.

The judging panel was quick to recognize the sterling efforts of this underdog team. And as jury member David Tremayne of Grand Prix+ put it, “To take your first win shortly after you’ve lost your major sponsor, in an arena as competitive as IndyCars, and to do it while going through childbirth… That takes a lot of spirit, determination and refusal to be daunted. My hat’s off to Sarah Fisher.”

Winner: Red Bull RB7 – Red Bull Racing

“It's a fantastic achievement and a great privilege to win this prestigious award,” said Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Christian Horner, who was attending the F1 young driver test in Abu Dhabi at the time of the Awards Dinner so accepted the trophy in a video message. “Our success these past few years is all down to people. We have a great team within Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology. This award is testimony to their hard work, dedication and application.”

The judges made the RB7 a clear winner in this new Awards category. “Good ideas in Formula 1 get copied very quickly so, coming on the back of the already dominant RB6, the RB7's superiority is testament to the strength in depth within Red Bull,” observed Charles Armstrong-Wilson, freelance motorsport writer. Added Ocean Racing GP2 performance engineer, Jordi Riba: “The RB7 got my vote for its awesome domination but also for its innovative rear packaging, with the KERS alongside the gearbox and the pull-rod suspension.”

Winner: Ferrari 458 Italia

GT racing has become one of the hardest-fought motorsport disciplines in recent years. An impressive array of manufacturers has produced new cars to add to the fray, and in many championships, performance-balancing makes it harder than ever for one design to beat its competitors on a regular basis. For 2011, Ferrari introduced the 458 Italia. A regular race-winner in GT3 and GTE competition in its first season, the Michelotto-built 458 race car helped AF Corse drivers Francesco Castellacci and Federico Leo to the 2011 FIA European GT3 drivers’ title. It will also take Ferrari back to the USA, in Grand-Am competition, in 2012.

Winner: Citroën Racing – DS3’s WRC dominance

The WRC Drivers’ title was still in the balance going into the season finale of Rally GB, but there was no doubt at all about the best car of the season. Citroën’s all-new DS3 WRC won more than three-quarters of all WRC events this year, picking up where the outgoing C4 left off as consistently the class of the field, whether on gravel or asphalt. It was this dominant performance that has secured it this inaugural PMW Expo Rally Achievement of the Year Award.

“It's great to receive this award,” said Sven Smeets, team manager at Citroën Racing (pictured, with world champion co-driver, Daniel Elena). “This is the first year of the Citroën DS3 WRC and already it has won both World Rally Championship titles. We're very proud and honored to accept this trophy.”

Winner: Matthew Thompson

Matthew Thompson has been competing since he was 14, when he was the youngest ever holder of an MSA rally licence, but he came of age in the 2011 season.

“To win the UK Young Rally Driver of the Year award is the perfect ending to what has been an incredible year for me,” he said. “This year was my final year in the Kick Energy Pirelli Junior 1000 Rally Championship, in which I clinched second overall. To win the award is fantastic and I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has helped and put faith in me, not just this year, but in the three years I've competed in Junior 1000. The award will definitely put me in good stead for a fresh challenge in 2012.”