The Federation of Motorsport Clubs of India (FMSCI) announced its annual motorsport awards for Indian motorsport achievers at a gala event in Hyderabad on Friday.

Five time national rally champion Gaurav Gill clinched the 'motorsports person of the year award’, given away by FIA president Jean Todt.

Gill, the reigning Asia Pacific Champion had a spectacular 2016, winning all five rounds of the APRC to set a new record.

“It’s an honour to receive the trophy from Mr Todt, one of the legends in the world of racing,” Gill, who has already won the trophy twice earlier, said in his acceptance speech. “I will have to win it again and again so that it stays in my cabinet,” he quipped, referring to the fact that it’s a rolling trophy.

“This is a special day for motor sports as the FMSCI was formed exactly on this day, 44 years ago,” FMSCI president Akbar Ebrahim said. “I am proud to say that we had as many as 350 championships through the year, which makes us the third most active motor sporting country in Asia,” he added.

He promised to take the sport and the country to greater glory by bringing in more world class events while also ensuring that the infrastructure and quality of officiating reaches international standards.

“We will tie up with all our partners so that racing not only becomes cheaper for our drivers and teams but also a much better experience,” he promised.

Akbar also pointed out that a new wing has already been commissioned to empower women and help them race in various disciplines, including motocross, drag racing and rallying. 

FIA president Todt, the brain and power behind Ferrari’s much feared Formula One team, couldn’t stop marvelling at India’s amazing culture and fascinating traditions.

‘You are a country of over a billion people. We have a great challenge ahead of us. But it provides us so many wonderful opportunities too,” he declared. “India has always been a very strong federation in the FIA and I want to tell you that you now have a very strong ally in me to develop motor sport in the country,” he added.

Award Winners

Life Time Achievement Award :  B. Vijaykumar 
Motorsports person of the year: Gaurav Gill
Celebrating 50 years in motorsports: D Vidyaprakash

JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship

LGB Formula 4 - National Champion Driver: Vishnu Prasad
LGB Formula 4 - National Champion Team: Meco Racing
Euro JK 16 - National Champion Driver: Anindith Reddy Konda

MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship

MRF FF 1600 National Champion Driver: G. Vikash Anand
Indian Touring Cars (ITC) - National Champion Driver: Arjun Narendran
Indian Touring Cars (ITC) - National Champion Team: Red Rooster Racing
Indian Junior Touring Cars (IJTC) - National Champion Driver: Keith DeSouza
Indian Junior Touring Cars (IJTC) - National Champion Team: Red Rooster Racing
Super Stock - National Champion Driver: Raghul Rangaswamy
Super Stock - National Champion Team: Race Concepts
F 1300 - National Champion Driver: Raghul Rangaswamy
F1300 - National Champion Team: Wallace Sports & Research Foundation; 

Outstanding Women in Motorsport Award:

Karting: Mira Erda
Single Seaters: Sneha Sharma 
2W Racing: Aishwarya Pissay and Shruthi Nagarajan
Rallying:  Bani Yadav 

 MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship

Indian National Rally Champion - Driver: Karna Kadur
Indian National Rally Champion - Co Driver: Nikhil V Pai
Indian National Rally Champion - Team: Mahindra Adventure
Indian National Rally Champion Driver - 2000cc: Karna Kadur
Indian National Rally Champion Co-Driver - 2000cc: Nikhil V Pai
Indian National Rally Champion 2000cc Team: Yokohama
Indian Rally Champion - Driver: Abhilash P.G.
Indian Rally Champion - Co-Driver: Srikanth Gowda
Indian Rally Champion - Team: R3A PGA Motorsports

Maruti Suzuki FMSCI National SuperLeague TSD Rally Championship

National Champion Crew: Karthick Maruthi / Sankar Anand S
National Champion Driver: Karthick Maruthi
National Champion Navigator: Musthafa M 

Outstanding achievement in World Motorsport

Armaan Ebrahim: Winner of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series 2016
Jehan Daruvalla: 2^nd in the Formula Toyota Championship in New Zealand
Akash Gowda: 3^rd in the FIA South East Asia F4 Championship
Shahan Ali Moshin: Asia Max Karting Championship – 1^st in the Micro Max Class
Ricky Donison: Asia Max Karting Championship – 2^nd in the Senior Max Class
Nayan Chatterjee: Asia Max Karting Championship – 2^nd in the Shifter Class   

JK Tyre FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship 

Micro Max - National Champion Driver: Shahan Ali Mohsin
Micro Max - National Champion Team: Meco racing
Junior Max - National Champion Driver: Manav Sharma
Junior Max - National Champion Team: BPC Racing
Senior Max - National Champion Driver: Ricky Donison
Senior Max - National Champion Team: BPC Racing