News
S5000 CONGRATULATES THOMAS RANDLE ON BRDC HONOUR
Australian Racing Group and S5000 congratulates Thomas Randle on being awarded the Innes Ireland Trophy, a prestigious annual award recognised by the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC).
Randle, an S5000 race winner, received the award for his outstanding performances during the 2020 racing season despite being diagnosed with testicular cancer in January this year. The 24-year-old Victorian is a joint recipient of this year’s award with Dr. Ian Roberts, the FIA Formula 1 Medical Rescue Coordinator who saved Romain Grosjean from his horrific accident in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Innes Ireland Trophy is awarded to the driver who best displayed the qualities of courage and sportsmanship epitomised by the late Ireland, a former Grand Prix driver and British military officer who raced in Formula 1 between 1959 and 1966. Ireland won the 1961 United States Grand Prix to become the first ever Grand Prix winner for Team Lotus.
Randle’s achievements are recognised by the BRDC as he has been an official BRDC Rising Star driver since finishing fourth in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship in 2016. Recent recipients of the Innes Ireland Trophy include Sophia Floersch and Billy Monger, with Randle joining Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo as Australian recipients of the award.
Randle won this year’s Dunlop Super2 Championship with three race wins and four runner-up placings from seven starts, and was committed to the full VHT S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship which was ultimately not held due to COVID-19 related event cancellations.
Randle, who carries the BRDC badge on his helmet, overalls and racecars, contested the second S5000 event at The Bend Motorsport Park in November 2019 for Team BRM, winning the opening race of the weekend and setting a category lap record.
We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Thomas and his family on this success, and hope to see Thomas return to the track in S5000 in the near future.
QUOTE
Thomas Randle,
S5000 driver
“I was blown away to receive a personally written letter by David Coulthard MBE, President of the BRDC, informing me that I would receive the Innes Ireland Trophy this year. To also receive the award alongside Dr. Ian Roberts is truly humbling.”
“It is such an honour to receive the award bearing Innes Ireland’s name, who was a respected, well-liked BRDC President until his untimely passing in 1993. He truly epitomised courage when he returned from a monstrous crash in 1961 to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix that same year, and numerous Grand Prix races at non-championship level.
“It is incredibly special to know that my name will be forever engraved on the Innes Ireland Trophy, which permanently resides in the BRDC Clubhouse at Silverstone.
“I am currently working through my plans for the 2021 racing season and would love to return to S5000 and contest the Gold Star. My last drive of an S5000 was in qualifying for the cancelled AGP event, and I can’t wait to get back in one again.”