The BRDC International Trophy is a prize awarded annually by the British Racing Drivers' Club to the winner of a motor race held at the Silverstone Circuit, England. For many years it formed the premier non-championship Formula One event in Britain, alongside the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch.
History Formula 1 The event was instituted by the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) in August 1949, sponsored by the Daily Express newspaper, for cars meeting contemporary Grand Prix motor racing regulations. The BRDC drew the name from that of an extinct event formerly held at the Brooklands circuit in the early 1930s. The first Silverstone event was the first to use the former airfield's perimeter roadways rather than the main runways, a circuit layout that persisted for over forty years.
With the introduction of the new World Championship, in 1950 the International Trophy became a non-championship race held to Formula One rules. The 1950 event was again held in August, but from 1951 onwards – apart from 1957 – the International Trophy was contested in April or May, near the beginning of the World Championship season. The timing of the event often attracted many top teams and drivers, allowing them to practise in racing conditions before the season became too serious. From 1952 the trophy was also sporadically opened to drivers in the Formula Two category, as well as being run to F2 regulations in those years that the World Championship was also. 1978 saw the 30th running of the International Trophy, and the last under these rules; with the increasing complexity of F1 cars it simply became too expensive for teams to contest non-championship events.
Formula 2 & F3000 From 1979, the trophy continued as a Formula Two-only event. When F2 was replaced at the end of 1984, the trophy switched to the new Formula 3000 rules from 1985. In turn, it was replacement of F3000 by GP2 in 2005 that ended the International Trophy as an event for cutting-edge racing cars.
Formula 4 In 2026, the trophy returned after a 21-year-hiatus, being awarded to the driver which won race three of the F4 British Championship's Silverstone round.
Winners of the International Trophy 1949–1980: Formula One years Year Driver Constructor Report 1949 Alberto Ascari Ferrari Report Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo Report Reg Parnell Ferrari Report Lance Macklin HWM-Alta Report Mike Hawthorn Ferrari Report José Froilán González Ferrari Report Peter Collins Maserati Report Stirling Moss Vanwall Report Jean Behra BRM Report Peter Collins Ferrari Report Jack Brabham Cooper-Climax Report Innes Ireland Lotus-Climax Report Stirling Moss Cooper-Climax Report Graham Hill BRM Report Jim Clark Lotus-Climax Report Jack Brabham Brabham-Climax Report Jackie Stewart BRM Report Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco Report Mike Parkes Ferrari Report Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford Report Jack Brabham Brabham-Ford Report Chris Amon March-Cosworth Report Graham Hill Brabham-Cosworth Report Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Ford Report Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford Report James Hunt Hesketh-Cosworth Report Niki Lauda Ferrari Report James Hunt McLaren-Ford Report Keke Rosberg Theodore-Cosworth Report 1980 Eliseo Salazar Williams-Cosworth Report In 1952 and 1953, the race was run to Formula Two, while the 1961 race was held for the short lived Intercontinental Formula. The 1980 event formed a round of the 1980 British Formula One Championship.
1977–1984: Formula Two years Year Driver Constructor Report René Arnoux Renault-Gordini Report Eddie Cheever Osella-BMW Report Mike Thackwell Ralt-Honda Report Stefan Bellof Maurer-BMW/Heidegger Report Beppe Gabbiani March-BMW/Rosche Report Mike Thackwell Ralt-Honda/Mugen Report
1985–2004: Formula 3000 years Year Driver Constructor Report 1985 Mike Thackwell Ralt-Cosworth Report 1986 Pascal Fabre Lola-Cosworth Report 1987 Maurício Gugelmin Ralt-Honda Report 1988 Roberto Moreno Reynard-Cosworth Report 1989 Thomas Danielsson Reynard-Cosworth Report 1990 Allan McNish Lola-Mugen Honda Report 1991 Not held, due to track refurbishment 1992 Jordi Gené Reynard-Mugen Honda Report 1993 Gil de Ferran Reynard-Cosworth Report 1994 Franck Lagorce Reynard-Cosworth Report 1995 Ricardo Rosset Reynard-Cosworth Report 1996 Kenny Bräck Lola-Zytek Report 1997 Tom Kristensen Lola-Zytek Report 1998 Juan Pablo Montoya Lola-Zytek Report 1999 Nicolas Minassian Lola-Zytek Report 2000 Mark Webber Lola-Zytek Report 2001 Sébastien Bourdais Lola-Zytek Report 2002 Tomáš Enge Lola-Zytek Judd Report 2003 Björn Wirdheim Lola-Zytek Judd Report 2004 Vitantonio Liuzzi Lola-Zytek Judd Report
2026– British F4 Year Driver Constructor Report 2026George Proudford-NalderTatuus-AbarthReport
References
(F3000 Results.) (F2 Results.) (Complete F1 Results.)