The Best Driver ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Best Auto Racing Driver ESPY Award, is an annual award honoring the achievements of an individual from the world of motorsports. It was first awarded as part of the ESPY Awards in 1993. The Best Driver ESPY Award trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, has been presented annually to the racing driver adjudged to have performed the best in a given calendar year. Since 2004, the winner has been chosen by online voting through three to five choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. Before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts. Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in July and reflect performance from the June previous.

The inaugural winner of the award was British driver Nigel Mansell who finished the 1992 season with a then record-breaking nine wins and fourteen pole positions en route to winning his sole Formula One World Drivers' Championship. Mansell moved to the Championship Auto Racing Teams the following year, and won the series title at the first attempt, earning him a second ESPY Award in 1994. Mansell is one of six drivers to have won the award more than once. , multiple NASCAR Cup Series champions Jeff Gordon (1996, 1998, 1999, 2007) and his teammate Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) have won the most awards with four each. NASCAR drivers have won more awards than any other motorsports series, with nineteen victories, followed by Formula One with eight wins. It was not awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent winner of the award was Formula One driver Lando Norris who won the award in 2026, his first award.

Winners and nominees + Best Driver ESPY Award winners and nomineesYear ImageDriverNationalityRacing seriesType of vehicle Other nominees Ref1993 Formula OneOpen wheel N/A1994 (2)CARTOpen wheel N/A1995 CARTOpen wheel Dale Earnhardt () – NASCARMichael Schumacher () – Formula One1996 NASCARStock car Michael Schumacher () – Formula OneJacques Villeneuve () – CART1997 CARTOpen wheel Terry Labonte () – NASCARDamon Hill () – Formula One1998 (2)NASCARStock carN/A1999 (3)NASCARStock car Dale Earnhardt () – NASCARMark Martin () – NASCAR2000 NASCARStock car John Force () – NHRAJuan Pablo Montoya () – CART2001 NASCARStock car Gil de Ferran () – CARTJohn Force () – NHRABuddy Lazier () – IndyCar2002 Formula OneOpen wheel Hélio Castroneves () – CARTGil de Ferran () – CARTJohn Force () – NHRAJeff Gordon () – NASCAR Kevin Harvick () – NASCARSam Hornish Jr. () – IndyCar2003 NASCARStock car John Force () – NHRAGil de Ferran () IndyCarSam Hornish Jr. () – IndyCarMichael Schumacher () – Formula One2004 NASCARStock car Scott Dixon () – IndyCarMatt Kenseth () – NASCARTony Pedregon () – NHRAMichael Schumacher () – Formula One2005 (2)Formula OneOpen wheel Greg Anderson () – NHRAKurt Busch () – NASCARDan Wheldon () – IndyCar2006 (2)NASCARStock carJimmie Johnson () – NASCARSam Hornish Jr. () – IndyCarMelanie Troxel () – NHRADan Wheldon () – IndyCar2007 (4)NASCARStock car Dario Franchitti () – IndyCarKevin Harvick () – NASCARJimmie Johnson () – NASCARTony Schumacher () – NHRA2008 NASCARStock carKyle Busch () – NASCARScott Dixon () – IndyCarLewis Hamilton () – Formula OneTony Schumacher () – NHRA 2009 (2)NASCARStock carHélio Castroneves () – IndyCarScott Dixon () – IndyCarLewis Hamilton () – Formula OneTony Schumacher () – NHRA2010 (3)NASCARStock carKyle Busch () – NASCARDario Franchitti () – IndyCarRon Hornaday Jr. () – NASCARTony Schumacher () – NHRA2011 (4)NASCARStock carGreg Anderson () – NHRAJohn Force () – NHRADario Franchitti () – IndyCar2012 (3)NASCARStock carDario Franchitti () – IndyCarSebastian Vettel () – Formula OneDel Worsham () – NHRA2013 IndyCar SeriesOpen wheelTony Kanaan () – IndyCarBrad Keselowski () – NASCARSebastian Vettel () – Formula One2014 (2)IndyCar SeriesOpen wheelScott Dixon () – IndyCarDale Earnhardt Jr. () – NASCARJohn Force () – NHRA2015 NASCARStock carErica Enders-Stevens () – NHRALewis Hamilton () – Formula OneJuan Pablo Montoya () – IndyCarWill Power () – IndyCar2016 NASCARStock carScott Dixon () – IndyCarErica Enders-Stevens () – NHRALewis Hamilton () – Formula OneAlexander Rossi () – IndyCar2017 Formula OneOpen WheelRon Capps () – NHRAJimmie Johnson () – NASCARSimon Pagenaud () – IndyCarMartin Truex Jr. () – NASCAR 2018 NASCARStock car racingBrittany Force () – NHRALewis Hamilton () – Formula OneJosef Newgarden () – IndyCar Series 2019 (2)NASCARStock car racing Scott Dixon () – IndyCar SeriesLewis Hamilton () – Formula OneSteve Torrence – () – NHRA 2020Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic2021 (2)Formula OneOpen WheelErica Enders () – NHRAChase Elliott () – NASCARScott Dixon () – IndyCar 2022 NASCARStock car racingÁlex Palou () – IndyCarSteve Torrence () – NHRAMax Verstappen () – Formula One2023 Formula OneOpen WheelBrittany Force () – NHRAKyle Larson () – NASCARJosef Newgarden () – IndyCar2024 (2)Formula OneOpen WheelRyan Blaney () – NASCARMatt Hagan () – NHRAÁlex Palou () – IndyCar2025 (3)Formula OneOpen WheelJoey Logano () – NASCARÁlex Palou () – IndyCarOscar Piastri () – Formula One2026 Formula OneOpen WheelTyler Reddick () – NASCARÁlex Palou () – IndyCarKimi Antonelli () – Formula One

Statistics

+Winners by nation representedNation WinnersNominations 23 73 5 18 3 4 2 8 0 6 0 7 0 2 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1

+Winners by seriesSeriesWinnersNominations NASCAR 19 40 Formula One 9 22 IndyCar 2 30 CART 3 8 NHRA 0 23

+Multiple winners and nominees Name Wins Nominations 4 7 4 5 3 4 3 3 2 8 2 6 2 4 2 2 2 2 1 3 1 2 0 7 0 6 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2

See also Auto racing trophies and awards List of CART/Champ Car champions List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions List of Indy Racing League champions List of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champions

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