Motorsport UK Academy Hosts Annual Young Driver of the Year Competition
Friday 31st July 2026
Following a nail-biting competition held at the iconic Silverstone Racetrack in Northamptonshire, student Ethan Jeff-Hall, from the Brooksby College based Motorsport UK Academy was crowned Young Driver of the Year at the academy’s annual shootout tournament.
Held each year, five shortlisted students from the Enhanced Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) programme take part in a series of physical fitness tests and driving skill, and eye tracking assessments at Silverstone’s state-of-the-art iZone Driver Performance simulators.
Following the physical aspects of the competition, challengers underwent panel interviews and Q&A sessions with the judging panel, presenting on their own experiences on the programme.
Impressing the judges with his compelling presentation and reflection of his time so far on the programme, Ethan was announced the overall winner, and was awarded a full prize package including specialist training and development opportunities with iZone Driver Performance.
Reflecting on his achievement, Ethan shared: “It’s an absolute honour to receive the Motorsport UK Academy Young Driver of the Year Award. It’s amazing to see all the hard work pay off. It was a tough day as the other lads were very competitive, but I’m super happy to have received the trophy.”
This prize is the latest in a long list for Ethan, who won the OK Karting World Championship in 2024, before going on to an elite scouting camp hosted by Ferrari. As well as becoming a world champion, Ethan has also clinched victories in the Ginetta Junior, Rookie Championships, and Wera Tools F4 British Championships.
Having launched in 2009 in conjunction with Loughborough College, the two-year Motorsport UK Enhanced DiSE Programme is delivered at Brooksby College and teaches students the technical aspects of the motorsport industry, taught by specialists with real-world industry skills and experience.
Alumni of the programme include Formula E champion, Jake Dennis, and 2024 F1 Academy winner, Abbi Pulling.
