2023 Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award Winner announced

We are delighted to announce the winner of the 2023 Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award is David Crespo.

The Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future was presented at the prestigious Autosport Awards on Sunday evening, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

The award was launched in 2015 and was overhauled in 2022 to reflect the changing nature of the world of motorsport engineering and underpin its value of access for all.

The award involves candidates being assessed through modules in Esports and real-world engineering in Formula 1 and junior formulae, and is open to engineering students from any college or university in the UK.

The 2023 winner David Crespo is pursuing a career in race engineering within motorsports and is currently finishing his Master of Sciences (MSc) in Motorsport Engineering having spent the season as a race engineer in British Formula 4 with Virtuosi Racing.

“To win the 2023 Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award is the best reward I could get after years of effort,” David shared upon picking up the award.

“However, I must keep working to one day be, not an engineer of the future, but an engineer of the present."

As part of the award, David will have the opportunity to attend a 2024 Formula 1 test day with Williams Racing to shadow a race team engineer.

Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance, continued the reaction by saying: “The assessment tests this year were the most demanding that we have ever put together.

“The final was extremely close with both candidates performing exceptionally well and the judging panel debated hard before finally selecting David as the winner.

“He has everything he needs for a successful career in motorsport. We’d like to thank all of the candidates for their effort and dedication throughout the process, and we hope that it was an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

“He joins a prestigious group of previous winners, which gives him an excellent foundation to pursue a rewarding and productive career.”

Alex Kalinauckas, Grand Prix Editor, Autosport added: "The 2023 Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award was an in-depth and detailed process packed with talented budding engineers.

“David impressed the judges with his ability to take on board the lessons, his feedback from the entire process stood out and he is a very deserving winner of the Award.

“In particular, David's communications skills and willingness to engage in innovative and fresh engineering challenges stood out. He surely has a bright career in motorsport engineering ahead of him."

Steven English, Director of Esports, Williams Racing concluded by sharing: “Having seen David thrive in virtual racing in the early part of the season, I was delighted to see that performance transfer to his real-world opportunities, both off track with the Williams Racing engineering team and on track with Rodin Carlin.

“It showcases the value of this programme to see skills in sim racing translate to the real world, and the credibility of Esports as a pathway into motorsport engineering.

“It’s fantastic to see David receive his well-deserved award and I look forward to supporting the further development of his career.”

Want to be in the running to win the 2024 Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award? Details of how young engineers can apply to be a part of the selection process will be revealed soon.