Nick Tandy Awarded Segrave Trophy for Extraordinary Motorsport Achievements
Nick Tandy was visibly moved when he received the Segrave Trophy on Wednesday at a celebratory lunch in Pall Mall, attended by his family, friends, on-track rivals, and many previous Segrave winners.
He described the accolade as “an unofficial knighthood of motorsport” and reflected on how humbled he felt as its new holder.
“You don’t realise at the time what you’re doing means within the global reach of motorsport,” he said.
The Club awarded the tenacious British racing driver the Segrave Trophy in recognition of his outstanding achievements in global endurance racing.
Named after adventurous trailblazer Sir Henry Segrave – the first man to hold both the land and water speed records simultaneously – the Trophy is awarded annually to the British or Commonwealth individual or team demonstrating outstanding skill and courage on land, water, in the air or in space.
Past recipients include luminaries such as Sir Malcolm Campbell MBE, Sir Stirling Moss OBE, Richard Noble OBE, Sir Lewis Hamilton MBE and Colonel John Blashford-Snell CBE.
Nick’s racing career is a story of perseverance and passion. From humble beginnings in British grassroots motorsport, he steadily climbed the international ranks to become one of endurance racing’s most respected figures.
His first landmark victory came at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, piloting the No 19 Porsche 919 Hybrid to an unforgettable win. He followed that with 24-hour triumphs at Nürburgring in 2018, Spa in 2020 and, finally, Daytona in 2025 – completing a rare and remarkable sweep of endurance racing’s crown jewels. This impressive race record underscores a career defined by talent and grit.
An informal Q&A followed the Trophy presentation, led by endurance-racing veteran – and himself a previous Segrave Trophy winner – Martin Brundle.
When asked the secret to success, Nick observed: “Belief is everything… if you don’t believe you’re going to win, you’ll be beaten by someone who does.” He also emphasised the importance of trust in endurance racing: “You’re putting victory in someone else’s hands, too.”
Allan McNish, another Le Mans victor and remarkable double Segrave Trophy winner, was drawn into the conversation, fondly recalling watching Nick at Le Mans in 2015, where he was racing a GT car in a slower category.
In torrential rain – “more akin to Knockhill” – Nick delivered a flawless drive, and astonishingly won the race outright. It’s a feat rarely, if ever, achieved in a lesser-class car. Allan pointed to adaptability as the key in such moments – something Nick clearly has in spades.
In his closing remarks, Nick thanked the work of his team, highlighting the immense of support of his teammates, engineers, mechanics and, most importantly, his family along the way. The honour, he said, “goes above and beyond anything I thought I’d achieve in my career… it’s incredible to be part of this Trophy’s tradition.”
