Norway’s Marit Strømøy became the first female powerboat racer to be named Driver of the Year at the 11th Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) Awards, held in Lausanne in March.

One of just two women to make the seven-driver shortlist, the 43-yearold from Sandefjord made sporting history by lifting the coveted Best Driver trophy, having obtained the highest score in a social media poll and a vote by the UIM Council.

She is also first and only woman to have won a Formula 1 race (in Sharjah, UAE in 2015) and finished on the final podium of the 2019 UIM F1H2O World Championship.

“It was a big surprise but I’m incredibly proud,” said Strømøy. “This means so much to me, my team, my sponsors and my family. Of course, it’s an honour to be considered a role model for female drivers in our sport – I’ve been racing for 30 years now and this will give the team a huge boost as we prepare for the new season.”

Around 200 VIP guests, featuring powerboating world champions as well as attendees from the worlds of sport, commerce, the boating industry and media, gathered for the first UIM Annual Awards to be held outside of its base in Monaco.