The engineering career of Sir Patrick Head (pictured, second right) was recognised recently by the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) at a House of Lords reception.

In front of 300 guests from parliament and industry, Sir Patrick was presented with an award for his Outstanding Contribution to the Motorsport Industry by MIA president Lord Drayson.

Previous winners of this award include John Surtees, Ross Brawn, Frank Williams, Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart.

During Sir Patrick’s 45-year career in motor-sport, his cars won 114 Grands Prix, nine Formula One Constructors’ Championships, seven F1 Drivers’ Championships and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As co-founder and technical director of Williams Formula One (alongside Frank Williams), he led the team through its most successful period to date, and he was responsible for many innovations within F1.

Sir Patrick said: “I have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic people — some fantastic engineers — in my career. People are often surprised because I’m not interested in cars; I’m not even that interested in racing cars, but I’m very interested in engineering. I’ve always been fascinated by the process of working with other engineers to get things sorted and get the cars working.”

Chris Aylett, CEO of the MIA, said: “Sir Patrick’s determination to win — alongside his technical leadership in seeking every advantage — has inspired generations of the very best engineers in motor-sport. His contribution has literally changed the face of motor-sport for the better. He is an outstanding individual in every way.”