NICOLE DROUGHT Wins Rosemary Smith Award, Following In F1-Testing Footsteps

December 5, 2025

• NICOLE DROUGHT claimed the inaugural Rosemary Smith Award at the Motorsport Ireland Champions Awards, an honor that recognizes female drivers who embody Smith’s pioneering spirit. The award carries serious weight – Smith wasn’t just Ireland’s racing darling but a European and World-stage winner who, at 88, became the oldest person to drive an F1 car when Renault invited her for a test in France.
• The parallels between DROUGHT and Smith run deep, and we’re here for it. DROUGHT has conquered multiple championships in circuit racing while also claiming Endurance Trials class titles twice and nailing a class win on her rally debut at the Killarney Historic Rally in 2021. Like her inspiration, she’s also sampled F1 machinery, testing a March 811 at Mondello Park in 2021 and a Jordan F193 at Palm Beach International Raceway the following year.
• What makes this recognition even better is the genuine connection between the two trailblazers. DROUGHT speaks warmly of meeting Smith multiple times for lunch in Dublin, receiving advice and support from the legend herself. They even appeared together in a Tesco TV ad for International Women’s Day in 2020. “I really do think this one tops them all,” DROUGHT said of the award, and honestly, when you’re being honored in the name of someone who paved the way for everything you’re achieving, that sentiment hits different.

adac opel electric rally cup, american endurance racing, formula 1, motorsport ireland