Former Ladies World Rally Champion, Louise Aitken-Walker of Duns, Berwickshire met up with new Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton at a special presentation in London recently.
Lewis was being presented with the Segrave Trophy, a prestigious award given for the best performance on land air or water by a British subject.
Louise Aitken-Walker MBE
Louise Aitken-Walker MBE was also awarded the Segrave Trophy in 1990 in recognition of her World Rally Championship win. Louise is one of the very few women to receive the trophy, the most famous ‘fast lady’ to receive it being national hero Amy Johnson who won the award in 1932 as a result of her epic solo flight to Australia in a tiny Gipsy Moth plane.
The trophy was first presented in 1930 in memory of Sir Henry Segrave who was killed on Lake Windemere having just regained the world water speed record for Great Britain.
Other famous names who have been awarded the Segrave Trophy include record breakers Sir Malcolm and Donald Campbell, many World War 2 fighter aces, Concorde test pilot Brian Trubshaw and numerous motorsport stars including Sir Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Colin McRae, Barry Sheene and Sir Stirling Moss who has twice won the award and attended last week’s presentation.
Sir Stirling is pictured (below) with Louise Aitken-Walker and Lewis Hamilton at the presentation at the RAC Club in Pall Mall, London on the 12th December 2008.
Sir Henry Segrave
In his lifetime Sir Henry O’Neil de Hane Segrave was a fighter pilot, Grand Prix race winner and the world speed record holder on both land and water. He was the first Briton to win a Grand Prix in a British car, the first person to hold both the land and water speed records simultaneously and he was also the first person to travel at over 200 mph (320 km/h) on Miss England II.
A British national, Henry Segrave was born in Baltimore, Maryland of an American mother and an Irish father. He was raised in Ireland and attended Eton College. He was commissioned into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1914 and served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps from January 1916. He was wounded twice, in 1915 and 1916.
Louise Aitken-Walker MBE
After the war Major Henry Segrave resigned his commission and turned his attentions to cars. Henry Segrave was the first Briton to win a Grand Prix in a British car when he won the 1923 French Grand Prix and the 1924 San Sebastian Grand Prix in Spain in a Sunbeam. After one more win in France he retired from racing to concentrate on setting speed records
On 21 March 1926, he set his first land speed record in his 4 litre Sunbeam Tiger Ladybird on the sands at Southport in Lancashire with a speed of 152.33 mph (245.149 km/h). This speed was broken a year later by J.G. Parry‐Thomas but Segrave regained the record on 29 March 1927 in his 1000 HP Sunbeam Mystery at Daytona Beach with a speed of 203.79 mph (327.97 km/h), becoming the first person to travel over 200 mph (320 km/h).
Henry Segrave went back to Daytona Beach to set his final land speed record at 231.45 mph (372.46 km/h) in the Golden Arrow on 11 March 1929. He then returned to Great Britain and was knighted for his accomplishments.
On Friday 13 June 1930, Sir Henry Segrave captured the water speed record in on Lake Windermere. However, on the next run the boat was pitched clear of the water and capsized, killing Victor Halliwell of the Rolls Royce Company and injuring the boat’s engineer Michael Willcocks. Sir Henry and Willcocks were both taken to hospital. Michael Willcocks survived but Sir Henry regained consciousness for only a moment, to be told by his wife that he had indeed broken the record, before passing away aged just 33.
Lady Segrave presented the Trophy that bears her husband’s name to The Royal Automobile Club soon after his death. She hoped that it would become a permanent monument to those whose achievements put them on a par, in one field or another, with Sir Henry himself.
Segrave Trophy Roll of Honour
Year
Name
Achievement
2025
Nick Tandy
In 2025, Nick Tandy became the first driver to win all four major 24-hour endurance races: Le Mans, Nürburgring, Spa and Daytona. In July, the Club awarded him the highly coveted Segrave Trophy in recognition of this remarkable achievement. 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.
2020
James Ketchell
For becoming the first person to perform an around-the-world gyroplane flight certified by the Guinness Book of Records.
2018
Billy Monger
For demonstrating exceptional courage and determination after great adversity and returning to high levels of motorsport.
2017
Sam Sunderland
For being the first Briton to win a Dakar Rally crown by winning the motorcycle category in 2017.
2015
John McGuinness
For his outstanding contribution to motorcycle road and circuit racing, including setting the outright lap record at the 2015 Isle of Man TT.
2013
Allan McNish
First Briton to win the Tourist Trophy, the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship in the same season.
2012
John Surtees
For his outstanding career in two- and four-wheeled motor sport, including seven Motorcycle World Championship titles, culminating in the unique achievement of being the only man to win both a Motorcycle World Championship and a Formula One World Championship.
2011
Dave Sykes
For being the first paraplegic pilot to fly from York to Sydney in a microlight aircraft, completing the journey in 257 hours.
2010
Adrian Newey
For winning Formula One drivers' and constructors' World Championships with three teams: Williams-Renault, McLaren-Mercedes and Red Bull-Renault.
2009
Paul Bonhomme
As Britain's first champion in the Red Bull Air Race.
2008
Allan McNish
For exceptional endeavour in motor sport.
2007
Lewis Hamilton
For unprecedented achievements in his debut season in the FIA Formula One World Championship.
2005
Stirling Moss
For his lifetime of achievement in all forms of motor sport, and his service to the sports.
2003
Brian Lecomber
For his career of more than 20 years as a leading airshow pilot, and journalist and communicator on aerobatics and record breaking.
2002
Steve Curtis
For winning as driver in the World, European and Pole Position championships in offshore powerboat racing.
2001
Tim Ellison
For the first circumnavigation flight by a disabled pilot.
2000
Joey Dunlop
Awarded posthumously in recognition of a career of unrivalled achievement in the Isle of Man TT.
1999
Jackie Stewart
For lifetime services to motor sport.
1998
Brian Milton
For becoming the first person to circumnavigate the world in a microlight.
1997
Andy Green
For raising the land speed record to 763.065 miles per hour (1,228.034 km/h) at Black Rock, Nevada, in ThrustSSC – becoming the first person to break the sound barrier on land.
1996
Damon Hill
For becoming the FIA Formula One world champion and, in so doing, becoming the first son of a former champion to claim the title.
1995
Colin McRae
For becoming the first British driver to win the FIA World Rally Championship with Subaru.
1994
Carl Fogarty
For winning the Superbike World Championship with Ducati.
1993
Nigel Mansell
For winning the CART IndyCar World Championship in America.
1992
Frank Williams and Nigel Mansell
For victory in the 1992 FIA Formula One World Championship for constructors (Williams) and drivers (Mansell).
1991
Steve Webster
For winning his fourth FIM World Sidecar Championship title.
1990
Louise Aitken-Walker
For winning the Ladies' World Rally Championship title with Vauxhall.
1989
Bob Ives and Joe Ives
For victory in the off-road marathon the Camel Trophy, with its 1,062-mile (1,709 km) route through the Brazilian rainforest from Alta Floresta to Manaus.
1988
Martin Brundle
For winning the FIA Sportscar World Championship with Jaguar.
1987
Eve Jackson
For her solo flight from London to Sydney in the microlight Shadow.
1986
Richard Branson
For the development of the Virgin Atlantic Challenger and his effort to break the Blue Riband record crossing of the Atlantic in a sailing boat.
1985
Ken Wallis
For his lifetime of achievement in aviation, including a multitude of world records for altitude, speed and range in autogyro aircraft.
1984
Barry Sheene
For his career in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, including being the only man to win World Championship events at all capacities from 50cc to 500cc.
1983
Richard Noble
For raising the land speed record to 633.468 miles per hour (1,019.468 km/h) at Black Rock Desert, Nevada, in Thrust 2.
1982
Sandy Woodward
For his leadership of flagship HMS Hermes on behalf of all who fought for the liberation of the Falkland Islands.
1980
Fiona Gore
For becoming the first woman to achieve more than 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) on water by reaching 102 miles per hour (164 km/h) on Lake Windermere.
1979
Mike Hailwood
For his long career in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, Formula One and his successes in the Isle of Man TT, including his last, in 1979, at the age of 39, following a successful comeback to the event after an 11-year hiatus.
1978
John Cunningham
For his 40-year career as chief test pilot at de Havilland and later British Aerospace, including wartime service as a night-fighter pilot, scoring 20 aerial victories in the defence of Britain at the height of the Blitz.
1977
Barry Sheene
For retaining the 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship.
1976
Peter Collins
For winning the World Speedway Championship on a British Weslake engine.
1975
Roger Clark & Stuart Turner, Jim Porter, Peter Ashworth and Tony Mason
For the success of Ford Motor Company in the British Rally Championship.
1974
John Blashford-Snell
For leading the first Zaire River exploration ever to be completed.
1973
Jackie Stewart
For winning his third Formula One World Championship in five seasons with a British team, and becoming the most successful Grand Prix driver in history.
1970
Brian Trubshaw
For his work in developing and successfully piloting the prototype Concorde supersonic airliner, including her first supersonic flight over land.
1969
Bruce McLaren
Awarded posthumously for the design, development and driving of cars that won every round of the 1969 Can-Am Championship.
1968
Ken Wallis
For his development and airmanship in the field of lightweight autogyro aircraft, and attaining multiple world records.
1966
Donald Campbell
Awarded posthumously for outstanding contribution to mechanical development and aerodynamics.
1964
Donald Campbell
For becoming the first person since his father to achieve the double of raising the water speed record to 276.33 miles per hour (444.71 km/h) in Bluebird K7 on Lake Dumbleyung, Australia, and taking the land speed record to 429 miles per hour (690 km/h) at Lake Eyre in Bluebird CN7.
1962
Bill Bedford
For completing the first vertical landing by a fixed-wing aircraft on an aircraft carrier, landing a Hawker P-1127 on HMS Ark Royal.
1960
Tom Brooke-Smith
For attaining vertical flight and hovering stationary in the air in an SC 1 VTOL aircraft.
1958
Donald Campbell
For raising the water speed record to 260 miles per hour (420 km/h) on Lake Coniston in Bluebird K7.
1957
Stirling Moss
For winning three Grands Prix with Vanwall and breaking five class speed records.
1956
Peter Twiss
For setting a new air speed record of 1,132 miles per hour (1,822 km/h) and becoming the first person to break 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 km/h) in level flight, in a Fairey Delta 2.
1955
Donald Campbell
For setting a new water speed record of 202.15 miles per hour (325.33 km/h) on Ullswater in Bluebird K7.
1953
Neville Duke
For setting a new air speed record of 727.63 miles per hour (1,171.01 km/h) in a Hawker Hunter over Littlehampton.
1951
Geoff Duke
For winning the 350cc and 500cc Motorcycle World Championships and both the junior and senior Tourist Trophy races in the same year.
1948
John Derry
For breaking the 100 km closed circuit aeroplane record at Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Flying a de Havilland DH 108 he reached a speed of 605.23 mph (973.8 km/h).
1947
John Cobb
For raising the land speed record to 394.19 miles per hour (634.39 km/h) in the Railton Mobil Special.
1946
Geoffrey de Havilland Jr
Awarded posthumously for his contribution to British aviation as a test pilot developing aircraft such as the de Havilland Mosquito, the Hornet and the Vampire.
1939
Malcolm Campbell
For setting the new water speed record of 141.74 miles per hour (228.11 km/h) at Coniston Water in Blue Bird K4.
1938
A T Goldie Gardner
For attaining the class G land speed record of 186.6 miles per hour (300.3 km/h) in a 1100cc MG Magnette on the German autobahn.
1937
A E Clouston
For his flight with Betty Kirby-Green in a de Havilland DH.88 Comet from Croydon to Cape Town and back in a flight time of 77 hours and 49 minutes.
1936
Jean Batten
For her record-breaking solo flight in a Percival Gull from England to Auckland, taking 11 days and 45 minutes.
1935
George Eyston
For the land speed records over 1 hour, 12 hours and 24 hours, including an average of 140.52 miles per hour (226.15 km/h) over 24 hours of driving in Speed of the Wind.
1934
Ken Waller
For his 4,000-mile (6,400 km) flight from Belgium to what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and back in a de Havilland DH.88 Comet, taking just 3,439 minutes.
1933
Malcolm Campbell
For raising the Land Speed Record to 272.11 miles per hour (437.92 km/h) in Blue Bird.
1932
Amy Johnson
For her record-breaking flight in a de Havilland Puss Moth from London to Cape Town.
1931
Bert Hinkler
For his solo flight in a de Havilland Puss Moth from Canada to London by the least direct route imaginable.
1930
Charles Kingsford Smith
For his east-west solo air crossing of the Atlantic from Ireland to Newfoundland in 31½ hours, and victory in 13 days, also solo, in the England to Australia Air Race, in the Southern Cross.
