Allan Dean-Lewis has been awarded the FIA Lifetime Achievement Award by the FIA Volunteers and Officials Commission for his dedicated contribution and immeasurable commitment to motorsport for over 40 years.

The announcement was made at the 2023 FIA General Assemblies Week in Baku, Azerbaijan with Dean-Lewis recognised alongside an esteemed list of global volunteers and organisations.

With a background in rally marshalling, Dean-Lewis has held a range of senior positions in motorsport from club to international level and has served on a variety of committees since 1972.

Dean-Lewis held the Volunteers Officials Training portfolio at Motorsport UK between 1998 and 2015. After leading a successful FIA training initiative in China in 2003, he became a founding Executive Committee member of the FIA Institute in 2004.  This experience supported the creation of the FIA Volunteer Officials Commission, of which he is a founding member and later Vice President.  He has been directly involved in promoting the training of volunteer officials worldwide for over 13 years.

He was also the first motorsport recipient of the Sport and Recreation Alliance UK’s Emeritus Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

Secretary to the British Motorsport Trust Trustees since 2001, a post he held until being appointed General Secretary in 2015, which continues to this day.

Allan Dean-Lewis commented, “As my interests led me from my local Motor Club, via Regional Associations to National Committees and thence on to FIA International Commissions, it became clear that no one club or country is more important than another in this world of motorsport, but that we all have different skills and experiences that we can learn from each other to mutual benefit, and if what I have done has helped that process even in a very small way, then all the effort has been not only totally worthwhile but highly enjoyable too”.

“It is a great honour to be recognised by the FIA in this way, and for those who follow me it also proves that a long and rewarding career pathway can exist for volunteer officials – in my case from humble beginnings manning a passage control on a road rally in 1968 to receiving this FIA Lifetime Achievement Award.  Personally, a big thank you to every single person who has supported and helped me along the way, especially my wife Jackie without whose unstinting support little of this would have been possible.

Hugh Chambers, Chief Executive Officer at Motorsport UK, commented, “Allan’s tireless efforts have left an indelible mark on the sport and he has enriched the live of countless individuals who share a passion for motorsport. This recognition celebrates Allan’s past accomplishments and serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy he has created.

“We are delighted to celebrate Allan’s achievements and he is a true role model for all who aspire to make a meaningful impact in this field.”