Felipe Massa has been chosen as the Latin and South American driver of the year, the Ferrari driver proving the most outstanding performer this season according to 49 journalists from across the motoring spectrum.

Recognised for his fine debut season with the multiple world champions this year, Massa's two wins in Turkey and Brazil on the way to third in the championship standings made him the resounding winner of the Automovilista Latinoamericano 2006, claiming a massive 223 points.

Having become something of a national hero following his performance alongside Michael Schumacher throughout 2006, Massa proved a worthy successor to countryman Rubens Barrichello, cementing his place in Brazilian history when he claimed victory at Interlagos, a feat 'Rubinho' was never able to do.

To emphasise the point, Barrichello does not even appear in a final table that includes drivers from various series', including GP2, Champ Car World Series, the World Series by Renault and the World Touring Car Championship. National series such as the TC2000 and the Sud-American Formula Three Championship are also included.

Indeed, Massa's win was crushing, the 24-year-old being awarded top marks by 39 of the press, radio and television journalists, to make him the clear victor over Helio Castroneves, the IRL driver claiming 84 points, while Luis Diaz was singled out for his performance in the Grand-Am Rolex Series to come third with 68 points.

Brazilian drivers largely dominated the final standings, with WTCC's Augusto Farfus Jr. fourth, British F3 front runner Bruno Senna fifth, IRL's Vitor Meira sixth, Champ Car's Bruno Junqueira ninth and GP2's Nelson Piquet tenth. Seventh and eighth for Jose Maria Lopez and Ernesto Viso, of Argentina and Venezuela respectively, deviates away from the general trend.