On December 7, 2018, in D.D. Shostakovich St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonia the award ceremony for the world motor sport champions Prize Giving Gala 2018 was held for the first time in Russia. The gala concert idea author and the stage director of the award ceremony was Hans-Joachim Frey.
The guests of honor of the event were the five-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, representatives of the FIA headed by its president Jean Todt, the president of the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF) Viktor Kiryanov, and the six-time world rally champion Sebastien. Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, European rally champions Aleksey Lukyanyuk and Aleksey Arnautov, founder and head of the SMP Racing program Boris Rotenberg and others.