1994 JAMIE DAVIES

OTHER FINALISTS Alex Deighton, Peter Dumbreck, Jonny Kane, James Matthews, Richard Westbrook He says: “My test was funny because we ended up doing a secret test after the assessment days and before they chose the winner. I think the team that supplied the Formula Vauxhall Lotus had run one of the drivers, so me and Richard Westbrook were invited back to do a separate FVL test with Paul Stewart Racing at Silverstone.

“The Award is a fantastic thing to win – the prestige and the BRDC membership. To be part of that heritage, you can’t buy your way into it. Winning definitely helped in terms of getting my name out there, though getting a drive for the next year was still down to me and my family. But it makes you hot property – there were a lot of calls offering to test – and it gives you a confidence boost.

“My F1 run was in December 1995 at Jerez. I’d never driven anything more powerful than an F3 car and never driven at Jerez, but it went really, really well. From the first lap to my last [20th], every lap was quicker than the previous one. Lap time-wise I think I was a tenth quicker than Dario Franchitti, who had spent more time in the car earlier in the week.” WHAT HAPPENED NEXT Got as far as F3000 before switching to sportscars, becoming the 2004 Le Mans Endurance champion