2007 STEFAN WILSON

OTHER FINALISTS Henry Arundel, Callum Macleod, Dean Smith, Nick Tandy, Duncan Tappy

He says: “The whole assessment is ingrained in my memory. Everything about it was incredible. I’d only done a year out of karts so some of the machinery, such as the

Formula Renault 3.5, was surreal. I think what won me the Award was being able to adapt to the cars so quickly.

“The best memory was the DTM Mercedes. The weather was changing all the time and the way it worked out my DTM run was bone dry. To experience the car and the professionalism of the team was amazing.

“There were two large accidents in the FR3.5, so Duncan Tappy and I had to stay an extra day so they could rebuild one car out of the two. I was 18 and I was nervous – I’d seen what could happen. Duncan went before me and by the time it was my turn it was close to dusk, really cold and dark. I think that’s what won me the Award too: despite all that, I pushed the car and didn’t make any mistakes.

“I had such a great experience, but I still didn’t know which way it was going to go. I didn’t even hear them call my name – I just felt a hand on my shoulder. It was my older brother Justin.

“It was difficult to get me into the F1 car because of my 6ft3 frame. I think we spent two or three days at the Mclaren Technology Centre. I was looking pretty glum, but one of the guys came over and said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve never not been able to get a driver in… Actually, there was one guy. I think his name was Wilson.’ It was Justin so that didn’t fill me with confidence! In the end they made a new steering column, so Mclaren did an amazing job to get me in.

“The F1 test was in the pouring rain.

I was pretty nervous about that too. It was wheelspinning in fifth gear on the National straight and there was a lot of standing water. There were some hairy moments.” WHAT HAPPENED NEXT Followed brother Justin to the United States and has so far made two Indianapolis 500 starts