People are always looking for the next Formula 1 star. Followers of junior racing take pride in spotting talent before anyone else, Red Bull has reaped the benefits of its rigorous driver programme, and national interest in motorsport increases when there is a homegrown hero to cheer for.
Britain has a good record when it comes to drivers, but there is always the concern about where the next potential world champion is going to come from. That's particularly true for Silverstone owner, the British Racing Drivers' Club, which knows that having a frontrunning local hero can make a big difference to the number of fans who come through the gates for the British Grand Prix.
Since 1989 the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award has been a part of that search to find and help British talents. One of the prizes is an F1 test, which usually takes place at Silverstone at the end of the following year, and recently has been conducted in 1998 Award victor and 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button's '11 Canadian GP-winning MP4-26.