Prize-drive of their lives

Trawl through any UK motorsport paddock where single-seater racing cars reside and you will undoubtedly find drivers who feel - and are all too willing to tell you - they have what it takes to be Britain's next Formula 1 star.

Telling apart the talented and the talentless in any given season isn't too difficult - usually the results and performances speak for themselves. But deciding who is the cream of that ultra-talented crop is an entirely different matter.

That's where the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award comes in. For 20 years this competition has been making that choice - deciding who has what it takes to go all the way to the top in the cut-throat world of professional motor racing.

Early in November, six of the finest young single-seater racers of 2008 headed to Snetterton for the sternest examination to date of their respective driving abilities.

British Formula Ford champion Wayne Boyd, Formula Renault UK runner-up Alexander Sims and rookie of the year Dean Stoneman had all tasted success at the Norfolk track earlier in the year, while Formula Palmer Audi Shootout winner Aaron Steele had earned his place in the Award final at Snetterton just two days before.

Neither reigning Formula Renault UK champion Adam Christodoulou nor his FPA compatriot Jason Moore won races at the venue in their respective championships this season, but it made no difference - history is meaningless when you have just two days to prove your worth in unfamiliar circumstances.

Anthony Davidson and Darren Turner give final instructions to the finalists © LAT

As rain gave way to sun, and sun gave way to rain again across the two days, the drivers pitted their wits against one another aboard a range of cars in an ultimate test - one designed to bring out the very best in the youngsters, or expose their hidden flaws.

There were no public relations excuses to hide behind in this game. Everything the drivers did was scrutinised and analysed in microscopic detail by the expert judging panel. The pressure on each was immense, even if they did their very best not to show it.

The six-strong judging panel included grand prix racer Anthony Davidson and GT1 Le Mans winner Darren Turner (both former award winners), Autosport national editor Kevin Turner, veteran scribe and Autosport national editor-at-large Marcus Pye, British commentating legend Ian Titchmarsh and McLaren's head of vehicle engineering Mark Williams.

In some ways, the pressure on their collective shoulders is the greatest of all. They must decide who will earn £50,000, a McLaren F1 test, an Aston Martin DBR9 GT1 test, Puma racewear for a year, full BRDC membership and a TW Steel watch.

But there is more at stake here than material prizes, impressive though they may be. Weighing heavily on each of the judges' minds is the aura and prestige that surrounds the Award and the knowledge that their opinion could make or break a young career.

Potentially, their decision could provide the crucial extra momentum for one youngster from one of those single-seater paddocks to realise his dream by making it all the way to the pinnacle of the sport.

Finalist profiles

British Formula Ford Champion Wayne Boyd © LAT

Wayne Boyd, 18
British Formula Ford champion
Races 25
Wins 13
Pole positions 12
Podiums 20
Fastest laps 13

"The whole experience is amazing - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity really. Just getting the chance to drive the DTM car, which not many drivers ever get to do, is unbelievable. But handling it in the wet, with wheelspin in fourth gear, was very hard. I found the ABS difficult to get used to on the Aston Martin, but driving the F3 car was just another chance for me to try it. It's difficult to find out the capabilities of each of the different cars in such a short time but I felt it went well.

"I did a few days of testing in an F3 car before the Award shootout but you can't really prepare yourself for a drive in a DTM car, so I didn't really know what to expect. I just had to relax, try not to get nervous and jump in every car and do the best job I could. I tried to build up slowly, not rag it or bin it because binning it would leave a massive black mark against my name. Then I tried to push on my last run in each car to show my raw speed."

Formula Renault UK Champion Adam Christodoulou © LAT

Adam Christodoulou, 19
Formula Renault UK champion
Races 20
Wins 7
Pole positions 6
Podiums 11
Fastest laps 4

"In a way, this shootout is like a two-day British championship where everything you do - the preparation, performance on the track, and interviews afterwards - has to leave the right impression. With my track record in racing I felt confident coming into the test - I feel I deserve to be here. If you look at the drivers who have won it in the past, the majority have been British champions like me.

"To make it on to that list with the other 19 winners, who are all pros, would be an awesome privilege and having the Award on my CV would play a massive part in my future racing career. I was always aware of other routes besides F1 for a professional driver, but the DTM car has opened my eyes to those possibilities. It would be incredible to race it, but of course the aim is to make it to F1."

Formula Palmer Audi Champion Jason Moore © LAT

Jason Moore, 20
Formula Palmer Audi champion
Races 20
Wins 6
Pole positions 5
Podiums 14
Fastest laps 5

"I thought there was going to be a lot of pressure on me coming into this but it was actually quite relaxed and that allowed me to be myself. My approach was just to try to enjoy the two days because it's a rare opportunity to drive these cars at all, let alone for the two days that we all did.

"This is such an unusual situation that you can't prepare yourself really, because you have no reference point if you're coming into this for the first time. The DTM car makes the others seem tame because it's such an animal, but the skills required to drive it are very similar to those needed for F3, so it gave me a lot of confidence to push in the F3 car. Regardless of the result, it's great to be nominated. It will open doors and help with sponsors. The previous nominees have all gone on to have great careers, so the Award is a fantastic thing to be involved with."

Formula Renault UK Runner-up Alexander Sims © LAT

Alexander Sims, 20
Formula Renault UK runner-up
Races 22
Wins 2
Pole positions 1
Podiums 12
Fastest laps 3

"I tried to prepare for the test by speaking to as many people as I could who had been through it before. I talked to previous winners Oliver Jarvis and Jamie Green to get an idea of what to expect. You have to be yourself - that's the biggest thing. You do the best you can and hope the judges like you. You have to drive at about 98 per cent over the two days. It's important to be cautious and build up to the limit without going too far because the cars aren't ours!

"The cars are all different so you have to adapt straight away - you get used to one and then have to forget everything about it before learning another. I've never had to do that before. It's about striking a balance between driving naturally and being cerebral behind the wheel. The Award is something as a young Cadet karter you see in Autosport and think, 'wow, that's some amazing level of motorsport you can only dream of getting to.' To be part of it is fantastic."

Formula Palmer Audi Shootout Winner Aaron Steele © LAT

Aaron Steele, 20
Formula Palmer Audi Shootout winner
Races 3
Wins 0
Pole positions 1
Podiums 2
Fastest laps 1

"I had no time to prepare whatsoever because I left Snetterton to get some clothes from Coventry after the FPA Shootout and I was back to have a seat fitting in the F3 car at 11 o'clock the next day. Just being a nominee is massive recognition in itself - I'll have to put a cable tie around my head to stop it expanding too much! I find myself here with the cream of the crop and that is awesome because getting here with next to no money is very difficult. It's almost like I'm the real rags-to-riches story.

"People will think I got into this the easy way by winning the FPA Shootout, but it was really hard to get here and I deserve it because I've done a good job. I want a big picture of me in that DTM car to hang on my wall so I can say, 'wow, I was there and that was me.' Just being here is good enough for me, but if I win the Award it will change everything. Christ, if I win this I will get to drive a McLaren-Mercedes F1 car. That's just mindblowing."

Formula Renault UK Rookie of the Year Dean Stoneman © LAT

Dean Stoneman, 18
Formula Renault UK rookie of the year
Races 20
Wins 3
Pole positions 3
Podiums 9
Fastest laps 2

"I hadn't been thinking about the Award too much in the lead up to the test, I was just concentrating on my racing in the Formula Renault Winter Series, but when you get to Snetterton you get to see all the cars and what the two days are all about - you can't stop thinking about it. When I went to bed on the Monday night before the test I couldn't sleep.

"The speed of the DTM car is incredible and it can easily wheelspin in a straight line with the power it has. The brakes are like an on/off switch once they come alive, it sounds mega and if you look out you can see flicks of flame coming out of the exhaust. Unreal.

"It would be nice to win the Award and if I do it will be the turning point in my life. Everyone who has won it has gone somewhere afterwards - you become a driver in demand. All you can do is drive the cars as fast as you can, without taking too many risks. I think it's important to just enjoy the experience - not many people get to drive a £1.5 million DTM car."