The future starts now

This season, only his second in car racing, has been a break-out one for Alexander Sims. In Formula Renault, he scored his first car racing victory at Donington Park in July last year. The race was abandoned after just four laps due to a torrential downpour, but Sims was leading on merit and stood out in the difficult conditions. That was a highlight of a rookie campaign where he first showed flashes of his great potential.

He followed up that maiden victory from his rookie year with two more as he took the championship to the final round of the year. But it was more than just the bare statistics that highlight his potential.

Sims may have lost out in the end to fellow McLaren Autosport BRDC Award finalist Adam Christodoulou, but it was his all-round development that made the biggest impression this year as he made strides in each area that a driver needs to excel - after all, there's a lot more to it than simply driving the car quickly.

He scored more points than Christodoulou, but fewer wins, and he was declared runner-up once dropped scores were taken into consideration.

Sims and his Manor Competition team struggled to perform in qualifying throughout the season, handing his rivals a decisive edge, but that did give him the opportunity to show his race craft on Sundays. He invariably moved forward in race trim and scored more podiums (12) than anyone else.

Alexander Sims battles in the Formula Renault race at Brands Hatch © LAT

Those performances earned him a place as an Award finalist and gave him a chance to impress the judging panel in equal machinery to his fellow candidates at the evaluation test at Snetterton. Sims impressed in all three cars - the DTM Mercedes, Carlin Motorsport Formula 3 Dallara and GT4 Aston Martin - and his strengths out of the car made a significant impression on the teams running each vehicle.

He made impression on his Manor Competition team boss Tony Shaw - who helped engineer Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton to their Formula Renault titles in 2000 and 2003 - over the last two seasons.

Sims' ability to take on information and critically analyse his own performance helped him to speed up the learning process, and Shaw tells how his thorough and professional approach - mature beyond his 19 years - made Sims stand out as one of the best drivers he's worked with.

"We got hold of him straight out of karting, just like with Lewis and Kimi, and we saw straight away that their respective styles are extremely similar - very quick and very attacking," he says. "All three were very good in high grip situations and showed a great feel for the car and the changes we made to it.

"With even more grip and power he'll excel. Like Lewis, he was also able to jump in the car and push straight away.

"He's learned to calm down since his rookie year in 2007. He crashed a hell of a lot back then and did a lot of damage, but when he put it all together he was one or two tenths clear up the road."

Shaw also says that Sims' character and work ethic enable him to build a team around him, which can be vital in ensuring that driver and team are pulling in the same direction and that his colleagues will put in the extra work to give him every chance of success.

"Alexander has been a pleasure to work with - a selfless individual who will help out the team by doing grubby jobs and get his hands dirty in the workshop, as well driving the car.

"He marked himself out very early on as a great team player and he was able to galvanise the team around him. He's very likeable and intelligent too, which helps."

But above all, Shaw says it's his raw speed and racing ability that set him apart from the pack.

Alexander Sims takes part in the Formula BMW race supporting the Macau Grand Prix © LAT

"On occasions, I just haven't been able to believe how quick and confident he's been. His move on Riki Christodoulou, around the outside at Paddock Hill Bend, I just couldn't believe. The only other person I've seen do that is Jan Magnussen in the Formula Ford Festival.

"Alexander is quality. Lewis is great, but will probably only improve now by cutting out his mistakes. Sims is going to get better and better the longer he goes on, and I really think he deserves to go all the way."

Sims will step up to Formula 3 next season, with Mucke Motorsport in the Euro Series, but his efforts to help him succeed at that level have already begun.

Last month, he entered the Formula BMW races that supported the Macau Grand Prix. He'd never even sat in the car before, and that he starred in the races is almost immaterial. It was an exercise in gaining experience of the circuit ahead of his entry in the great F3 race in 2009 - a demonstration of not only his ability to adapt to different equipment, but his approach and desire to give himself the best opportunity to succeed in the future.