Where is the next British Formula 1 star?

Question: who's the most recent British driver to take his maiden Formula 1 win?

Chances are you've had to think about this, but of course it's Lewis Hamilton, way back on June 10 2007 in the Canadian Grand Prix. Over nine years have elapsed since then, in which time Hamilton has accumulated three world championship titles and almost a half-century of grand prix wins. But in his wake? Nobody.

Which is not to say that the UK has been entirely deprived of promising drivers entering F1. The most recent is Jolyon Palmer, who as a GP2 champion automatically must be considered as worthy of an F1 seat.

A tough season with Renault has only just resulted in Palmer breaking his point-scoring duck, but he has not looked unworthy of his place alongside Kevin Magnussen, the Dane who was highly rated as he rose through the ranks and entered F1 with McLaren.

But with Hamilton now in his thirties, Jenson Button about to get out his pipe and slippers for a (possibly temporary) retirement, and Palmer not regarded as a potential world champion, then who is knocking on the door? The answer is: a lot of drivers.

There was a little game played among media in the GP2 paddock earlier this year: if GP2 was a World Cup, which country out of Britain, France or Italy would win?

The fact that the British trio of Oliver Rowland, Alex Lynn and Jordan King was regarded as at least the equal of those other two nations (Pierre Gasly, Norman Nato and Arthur Pic for France; Antonio Giovinazzi, Raffaele Marciello and Luca Ghiotto for Italy) indicates what a surprise it is that not one has a feature-race win under his belt from 2016.

At the level below them, no fewer than four British drivers (plus Anglo-Thai Alexander Albon) - Jake Dennis, Jake Hughes, Jack Aitken and Matt Parry - have won races in the GP3 Series this season, while George Russell, Callum Ilott and Ben Barnicoat are all victorious in the Formula 3 European Championship.

But it's at the next rung down the ladder where perhaps the most exciting talent of all lurks. Lando Norris has scooped up four highly competitive single-seater titles in the past 12 months, and has already sparked an explosive controversy in F3 over an intended debut at the 2016 Hockenheim finale due in no small part to the fact that rivals are fearful he will beat them. You can't get any better recommendation than that...

THE NEARLY MEN

Jordan King, Oliver Rowland and Alex Lynn lie fifth, eighth and ninth respectively in the GP2 points. King and Lynn have each taken two reversed-grid wins, while Racing Steps Foundation-backed Rowland - after his stunning 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 title-winning season - is without a victory, although he did lead the points briefly at mid-season.

Tony Shaw, who along with wife Sarah forms the engineering strength at the MP Motorsport team Rowland drives for, believes this brief table-topping stint possibly distracted Renault F1 protege Rowland and led to his subsequent slump.

"You don't turn a car that has potential for the front two rows into a bucket of shit overnight," says Shaw. "We left Silverstone leading the championship - we didn't get excited but maybe some people did."

Shaw points out that but for some bad luck Rowland would have been a winner before July - particularly Baku, where he was on course for pole before DRS was disabled in the final sector because of a yellow flag elsewhere on the circuit.

"He can be mega," says Shaw. "I wouldn't say he's the fastest driver out there but he's certainly the best racer. But the problem with Ollie is he never had to work at it particularly hard [before 2016], and this GP2 season with so many top-drawer drivers is a stark reminder that you have to work hard as a driver on so many fronts, and not just pace."

The Shaws ran King under the Manor Competition banner in Formula Renault, and are impressed with his progress in GP2 with Racing Engineering.

"Jordan works hard - he trains his knackers off and he's big into his sport and his running," says Shaw. "Every season we've wanted him at MP. He's the sort of guy who relies a lot on himself. He doesn't leap up and down and try to control situations. He has a solid driving style, and with the time to get going he could do quite well if he got into F1."

King made an art mid-season of winning reversed-grid races. "In GP2 you've got to qualify well," says Shaw, "because if you don't you're pushing to get back to where you ought to be, and then you're going to screw your tyres. You've got to box clever, and Jordan does."

Shaw has also been a fan of Lynn's since the Williams F1 protege blitzed Rowland, King and the rest on his way to the 2011 Formula Renault UK title: "We weren't able to get anywhere near him that year. He is impressive - end of. And he's continued that on."

Lynn's DAMS team has struggled this year - at the same squad in 2015, he was almost an exact match for Pierre Gasly, who is now shooting for the title with Prema Racing. Shaw reckons part of the reason for the rewriting of the GP2 formbook this year has been the switch from Hitco to Carbone Industrie brakes.

"That's the biggest single difference," he says. "In any one-make formula, if you change one thing some teams adapt quicker than others."

Could he equal Gasly in the same way as the Frenchman's team-mate Giovinazzi is doing this year? "There's no reason why not," states Shaw. "The most important test for Alex is that he stays calm and works on it, and not dive into a vat of self-doubt."

Is Lynn capable of F1? "Yeah of course," says Shaw. "He threw it off in Sochi last year but these things happen. He's a champion. Any champion from F3, GP3 [in Lynn's case], FR3.5... they deserve to be there. They've all had to beat over 20 other drivers, and in F1 you only have one bloke to beat: your team-mate."

HALFWAY THERE

Oliver Oakes, boss of the Hitech GP team in F3, has known most of the current Brits in F3/GP3 since their childhood karting days when he was an ambassador for Tony Kart. And, in the case of 2016 Hitech team leader George Russell, he even raced against his older brother Benjy during their own karting days before a car-racing career that took Oakes to F3/GP3 level.

"George has been the man to beat in everything he's done," says Oakes, "from cadets, to juniors and the step up into cars. The difference between George's year in Carlin last season [as an F3 rookie] and now is he's almost stepped up to be a professional driver.

"The way he's handled leading a new team, he's done a very good job. We've made mistakes, he's made mistakes, but he's kept his focus and is very mature.

"We are fortunate in the UK in that we have a lot of talent. Obviously Callum [Ilott, who Oakes ran in karting and is now with Van Amersfoort Racing] is exceptionally quick - he's your rough diamond, who on his day no one can beat.

"I've worked with him since he was 11 and he beat Lance Stroll, Max Verstappen in the odd race... He was always the standout guy, and he seems to punch above his weight at certain moments."

Racing Steps youngster Ben Barnicoat has raced alongside Russell at Hitech as an F3 rookie this year.

"The nicest kid on the grid and a pleasure to watch - he always makes it very exciting," says Oakes. "He is your out-and-out true racer, and I don't think there's a kid with more dog-eat-dog racecraft than Ben. He's a fighter, works hard and it's just a question of time."

The other British driver on the European F3 grid has been Ilott's VAR team-mate Harrison Newey. "He's made a huge step up and done very well," reflects Oakes. "F3 is cut-throat - you only have to look at how drivers go when they move onto other things. Look at Alessio Lorandi - he was next to last in F3, then he goes to GP3 and he's fighting for points."

Talking of which, GP3 has had its own British stars this season. "Jake Dennis is the man to beat at the moment [thanks to his late-season form]," says Oakes. "Racing Steps always pick great karters and him and 'Barney' [Barnicoat] always stood out as life-or-death racing.

"Everyone had heard of Jake in karting, and what he did in F3 last year put him on the map, battling Rosenqvist and Giovinazzi. It sounds horrible, but he's really punched above Arden's weight and taken it to the guys at ART."

Renault F1-backed Jack Aitken has joined Dennis at the Arden stable, proving evenly matched with his lanky team-mate. "He's been the surprise of GP3," reckons Oakes. "What he did in Renault Eurocup last year [Aitken won that title and the secondary ALPS crown], and with his step to GP3 this year, he's performed exceptionally. He's pushed Jake hard, and has been impressive in getting on top of the Pirellis."

Jake Hughes, narrowly beaten by Aitken in FRenault, has had a tougher season with DAMS. Oakes didn't know much about him because of his brief - and late - karting career, but says: "I saw him testing an F3 car with Carlin at Valencia last year and he did a very good job. Him and Jack were neck and neck in Renault and to be fair he's been impressive with what has to be counted as a lesser team - unless you're doing Formula E with them!"

Finally, Matt Parry cleaned up in UK domestic karting, although he didn't go abroad to the international scene before he stepped into cars. "What is impressive with him is that Koiranen is a one-man band as far as drivers at the front are concerned," says Oakes.

"He's on his own doing the job - that's a huge amount of responsibility and the faith he must have to take it to those other teams with such strong line-ups is very impressive."

THE BEST HOPE OF THE LOT?

"He is as good as it gets at this stage when you're looking at a complete package, and he's getting better and better. I wouldn't like to say he's the best driver we've ever had, but he's as good as any of the others."

The words are Trevor Carlin's and, when you consider that his team has run drivers of the calibre of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel in their formative years, you begin to realise how much excitement Lando Norris is generating.

He won't be 17 until just before he heads out to the Macau Grand Prix, but over the past 12 months he's racked up titles in 2015 MSA Formula (with Carlin), and 2016 Toyota Racing Series, Formula Renault Eurocup and FR NEC. He's also won races in a part-programme (again with Carlin) in BRDC British F3.

"He's just super-quick all the time in everything he drives," continues Carlin. "He's got a great feel for the car and grip and he always, always delivers a lap time. And I guarantee you he hasn't always had the best car. Look at his qualifying stats since he's been driving cars - they're just obscene! Everyone has a bad day, but he doesn't."

Norris went to FR2.0 and British F3 this year to improve his racecraft.

"He's sorted it," says Carlin. "Another box ticked. I can't put my finger on anything [shortfalls]. He's a lovely kid, fit and healthy, super-motivated, super-fast, and now he's got brilliant racecraft.

"When he gets home from a track, his mum has to force him to have his tea, because he just wants to go straight on his iRacing game. He wins that too - and he does it in a Formula Renault 2.0!"

Norris has been joined on the European Formula Renault trail this season by other Brits, three of whom have posted good results. Harrison Scott has been a multiple race winner, McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner Will Palmer shows the early hallmarks of being very similar in approach and intelligence to his older brother Jolyon, while Alex Gill has been close to the Renault NEC podium numerous times.

Carlin also ran Ricky Collard close to the BRDC British F3 title.

"Unfortunately he couldn't quite close the deal, but he was up against a very good driver in Matheus Leist, and many people underestimate how good Matheus is," says Carlin. "Ricky learned a lot this year - his qualifying came on in leaps and bounds and it was a good season in his development.

"With another good year in single-seaters he'd start to become a complete package. He's a character like his dad [British Touring Car veteran Rob], and I'm sure he'll become a very popular British driver."

On top of that, Carlin fielded Max Fewtrell as he emulated Norris in becoming British F4 champion, after a last-race showdown with Sennan Fielding.

"Max is still a baby, but to come in and be as cool and calm as he was and to win a championship in his first season of car racing is great," says Carlin. "He came on strong in the last third of the season, and did everything he needed, finishing it at Brands with a champion's drive."