McLaren have given 19-year-old teenager Oliver Rowland an opportunity to show his mettle by awarding him a test drive.
Rowland, of Sheffield, who finished as runner-up in the 2011 Formula Renault UK race series, beat off five other competitors to win the Autosport British Racing Drivers' Club award and the opportunity at former world champions McLaren.
"I've had lots to learn in my first year of Formula Renault. I have learned a lot and, now I'm here, I just can't believe it," he said.
Former recipients of the BDRC award, which was set up in 1989 to acknowledge young racing drivers from the UK, include David Coulthard, Jenson Button and Paul di Resta.