HIGHLANDER LEWIS WILLIAMSON believes joining the GP3 team owned by Red Bull Formula One principal Christian Horner, and racer Mark Webber, will help fast-track him to a place on the grand prix grid alongside fellow Scot Paul di Resta.
The 21-year-old from Golspie has signed for the Banbury-based MW Arden team run by Horner and Webber, and the Scot is quietly confident the partnership can take him to the GP3 title.
"GP3 is the feeder route, via GP2, to F1, which is where I want to be ultimately. Our races form part of the grand prix package over a Formula One weekend which means we'll be racing in places like Istanbul, Valencia, Silverstone, Spa and Monza."
"There are a lot of teams out there just as good as each other, but I knew I'd have a stronger chance of winning the championship with MW Arden," Williamson, born in Dundee but whose family moved north nine years ago, said today.
Indeed the talented young Scot, who was approached by a number of GP3 teams over the winter, is one of the hottest properties in British racing.
Progress through the ranks has been rapid
Despite missing out on the British Formula Renault Championship last year in the final race, Williamson was awarded the prestigious McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year ward after impressing the judges in two days of testing at Silverstone.
His progress through the ranks has been rapid. After winning a number of karting championships, he made his single-seater debut in 2009 before tackling the full FRenault Championship last year.
But despite winning five races, more than anyone else, and taking four other podiums and five pole positions, he lost out to Tom Blomqvist. Now though he'll be racing in eight GP3 rounds which support the Formula One programme at circuits across Europe.
"GP3 is the feeder route, via GP2, to F1, which is where I want to be ultimately," Williamson explained, "Our races form part of the grand prix package over a Formula One weekend which means we'll be racing in places like Istanbul, Valencia, Silverstone, Spa and Monza.
"It's a bit of a leap from Golspie, but I'm up for the challenge and I'll be doing everything I can to impress the team and win the championship."
Youngster isn't taking anything for granted
Williamson, currently serving an engineering apprenticeship, displayed his huge potential after he received a last-minute call-up to join the GP3 test at Estoril in Portugal last year.
Having flown in direct from Inverness to Lisbon and missing the opening day, he jumped into the 280bhp Renault-powered GP3 car of Atech CRS and outpaced the other 29 drivers, most of whom had already tested on the previous day and/or contested the whole 2010 season.
But despite his obvious pace, ability and success, the youngster isn't taking anything for granted and knows he faces stiff competition when the season starts in Istanbul on May 7-8.
"I'll work hard at the beginning of the year and see where we need to be," Williamson, who is backed by the Highland Arena consortium of sponsors and companies and has a test in an F1 McLaren lined up as part of his 'young driver' prize, continued.
"I need to make sure I'm mentally and physically more than 100% ready for the challenge. I'm aware I'm moving up to a different level again this year and I need to be ready for it.
'He made everything happen at Red Bull in 2010'
"My main thing is to go in with the same attitude as last year and not to try too hard too soon. It's all about minimising mistakes at the beginning and then learning from those mistakes I do make."
And the Scot, who will travel to Banbury tomorrow for his seat-fitting ahead of his first test in the car at Paul Ricard in France next week, admitted he's still coming to terms with mixing with the Red Bull stars.
"I met Christian at the Autosport awards and spoke to him for five minutes. For me it was pretty awesome," he laughed. "You watch these guys on telly all year in F1 and to suddenly find yourself talking to him on your own was a bit mindblowing.
"He's the guy who made everything happen at Red Bull last year, and they're double Formula One world champions with the constructors' and drivers' titles. I'd say Christian's definitely got a bit of a successful track record, so I think I'm in the right place."
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Jim McGill