Dean Stoneman’s Formula One dream is a step closer to reality – after he signed for Red Bull.

The cancer survivor from Bishops Waltham will be racing for champion team Dams in this year’s Renault World Series 3.5, having joined Red Bull’s junior programme.

Stoneman, who finished second during this year’s GP3 Series, will be following in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz, who all used the Renault World Series 3.5 as a stepping stone to F1.

It completes an astonishing comeback for the 24 year-old, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer two days after signing for another Renault World Series 3.5 team in January 2011.

“Four years on I’m back to where I need to be, only in a much better position thanks to Red Bull’s backing,” he said. “This has been my dream for years, it’s as close as I can get to F1 and I’m going to do the best job I can.”

The Renault World Series is on a par with GP2 as an F1 feeder competition.

“You just have to look at the names that have gone before to see that only the best drivers get into the programme,” continued Dean, who will start life with his new team in the F1 simulator at the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes on Monday.

The Renault World Series 3.5 begins in Spain on April 24/25, with Dean’s first race on the streets of Monaco coming a month later on the same weekend as the Monaco Grand Prix.

Another highlight will be racing at Silverstone in September.

He continued: “This has come out of the blue and is a fantastic opportunity. I would never have imagined it at the same time last year.

“I'm aiming very high, I think I showed last year in GP3 what I can do so I have no reason not to jump into Renault 3.5 and do well.”